Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife

"Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife" is the fifteenth episode of Season 17. It is the first episode ever written entirely by a guest star, Ricky Gervais.
==Synopsis==
Homer puts himself and Marge in a TV show in which two families swap mothers: Homer and the kids get a very strict woman, while Marge stays with that woman's husband, who develops a crush on Marge.
==Full Story==
Lenny invites practically everyone in town to a party at his flat, where he tells them that he has a big surprise. He reveals that he bought a brand new plasma screen TV, and Homer immediately falls in love with its high-definition picture. He begins to spend all his time at Lenny's house, watching TV. Marge sends over the kids to bring him back, but they too get enthralled by the TV. Eventually three days later, Lenny tells him to leave. When Homer gets back home, he just doesn't enjoy watching his usual TV anymore. Marge tells him that she entered them into a contest where the winner gets a prize that is a plasma screen TV. Later, they get a call, and they learn that they won third place, and the prize is a trip to the Fox Studio Network. While there, Homer learns of a reality show called "Mother Flippers" (similar to Wife Swap and Trading Spouses), and the grand prize just happens to be enough money to buy a new plasma screen TV. Marge agrees, although with reluctance, and they enter.
When they get back to Springfield, the show begins. Marge is traded to a nice, easy going man named Charles Heathbar and his perfect son, while Homer gets Charles' very strict wife, Verity. Charles seems to be the classic hen-pecked husband, and is surprised to see that Marge is extremely understanding and nice. Marge enjoys her time with Charles, while he begins to develop a crush on her. Meanwhile, Homer, Bart, and Lisa are having troubles with Verity, who continues to discipline them and object to everything they do. She makes homework out of "Itchy and Scratchy" for Bart and asks Homer for his "synopsis" of CSI: Miami.
Back at Charles' house, he writes a love song for Marge (with guitar accompaniment), who seems completely oblivious to him until he comes out and tells her that he's in love with her. She explains to him that she loves Homer, much to Charles' dismay. He then tells Marge that his wife is a bitch and his son’s a bastard, and that Homer's charm is “so damned irresistible.” She tells him that he should tell his wife how he feels. He agrees, and decides to take her back to Homer and then get rid of Verity. When they get back to Springfield, Homer and the kids are ecstatic to see Marge. However, Verity has decided to leave Charles first, and she has already found a new partner: Patty. Patty explains that the reason she and Verity got together is because they both share a hatred for Homer. In the end, Homer plays on the guitar, serenading his true love, his new Plasma TV (and Marge, too).
==Behind the Laughter==
===Live action Opening sequence===
In 2006, Sky One in the United Kingdom began advertising The Simpsons using a live-action recreation of the series' opening sequence directed by Chris Palmer.
It was the second time they had done so, the first being in September 2000 as part of a weekend celebrating the 10th anniversary of the show premiering in the UK. Except for the very first shot with the "THE SIMPSONS" text appearing out of the clouds, every piece of the opening is present in this version, with even multiple chalkboard and couch gags filmed. Attached to the end of this sequence is the message "Come home to The Simpsons on Sky One." A version was also made for cinema distribution. Because the live action sequence was made in the UK, there are some slight cultural differences, such as Homer and Marge driving on the left in a right hand drive car, the actor playing Chief Wiggum wearing a British police uniform, and the quick swoop between the Marge and Maggie and Homer car sequences has been removed.
The sequence was used instead of the regular intro in "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife", first broadcast on Fox on March 26, 2006 with the shots during the driving scenes mirrored so that the cars appeared to be driving on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left side of the car. This intro was produced by Pipeworks Software and directed by Chris Palmer.
For later reruns, Season 17 DVD prints, and the Disney+ of the episode, the second version of the condensed opening from "Million Dollar Abie" was used.
A frame of the live-action couch gag from "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" appears as part of the montage of previous couch gags in both the broadcast and Disney+ versions of "At Long Last Leave".
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==Broadcasting Information==
USA/Canada
*1st Airdate: Sunday, March 26, 2006 (Live Action)
*2nd Airdate: Sunday, May 21, 2006 (Different Chalkboard and Couch Gag)
UK
*1st Airdate: Sunday, April 23, 2006
*2nd Airdate: Friday, April 28, 2006 (Encore Screening)
*3rd Airdate: Saturday, July 8, 2006
*4th Airdate: Monday, August 14, 2006
*5th Airdate: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Australia
*1st Airdate: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 (Different Chalkboard and Couch Gag)
==Citations==
fr:Échange d'épouses
pl:Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife
pt:Homer Simpson, Essa É a Sua Esposa
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Marge episodes
Category:Episodes named after a character
Category:Episodes featuring guest stars
Category:LGBT-Themed episodes
Category:Romance-themed Episodes
Category:Television-themed Episodes
Category:Episodes with live action footage
Category:Episodes in which Homer almost loses Marge
Category:Episodes named after the Simpsons
Category:Episodes on DVD
Category:Written by one-time writers
Category:Poorly-received episodes
Category:Episodes with mixed reviews
Category:Episodes banned from TV in countries