Bart the Genius
| "Bart the Genius" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | David Silverman |
| Written by | Jon Vitti |
| Production code | 7G02 |
| Original air date | January 14, 1990 |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not waste chalk" (while writing this Bart uses different chalk for each letter) |
| Couch gag | The family hurries on to the couch, and Bart is flung into the air. He comes down during the shot of the TV. |
| Commentary | Matt Groening James L. Brooks David Silverman Jon Vitti |
"Bart the Genius" is the second episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 14, 1990. It was the first episode written by Jon Vitti. It is the show's first standard episode, as well as the first to use the signature title sequence, though this version is much different from the one subsequently used, from the second season to the twentieth season. In the episode, Bart cheats on an intelligence test and is declared a genius, so he is sent to a school for gifted children. Though he initially enjoys being treated as a genius, he begins to see the downside of his new life.
It marks the first use of Bart's catchphrase "Eat my shorts". As the second episode produced, directly after James L. Brooks' personal displeasure at the animation of "Some Enchanted Evening", the future of the series depended on how the animation turned out on this episode. The animation proved to be more to his liking and production continued.