| "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
 Lisa hallucinates what Hell is like because she fears her family is violating the Eighth Commandment ("thou shalt not steal") by watching stolen cable television. | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Rich Moore |
| Written by | Steve Pepoon |
| Production code | 7F13 |
| Original air date | February 7, 1991 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not make flatulent noises in class"[1] |
| Couch gag | The family dances before sitting on the couch.[2] |
| Commentary | Matt Groening Al Jean Mike Reiss Rich Moore Steve Pepoon |
"Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 26th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 7, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets an illegal cable hookup. Despite the family's enjoyment of the new channels, Lisa suspects they are stealing cable. Her suspicions are confirmed by Reverend Lovejoy and she protests by no longer watching television. Homer invites his friends to watch a cable-TV boxing match, but Lisa's protest persuades him to cut the cable when the fight ends.
The episode was written by freelance writer Steve Pepoon and directed by Rich Moore. It is based on the Eighth Commandment ("Thou shalt not steal"). The episode marks the debut of Troy McClure, who was voiced by Phil Hartman and based on the typical "washed up" Hollywood actor. The character Drederick Tatum, one of the boxers in the boxing match Homer and his friends watch, also makes his first appearance on the show in this episode.
In its original broadcast, "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" received a Nielsen rating of 15.2, finishing 25th the week it aired.
It received favorable reviews from critics and became the second episode of The Simpsons to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour).
- ^ Richmond & Coffman 1997, p. 48.
- ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". BBC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2003. Retrieved March 3, 2010.