The BEST episodes of The Tracey Ullman Show
Every episode of The Tracey Ullman Show ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Tracey Ullman Show!
A variety/sketch show brought to you by funnywoman Tracey Ullman. The show was one of the first programs on the then-new FOX Network in the U.S. in the mid 1980s. Tracey's show was a sketch comedy show including lots of singing and dancing. The Simpsons appear as short, animated sketches, interspersed between the main, live-action sketches. Spinoffs: The Tracy Ullman Show led to the creation of the hit FOX show, The Simpsons. It began as short skits on Ullman's Show. Overall the Simpsons made appearances in 50 episodes in the show's first three seasons and one additional apppearance in the fourth and final season.
#1 - 4W06
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/3/1987
COMEDIAN; Molly Reed (Tracey Ullman) is a Southern Belle who takes offense to her new boyfriend Rick Field, a comedian who uses offensive material regarding marriage in his nightclub act. KAY AND THE CO-WORKER; Kay Clark (Tracey Ullman), a frumpy, overweight English spinster with a dreary office job, meets a new co-worker (Joe Malone) whom she distrusts. THE RIGHT GUY; Songwriter Ira is reluctant to open his love to Bunny (Tracey Ullman), the unsure-of-herself girl of his dreams, when she comes into his apartment one night after being stood up by her boyfriend. WATCHING TELEVISION; Bart and Lisa Simpson fight over what to watch on the TV.
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Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/19/1987
LOTTERY; In 1967, Nancy Wickson (Tracey Ullman) is reluctant to share a winning $16 million lottery ticket with her college roommate Barbara (Julie Kavner). 20 years later, a wealthy Nancy returns to ask poor Barbara to reconciliate. AMBULANCE PICK UP; Lynette (Tracey Ullman), an English ambulance paramedic, tries to fend off the come-ons of Roger (Dan Castellaneta), a car crash victim. GIRL ON A LEDGE; Lt. Kelly (Joe Malone), a dancer/policeman, tries to get suicidal Mary (Tracey Ullman) off a ledge over Times Square. GOOD NIGHT; Homer and Marge say "good night" to their kids - but Bart wants to know how tangible the mind is, Lisa is afraid of being bitten by bedbugs, and Maggie takes "Rock-A-Bye Baby" too literally.
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Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/16/1989
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, KAY; Kay must decide if she wants to tell Mrs. Leroy (Julie Kavner) about her husband's philandering after she catches him in the act with the delivery girl. SWEET DREAMS; Now two months married, Gary and Joanie talk one night about their marital status after she thinks that he may be losing interest in her. PUMPING IRONY; Sara and Greg Downey hire a fitness instructor (special guest star Jake Steinfield) to keep them in shape, while lazy Greg disavows the routine. BART OF THE JUNGLE; Bart, Lisa and Maggie take all of Homer's neckties and play jungle in their back yard.
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Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 7/19/1987
KAY'S HAPPY HOUR; Kay, fed up with the office staff constantly playing practical jokes on her, quits her job and spends time in a bar listing to the facts of life from the barman (Joe Malone) and a fellow patron (Julie Kavner). CLICK; A couch potato (Sam McMurray) does not care about the boy his teenage daughter is going out with. WHAT I DID FOR LOVE; A mother and daughter singing duo (Maureen McGovern and Tracey Ullman) sings about the times they had together during a ride home from another failed audition. SCANNER; Dr. N!Godtau displays a brain scanner that shows what her patients have on their minds. (Last Dr. N!Godtau short)
Watch Now:Amazon#5 - 4W09
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/14/1987
MEG AND TINA IN AUGUST; Meg and Tina (Julie Kavner and Tracey Ullman), two U.S. postal workers in Queens, New York City, grow hostile to each other when the tarty Tina seems to have all the luck with the guys. PRE-SCHOOL; Sara and Greg try to get their son Max accepted in a certain pre-school. KIKI HOWARD-SMITH SINGS; Kiki Howard-Smith (Tracey Ullman), a perky Australian golf player, does a music video singing her version of "Golf". THE DREAM; Dr. N!Godatu tells about a strange dream she had about meeting the man of her dreams: Bill Wallhead.
Watch Now:Amazon#6 - 4W26
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/17/1987
FRANCESCA - A Girl's Life; Francesca McDowell (Tracey Ullman), a giggly-gangly New York teen living with her gay father, Dave (Dan Castellaneta), and his lover, William (Sam McMurry), goes out on her first date with Martin, a boy. HAPPY LADY; A cheerful British hospital patient (Tracey Ullman) causes misery for another lady (Julie Kavner) in pain from a car wreck. VIVE LA DIFFERENT; Carmel Pinkum (Tracey Ullman), a prissy Southern booster for "People With Positivity," auditions for the lead singer with a punk rock band, despite the differences between them. FISH TANK; A cold-stricken Dr. N!Godatu's fish are doing strange things, which is nothing compared to what the two repairmen (voice of Dan Castellaneta) are doing trying to fix it.
Watch Now:Amazon#7 - 4W11
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 7/12/1987
FRANCESCA'S CHOICE; Francesca must decide whether or not to mention her father's homosexually in a paper about her life story for her school. GOTTA DANCE; Dr. Gibson tires to make Don (Joe Malone), a professional dancer, open up his feelings by playing music to make him dance. SCANDAL; A senior parliament member (Dan Castellaneta) tries to persuade the press and his disbelieving wife (Tracey Ullman) that his alleged affair with a hooker is not true. EATING DINNER; The Simpsons have dinner where their sloppy eating habits are revealed.
Watch Now:Amazon#8 - 5W23
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/12/1989
GOODBYE, BUTCHIE; Summer Storm's favorite dog dies and she asks her ex-husband Jerry (Sam McMurray) to keep her company while her other friends Keith and Freddy plan to cheer her up. THE HANDOUT; Three executive prize winners (Dan Castellaneta, Tracey Ullman and Anna Levine), walking home from an awards dinner, confront a bum in the street looking for a handout. TEAMIES; Three athletic women race walkers (Tracey Ullman, Anna Levine and Fay Burns) in training must face the fact that only one of them will be competing in the coming race. ECHO CANYON; The Simpsons visit Echo Canyon to listen to their echoes.
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Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/19/1989
OCCUPIED; On a airplane to Australia, Kiki Howard-Smith, devastated by the knowledge of her husband leaving her, meets Antonio Gianelli (Dan Castellaneta), a wealthy Italian businessman who takes an interest in her. MR. RIGHT; Millie and Jack (Anna Levine and Dan Castellaneta) visit their crazy friend Bonnie (Tracey Ullman), who claims that she has met Mr. Right: a ventriloquist's dummy named Lenny. BATHTIME; Bart takes a bath and floods the bathroom after leaving the water on.
Watch Now:Amazon#10 - 7W08
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/1989
BY STUFF POSSESSED; Compulsive shopper Sheila (Tracey Ullman), attends a Shopper's Anonymous meeting where the chairperson (special guest star Carole King) and other fellow shoppers talk and sing to her to make her give up her compulsive spending. THE HOLLAND TUNNEL OF LOVE; Tony (Dan Castellaneta) brings his girlfriend Robin over for dinner at the home of his Jersey City parents, Big Tony and Rosalie (special guest star Robert Costanzo and Tracey Ullman), who constantly argue with each other.
Watch Now:Amazon#11 - 4W03
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/12/1987
THE LETTER; Justine (Tracey Ullman), returning home from a failing marriage, pays a visit to Brian (Dan Castellaneta), her old high school boyfriend. JAMEY TURNER does an unusual recreation of "Ode to Joy" with the rims of drinking glasses filled with water. QUALITY TIME; Sara and Greg Downey, (Tracey Ullman and Dan Castellaneta) L.A. yuppies, try to squeeze in time with their 3-year-old son, Max, after a long day's work. DAVID MEETS THE FOLKS; Carla Cooper (Tracey Ullman) is reluctant to introduce David, her new American boyfriend, to her parents because he is a stripper. BLIND DATE; Dr. N!godatu has a dream date with Bill Wallhead who's also a surgeon; unfortunately, he's also someone who likes to talk about himself too much.
Watch Now:Amazon#12 - 4W01
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/26/1987
LIKE MOTHER; Susan (Tracey Ullman) hates her nagging eccentric mother (Julie Kavner) until one night, she starts to physically turn into her. SPONTANEITY; A couple (Julie Kavner and Dan Castellaneta) argue over not being spontaneous because they sit every Sunday night in front of the TV. ANSWERING MACHINE; Soft-spoken Donna (Tracey Ullman) decides to improve her message on her answering machine with a little music flavor. FREEWAY; Dr. N!Godatu goes out for a drive with her friend Pat (voice of Nancy Cartwright), but they detour onto Pat's worst nightmare, the freeway.
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Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/28/1990
HER FIRST GROWNUP; When Dave and William go out for the evening, Francesca tries to come on-to stereo repairman Jimmy, who happens by, and she questions her feelings when Dave and William come back and catch them in the act. DAISY'S DECLINE; Restaurant owner Daisy (Tracey Ullman) slips into a degenerate decline of stuffing her face after her husband/cook Helmouth (Sam McMurray), leaves her to open up his own restaurant.
Watch Now:Amazon#14 - 7W19
Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/7/1990
HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS; At a 1990 alumni party for a high school graduation class of 1929, Rose (Tracey Ullman) meets her old love Matthew (Sam McMurray), and they decide to make up for lost time, until Ruth's 103-year old father (Dan Castellaneta) finds out. DEAR TAXPAYER; Andrew (Dan Castellaneta), being audited for his taxes, meets his cold-hearted, estranged mother (Tracey Ullman) who works as a IRS agent and who has no qualms about her son who owes $60,000. ME, MYSELF & I; Hollywood actor Hart Mortel (Sam McMurray) and actress Miranda Kentner (Tracey Ullman) wake up in bed in a fancy hotel room and realize that they have been together all day and not even knowing about it for they are both self-involved with their own problems.
Watch Now:Amazon#15 - 7W16
Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/18/1990
CREATIVE DIFFERENCES; Sandra meets Virginia Winslow (special guest star Glen Close), a rival movie actress of hers from the old times, who is to star with her in a new movie about two rival sisters. JINX HABER REVISITED; Jinx Haber's new cab driver boyfriend Howard Cramer (Dan Castellaneta) is amazed that she can fly. TEA; English tea tasters Penelope and Lloyd (Tracey Ullman and Dan Castellenta) taste types of tea to serve at an upcoming party while discovering romance with each other.
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Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/4/1990
DUE DILIGENCE; Hollywood movie director Buzz Schlanger (special guest star Mel Brooks), tries to control himself when attractive movie actress Miranda Kentner (Tracey Ullman), comes to his office to ask him to cast her in a major movie role. YOU CALL THAT A DRESS?; Madonna-like punk Teresa (Tracey Ullman) gets a visit from the ghost of her father (Dan Castellaneta) at his own funeral who complains that he does not like the dress she is wearing, and also to ask for forgiveness from her in order to get into heaven.
Watch Now:Amazon#17 - 7W13
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/14/1990
I'M DATING A CORPORATE LAWYER; Sara Downey tells her marriage counselor about the time in 1977 when Greg and her first met at a law office where she worked as a secretary and found that they had a lot in common. A GINNY NOCTURNE; A desperate Ginny beds down with Tony, a non-English speaking Italian pool man and tells him of her dull life. DAWG DAY AFTERNOON; Lou (special guest star Martin Short) is a Cleveland football fan who's nagging wife (Tracey Ullman) tells him not to go to a Cleveland Dawg's game with his friend Arnie (Sam McMurray) because he should spend the afternoon with her.
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Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/7/1990
GINNY'S SECOND CHANCE; Ginny gets a second chance in life when a wealthy plastic surgeon named Edgar Schneider (Sam McMurray), proposes marriage in exchange for her to undergo a complete face lift. MARIA AND THE MISTER; Maria spends time talking with Mr. Brenna (special guest star Kelsey Grammar) who tells her of his own loneliness and unhappily married life.
Watch Now:Amazon#19 - 7W07
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/12/1989
THE CRISIS; Gary and Joanie seek counseling from Reverend Grayling (special guest star George Coe) to settle a crisis when Gary finds out that she has dyed her hair red and Joanie reveals that Gary is a cross-dresser. THE BALTIMORE STOOPS; Jo Jo (Tracey Ullman), a Jewish Baltimore teen, argues with her long-widowed father (special guest star Michael Tucker) after he begins to see another woman which makes Jo Jo very resentful to him.
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Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/7/1989
ALL ABOUT TAMMY LEE; Tammy Lee Didawick (Tracey Ullman) is the personal assistant to Dee Dee Pernell (Julie Kavner), a drunken, washed up, country-western singer who plans to go on a tour despite her drinking problem. When Dee Dee passes out, the crafty Tammy Lee plots to take her place in the spotlight at her first country-western concert. MAGGIE IN PEARL: THE THRILLING CONCLUSION; Maggie gets away from the waterfall and by grabbing some helium balloons, she floats back to her crib unharmed and excited about her adventure.
Watch Now:Amazon#21 - 5W25
Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/26/1989
STRESS MANAGEMENT; Sara and Greg attend a class where a professional stress management woman (Julie Kavner) gives group therapy about how to confront stress. RUDY VISITS OMI; Rudy (Dan Castellaneta) visits his frail grandmother, Omi (Tracey Ullman), in a nursing home and tries to make her talk after she has had several strokes. BRICK HOUSE; Lingerie shop owners Candy and Chesty (Julie Kavner and Tracey Ullman) try to show a shy, naive woman (Anna Levine) the fashions of the place. BART'S NIGHTMARE; After Bart eats a whole batch of cookies, he passes out and ventures into a dreamscape where everyone confronts him with his guilt.
Watch Now:Amazon#22 - 5W17
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/15/1989
KAY BABYSITS; Kay is forced by her ruthless boss Mr. Leroy (Dan Castellaneta), to look after his spoiled 10-year old daughter Missy, for the day at the office. CHECK, PLEASE; Three men (Dan Castellaneta, Sam McMurray and Joe Malone) wait and wait to see who will pay the bill for lunch at a fancy, private golf club restaurant. THE KRUSTY THE CLOWN SHOW; Bart, Lisa and Maggie go on the popular children's show, and Bart naturally causes trouble, this time on-air.
Watch Now:Amazon#23 - 4W23
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/10/1988
KAY'S LAST STAND; Kay must face Elizabeth Phelps (Julie Kavner), the shadowy CEO of a major insurance company, to ask her to put Kay's invalid mother back on her medical plan. AUTO EROTICA; The psychotic, nymphomaniac Brenda has a man she met on a California freeway (Sam McMurry) arrested just to meet him. WAITING; Nancy (Julie Kavner) visits her neurotic friend Audrey (Tracey Ullman), who has been waiting several days for the washing machine repairman to show up at her house. GRANDPA AND THE KIDS; Grandpa Simpson tells Bart, Lisa and Maggie boring stories of his life, and then plays a practical joke by playing dead.
Watch Now:Amazon#24 - 7W11
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/17/1989
67: KAY'S GIFT; Kay insists to Mr. Leroy that he open his Christmas gift from her to see what Kay means to him. MERRY CATNIP; Ann B. Cooper spends Christmas Eve alone in her apartment penthouse with her many cats after her father calls to tell her that he is not coming. TWO LOST SOULS; On New Year's Day, Barbara (Tracey Ullman) wakes up in Jesse Walker's (special guest star Keanu Reeves) bed after a wild New Year's Eve party the night before where the teenager proposed and married her. SIMPSON XMAS; [repeat from last season] Bart recites his version of "Night Before Christmas" theme while waiting to open his presents.
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Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/22/1989
THE FINAL POLKA; At a traditional Slavic wedding reception, Staush (Dan Castellaneta) thinks about getting an annulment, until his new eccentric wife Maja (Tracey Ullman), shows him that she can be fun. SERMON ON THE MOUND; During a major league baseball game, catcher Louise (Dan Castellaneta) and pitcher George (Sam McMurray) discuss their problems with each other regarding their troubled friendship. MY BABY; While waiting to see a doctor, three overdue pregnant women (Tracey Ullman, Julie Kavner and special guest star Marilu Henner) talk about their babies, sing and dance for excitement and go into labor in the process.
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