“I just ripped the head off Mr. Honeybunny.” – Bart Simpson
The numbers are in and Zombie Simpsons pulled a disappointingly decent one. Last night’s affront to the comedy gods was watched by 8.65 million people. That makes it the fourth highest rated episode all year and raises the average for Season 21 to 8.23 million. It throttled The Cleveland Show (6.96 million) and even beat Family Guy (8.10 million). I’d say all the 20th anniversary propaganda is having its intended effect.
Next week we’ll probably see an even bigger number with the Spurlock special and all the attendant anniversary hoopla. It’s also the 450th episode, which strikes me as an absurdly unSimpsons thing to celebrate. This is the show that once all but ignored its own 100th episode, but now every time they mark another fifty (which is only a little more than two seasons) they throw a party.
Dead Homer Society 
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“…This is the show that once all but ignored its own 100th episode…”
And further ridiculed the whole notion of anniversary episodes via its “138th Episode Spectacular.”
I remember when the 100th episode aired there were tons of commercials and shit promoting it.
Fair point. But the show itself (Bart’s blackboard of “I will not celebrate meaningless milestones” and, as D.N. pointed out, the title “138th Episode Spectacular”) ridiculed the commemoration of such things. Now it seems like they’re just celebrating longevity for longevity’s sake.
The production team recalled via audio commentary that the 100th-episode promotion Fox did for “Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Baadasssss Song” was misleading. Fox hyped up the episode as showcasing Bart’s biggest prank yet – one that results in Skinner getting fired – but of course, in the actual episode, Bart didn’t intentionally cause the event that got Skinner fired.