User Reviews

As a fan of Ms. Rivers, I'm occasionally in wonder at some of her cameo appearances where she takes on a "character" (brilliant when written well, awkward when her hand isn't in on the concept and script). With this in mind, I still assembled a small crowd of people to watch this episode when it first aired- they were not disappointed.

For some reason, I looked it up again tonight on IMDb, and was surprised at its low ratings and its dismissal as "just another special guest appearance." Wondering if maybe I had missed something in the first viewing, a Google search showed several entries that also recognized that this episode, in a mode more like the Simpsons of yester-year, had a lot going on behind it.

(A large hat tip to Adam Buchman at TVHOWL.com for getting it when so few with shorter memories did not...)

Before Tracey Ullman, Married With Children, before Rupert Murdoch had total control of FOX, before Football, before anything, Joan Rivers was declared the first major star of Fox Broadcasting, leaving The Tonight Show, where she was the first Permanent Guest Host, for a live late night show on Fox, with a 3 year, $15 million (in 1986 dollars, when that was FY money). Her late husband, Edgar Rosenberg, a noted TV producer before meeting Ms. Rivers, and a driving force in the development of her career and success, would be Executive Producer.

The result was a far better rated show than any of Carson's competitors (a common assumption is that poor ratings killed it, but it pulled audience share that made it entirely viable, and was booked with advertisers for six months before its cancellation) In fact, Rivers was ahead in some markets, a reality not seen until Carson's retirement and the Leno/Letterman schism years later.

However, the Late Show was born of countless battles between a defensive and not on his game Rosenberg, and the young executives of the new network. (Recall, this was before the much needed original lead in material, making Rivers's Late Show the full force of keeping the network together...)

To make a long story short, as this episode reflects, battles over simple items kept escalating and disrupting the show behind the scenes. Ultimately, the network pulled rank and made the same ultimatum to Rivers- drop her husband as the Executive Producer, and you can stay. Rivers at the time, fell on the sword, Fox fired both of them. Rosenberg committed suicide not long after.

Equally brilliant about this episode and its retelling of the story (casting Krusty as Rivers in a bizarre but brilliant way and Rivers as an argumentative Rosenberg. The comparison to Rivers's book "Still Talking" is evident and wise. But this time, there is in fact, a happy ending. Krusty quits with his producer, and in the time since, it is not the death knell to his career that it was for Rivers, before the vast landscape of cable appeared and it wasn't solely about network TV anymore. In many ways, also a reason for Rivers's own career explosion in recent years.

For those who loved The Simpsons for its brilliant and subtle nuance and ability to integrate history, events, and popular culture, and anyone with some knowledge of the real history of late night talk shows (Forget Vodka, Chelsea, you were not the first...) this was deft, smart, and re-told the story on the very network that grew out of the ashes of her earlier defeat. That Rivers and former Fox CEO Barry Diller have since gone on to have a hugely successful partnership together at QVC, perhaps shows the world just works this way.

But above all, I'm certain this was a "last laugh" triumph for Rivers at Fox, through a brilliantly executed story line, 25 years after it all went down... And best of all, it proved The Simpsons still have some smarts and its subliminal edge is still intact... 10/10. No doubts.

The Ten-Per-Cent Soulution is a great Simpsons episode with a great storyline and very funny.I thought Joan Rivers did a fantastic job as Anne Dubinsky,I've never been a fan of Joan Rivers however,and when I heard she was going to be in an episode I thought she would spread too much of her own comedy in the episode,which I don't like,but she didn't,she just went by the script and her voice really suited the character.I think that Dan Castellenate(voice of Homer and Krusty,among many others) should continue to write episodes with his wife,Deb Lucasta,because I always really enjoy the episodes they write,especially Days Of Wines And Doh'ses and The Fight Before Christmas,and think they should continue to make more.

At a request of The Simpsons,Krusty gets back with his first assistant,Anne Dubinsky (voiced by Joan Rivers),who he had a serious relationship.Anne is now determined to make Krusty more entertaining for an older audience.