The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase

"The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" is the twenty-fourth episode of Season 8.
== Synopsis ==
In this special episode, Troy McClure presents three possible spin-off shows featuring the main and ancillary characters from The Simpsons: In "Chief Wiggum: P.I.(G)", Chief Wiggum and Principal Skinner are private detectives in New Orleans, Louisiana, who go after a kingpin named Big Daddy who has kidnapped Wiggum's son, Ralph, "The Love-Matic Grampa" sees Moe Szyslak taking dating advice from his Love Tester machine, which is now possessed by Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, and The Simpson family (save Lisa) and some secondary characters get their own cheesy late 1960s sketch show called, "The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour".
== Full Story ==
=== Prologue ===
While touring the Museum of TV and Television, Troy McClure reveals that Fox is desperately trying to create new shows for their Sunday night line-up, as the only popular shows on the network are Melrose Place, The Simpsons and The X-Files (Martin, Married... with Children, and Living Single were either on their way to being canceled or already gone at the time of this episode, King of the Hill, while gaining critical acclaim, isn't seen as popular in FOX's eyes; a bunch of short-lived, forgotten shows have come and gone, and it would be a few years before shows like Family Guy, Futurama, 24, and American Idol would revive FOX). Since Matt Groening and his Simpsons crew couldn't come up with any new shows, they decided to create three spin-offs featuring The Simpson family and the other characters of Springfield:
=== Chief Wiggum P.I.(G) ===
In this small skit, Chief Wiggum and Skinny Boy (Principal Skinner) return to their old town, New Orleans, to combat a newcomer gangster known as "Big Daddy". Later that night the gangster sneaks into Chief Wiggum's HQ and sends a crocodile to eat Wiggum. Fortunately, Skinny Boy strangles the animal to death. The two then discover that Ralph Wiggum has been taken, and replaced with Big Daddy's calling card in a skull.
The next day, Chief Wiggum and Skinny Boy are discussing the crime, when they hear some noise outside. They walk outside and notice that there are tons of huge floats flying around. Suddenly, five huge heads surround the chief. Lucky for him, the heads fall off revealing the people to be none other than the Simpsons. After having a short discussion with the family about Mardi Gras, Wiggum spots Ralph standing on Big Daddy's shoulder's saying, "Look, Big Daddy! There's regular daddy!" Big Daddy lifts Ralph off his shoulders and runs away. Chief Wiggum and Skinny Boy give chase.
The five run through town until Big Daddy comes upon two boats and steals one. Wiggum and Skinny Boy then hop in the other one and continue the chase. They chase each other through a canal and approach a small island with a mansion on it. Skinny Boy comments that it is the governor's mansion that disappeared two weeks earlier. The five run into the mansion until they arrive in the main office where Big Daddy hops into a chair and quickly turns around. Having the idea of being caught, Big Daddy tosses Ralph into Chief Wiggum's hands, and jumps out the window, and begins to swim away. The skit finishes with the four making a funny joke, and then laughing.
=== The Love-Matic Grampa ===
While at Moe's Tavern, Moe becomes lonely, until he realizes that Grampa's spirit is inside his love tester. When he was going to heaven, he got lost along the way. He helps Moe get a date with a beautiful lady named Betty. But Moe doesn't know what to do on the date so he brings Grampa along on the date and puts him in the bathroom. When Moe needs advice, he runs to the bathroom, only to see the machine being smashed by hoodlums Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph, with Kearney complaining that the machine called him gay. The machine starts malfunctioning and what he says Moe takes as advice. He comes back to the bathroom wearing his dinner. Betty comes in and sees what Moe did just for her and is touched.
=== The Simpson Family Smile Time Variety Hour ===
right|thumb|Homer and Marge presenting "The Simpson Family Style Time Variety Hour"
The Simpsons host their own show in Radio City Music Hall. The whole family is there, except for Lisa, who simply refuses and is replaced by a teenage cheerleader. The whole family is there along with many favorites such as Waylon Smithers, the Sea Captain, and Hans Moleman. The show features various skits including "What if The Simpsons Were Beavers", "The Candy Song", and "A Poem By Hans Moleman". Tim Conway guest stars and at the end the family gets into a pillow fight.
=== Epilogue ===
Tory McClure ends the show with a mock preview of the upcoming ninth season, which will include magic powers, multiple weddings, long-lost triplets, and Homer befriending a tiny, green space alien named Ozmodiar that only he can see.
==Behind the Laughter==
=== Reception ===
In its original American broadcast, "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" finished 61st place in the weekly ratings for the week of May 5–May 11, 1997 with a Nielsen rating of 7.3. It was the seventh highest rated show on the Fox Network that week. Even though Troy mentions that The Simpsons, Melrose Place, and The X-Files are the only shows worth a slot in the next season's lineup, three other Fox shows actually did better than The Simpsons that week: Beverly Hills, 90210, King of the Hill, and the final season episodes of Married... with Children.
== Citations ==
fr:Les Vrais-Faux Simpson
pl:The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase
pt:O grande show dos Simpsons
Category:Trilogy Episodes
Category:Anthology
Category:Episodes featuring guest stars
Category:Troy McClure episodes
Category:Principal Skinner episodes
Category:Chief Wiggum episodes
Category:Ralph episodes
Category:Moe episodes
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Marge episodes
Category:Bart episodes
Category:Spin-offs
Category:Television-themed Episodes
Category:Grampa Episodes
Category:Action-packed episodes
Category:Episodes named after the Simpsons
Category:Episodes with narration
Category:Episodes with a title card
Category:Highly Rated Episodes
Category:Just Stamp The Ticket Man Episodes
Category:Controversial episodes
Category:Episodes with mixed reviews