Question: The season of "The Simpsons" in which "Homer the Smithers" is an episode in began on what date? 
Context: "The Simpsons"' seventh season originally aired on the Fox network between September 17, 1995 and May 19, 1996.  The show runners for the seventh production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein who would executive produce 21 episodes this season.  David Mirkin executive produced the remaining four, including two hold overs that were produced for the previous season.  The season was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program and won an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Program.  The DVD box set was released in Region 1 December 13, 2005, Region 2 January 30, 2006 and Region 4 on March 22, 2006.  The set was released in two different forms: a Marge-shaped box and also a standard rectangular-shaped box in which the theme is a movie premiere. "The War of the Simpsons" is the twentieth episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> second season.  It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1991.  In the episode, Homer gets drunk at a party and embarrasses his wife Marge, so she decides to sign them up for a marriage counseling retreat.  Homer finds out that the retreat will be held near a lake and packs his fishing equipment, despite Marge telling him that all they will be doing is resolving their differences.  At the lake the next morning, Homer tries to sneak away to go fishing, but Marge catches him and he takes a walk instead.  On the dock, Homer grabs hold of a fishing pole only to be yanked onto a small rowboat by the fish.  When he notices an upset Marge is looking at him, he immediately lets the fish go to prove his love for her. Waylon J. Smithers Jr., usually referred to as Mr. Smithers or simply Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the American animated sitcom "The Simpsons", who is voiced by Harry Shearer.  Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although his voice could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".  He is the consummate executive and personal assistant of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's owner Mr. Burns. "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the eighteenth episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> fourth season.  It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April Fools' Day, 1993.  In the episode, Homer plays a series of practical jokes on Bart, and to get even, Bart shakes up a can of Homer's beer with a paint shaker.  Homer opens the can, resulting in a huge explosion that lands him in the hospital, where he goes into a coma.  At Homer's bedside, the Simpson family reminisce, mainly about moments relevant to Homer's life. "Flaming Moe" is the eleventh episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> twenty second season.  It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 16, 2011.  It follows the efforts of Waylon Smithers to earn Mr. Burns' respect by turning Moe's Tavern into a successful gay bar, leading Moe to become more popular as a gay man than Smithers.  Meanwhile, Principal Skinner looks for love with the substitute music teacher. "Homer the Smithers" is the 17th episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> seventh season.  It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 25, 1996.  In the episode, Mr. Smithers takes a vacation and hires Homer to take over as Mr. Burns' assistant. "Who Shot Mr. Burns?"  is a two-part episode of the American animated television series "The Simpsons".  Part One is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the sixth season and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 1995, while Part Two is the season premiere of the seventh season and aired on September 17, 1995.  Springfield Elementary School strikes oil, but Mr. Burns steals it and at the same time brings misery to many of Springfield's citizens.  Part One has a cliffhanger ending where Mr. Burns is shot by an unidentified assailant.  In Part Two, Springfield's police try to find the culprit, with their main suspects being Waylon Smithers and Homer Simpson. "Treehouse of Horror II" is the seventh episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> third season.  It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 31, 1991.  It is the second annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, consisting of three self-contained segments, told as dreams of Lisa, Bart and Homer.  In the first segment, which was inspired by W. W. Jacobs's short story "The Monkey's Paw" and "The New Twilight Zone" episode "A Small Talent for War", Homer buys a Monkey's Paw that has the power to grant wishes, although all of the wishes backfire.  In the second part, which parodies the "Twilight Zone" episode "It's a Good Life", Bart is omnipotent, and turns Homer into a jack-in-the-box, resulting in the two spending more time together.  In the final segment, Mr. Burns attempts to use Homer's brain to power a giant robotic laborer. "The Way We Was" is the twelfth episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> second season.  It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991.  In the episode, Marge tells the story of how she and Homer first met and fell in love.  Flashing back to 1974, we see how Homer falls in love with Marge in high school and tries to get close to her by enlisting her as his French tutor.  After several hours of verb conjugation, Marge falls for Homer too, only to become enraged when he admits that he is not a French student.  Marge rejects Homer's invitation to the prom and goes with Artie Ziff.  Artie turns out to be a terrible date and Marge realizes that it is Homer she really wants. "The Great Louse Detective" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television sitcom "The Simpsons".  It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 15, 2002.  In the episode, the Simpson family wins a free spa weekend, and Homer is nearly killed when a mysterious figure locks him in a sauna.  Chief Wiggum decides to hire someone who can think like a murderer in order to find the mystery assailant.  Bart's mortal enemy Sideshow Bob is sent to live with the Simpsons so he can help find Homer's attempted killer, who turns out to be the son of a man whom Homer drove to insanity.  Since airing, the episode has received generally positive reviews from critics, though it has been cited as not being as good as some other Sideshow Bob episodes.  The episode's title is a parody of the 1986 Disney animated feature "The Great Mouse Detective".
Answer: September 17, 1995