| "The Bonfire of the Manatees" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 17 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
| Written by | Dan Greaney |
| Production code | GABF18 |
| Original air date | September 11, 2005 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Alec Baldwin as Caleb Thorn Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony | |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "Does any kid still do this anymore?" |
| Couch gag | Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie go through a metal detector safely, but Homer sets it off. After three attempts (and removing all but his underwear), Homer is then searched with a scanning wand by a security guard. |
| Commentary | Al Jean David Silverman Mark Kirkland Nancy Kruse Matt Selman Dan Greaney Tom Gammill Max Pross |
"The Bonfire of the Manatees" is the first episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 11, 2005, making it the first Simpsons season premiere to air in September since the eleventh season opened with "Beyond Blunderdome" on September 26, 1999. The episode was written by Dan Greaney and directed by Mark Kirkland.
In this episode, Marge leaves Homer to save manatees after he is forced to use the house to film pornography. Alec Baldwin guest starred as Caleb Thorn. In its original broadcast, it was watched by 11.1 million viewers and received mixed reviews.