| "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
 Homer skipping through the Land of Chocolate in a fantasy sequence | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 11 |
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
| Written by | Jon Vitti |
| Production code | 8F09 |
| Original air date | December 5, 1991 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "The Christmas pageant does not stink"[1] |
| Couch gag | Santa's Little Helper is on the couch and growls menacingly. The family backs away slowly. |
| Commentary | |
"Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" (German pronunciation: [bœːɐ̯ns fɛɐ̯ˈkaʊ̯fn̩ deːɐ̯ ˈkʁaftvɛʁk]) is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 5, 1991.[1] In the episode, Mr. Burns sells the power plant to two German investors for $100 million. The new owners immediately fire Homer, the plant's safety inspector, for his incompetence. Burns soon realizes his former workers no longer fear him and buys the plant back to regain their respect.
The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Mark Kirkland. Originally, the writers wanted to have Burns sell the plant to Japanese investors, but they decided that this would have been too clichéd, and the characters were rewritten as German. The title is an inaccurate German translation of "Burns sells the power plant", the correct version being Burns verkauft das Kraftwerk.
In its original airing on Fox, the episode had a 12.6 Nielsen rating, finishing the week ranked 38th. "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" received generally positive reviews from critics and was praised for several scenes, particularly the "Land of Chocolate" sequence in which Homer dances around in an imaginary land made entirely out of chocolate. The sequence was also remade as a cutscene and level in The Simpsons Game.
- ^ a b Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..