Episode 1F07
Written by Frank Mula
Directed by Carlos Baeza
Also starring: Pamela Hayden, Maggie Roswell, Russi Taylor
Special guest voices: Phil Hartman (as Lionel Hutz), Werner Kiempere (as Colonel Klink), Michelle Pfeiffer (as Mindy Simmons), Marcia Wallace (as Ms Krabappel)

Premise: When the power plant's Dangerous Emissions Officer is accidentally transported to an Arabian table-dancing establishment, Mr Burns hires the beautiful Mindy Simmons - a woman obsessed with doughnuts, beer, and TV. And Homer. Meanwhile, Bart's become a nerd.

Features: Milhouse, Principal Skinner, Ms Krabappel, Martin, Lenny, Carl, Charlie, Mr Burns, Smithers, Dr Hibbert, Sherri and Terri, Nelson, Dolph, Jimbo, Kearney, Moe, Barney, Grampa, Kent Brockman, Ned Flanders, Lionel Hutz, Rod and Todd Flanders, Hans Moleman.

Couch: The Simpsons rush in - and find themselves guests on Late Night With Letterman.

Trivia:

• Homer and Mindy are selling copies of Will There Ever Be a Rainbow at the energy convention.

Homage: Homer's unsexy thoughts include Barney acting out the title sequence of sixties sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Homer flicks past what looks like a BBC wildlife documentary. His guardian angel appears to him in the form of Colonel Klink from the 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes, in a sequence that draws heavily from It's A Wonderful Life and Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Homer sings a rough approximation of Barry Manilow's 1977 hit Mandy. Mr Burns' attempt to deal with employees charging room service to the company is reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West's attempts to deal with Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Notes for Brits: Roger Ebert, referred to by Homer, is a renowned film critic and sometime screenwriter.

Notes for the Uneducated: Homer's garbled message to Mindy includes 'nam myoho renge kyo', the common chant of Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism.

Mmmmm: ...foot-long chilli dog...Marge.

Notes: 'Desserts aren't always right.' 'But they're so sweet.' Homer gets the chance to cheat on Marge in this wonderfully scripted episode.