"Brawl in the Family" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 13 Episode 7 |
Directed by | Matthew Nastuk |
Written by | Joel H. Cohen |
Production code | DABF01 |
Original air date | January 6, 2002 |
Guest appearances | |
Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Constance Harm Delroy Lindo as Gabriel | |
Episode features | |
Couch gag | The couch is replaced by a hedge. A gardener comes in and creates a topiary of The Simpsons. |
Commentary | Al Jean Joel H. Cohen Max Pross Delroy Lindo Matt Warburton David Silverman |
"Brawl in the Family" is the seventh episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 6, 2002. In the episode, the Simpsons get arrested for domestic violence, prompting social worker Gabriel to move in and make the family functional. After the family is declared acceptable, Amber and Ginger, the cocktail waitresses Homer and his neighbor Ned Flanders married in Las Vegas, show up at their doorsteps. This episode is the first episode of Season 13's DABF production line.
"Brawl in the Family" was directed by Matthew Nastuk and was the first full episode Joel H. Cohen received a writing credit for. It was the first episode on which Al Jean served as sole showrunner. The idea for the episode was pitched by Jean, who wanted to produce a sequel to the season 10 episode "Viva Ned Flanders", which he thought had a "loose end". The episode features Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Constance Harm, and Delroy Lindo as Gabriel.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 12.8 million viewers, making it the 28th most watched program the week it aired.
Later that year, the episode was nominated for an Environmental Media Awards in the category "Television Episodic - Comedy", which it ultimately lost to the Dharma & Greg episode "Protecting the Ego-System". Following its home video release, "Brawl in the Family" received mixed reviews from critics.