Episode 5F07
Written by Ron Hauge
Directed by Bob Anderson
Also starring: Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Maggie Roswell
Special guest voice: Alex Trebek (as himself)

Premise: After Bart burns the Christmas tree and all their presents down, the rest of the family believe his story that it was all stolen. Kent Brockman interviews them, leading to the whole community rallying around and, ultimately, the Simpsons become rich. Trouble is, when the truth is revealed, their neighbours want their money back.

Features: Mr Burns, Smithers, Carl, Lenny, Moe, Barney, Grampa, Jasper, Kent Brockman, Chief Wiggum, Lou, Eddie, Agnes Skinner, Skinner, Ms Krabappel, Miss Hoover, Groundskeeper Willie, Otto, Superintendent Chalmers, Milhouse, Jimbo, Sherri and Terri, Ralph, Rev. Lovejoy, Helen Lovejoy, the Flanderses, Mr van Houten, Dr Hibbert, Sylvia, Quimby, Hans Moleman, Android's Dungeon Guy, Krusty, Sideshow Mel, Apu, Captain McCallister.

Couch: The couch is inside a snowglobe that then gets shaken.

Trivia:

• Selma gives Bart cash for Christmas, while he gets an Inferno Buster 3000 from his parents, which is what starts the fire.
• Lisa is unsurprised to be getting a yellow sweater.

Homage: The title owes much to Miracle on 34th Street (George Seaton, 1947) but not the plot. The two orphans could have walked straight out of Annie (John Houston, 1982).

Notes for Brits: Alex Trebek hosts the gameshow Jeopardy.

Look out for: Homer's attempts to justify parking in the disabled parking space, Lisa strangling Bart with a cry of 'Why you little...' and Marge somehow managing to lose $5,200 on Jeopardy. Oh, and after all these years, Homer thinks his neighbour is called Ted! Bless him.

Notes: A deliberately mawkish Christmas episode that is low on good jokes (although the Simpsons watching their own fire on TV is a good start) and a retread of any number of episodes where Bart does wrong, feels guilty and eventually has to fess up. The only real ray of sunshine is the closing moments when the neighbours get their revenge but the Simpsons find the family spirit after all.