Despite its quality falling off a cliff at some point in the late 1990s, The Simpsons still gets my nod as the greatest TV programme ever made. Last Sunday, it started its 36th season with episode 769. A remarkable feat. Last week, I began trawling through episodes from its post-90s wilderness. Not only was I surprised by how good some of them were, I also stumbled across this shot from the episode ‘To Surveil With Love’ (Season 21, Episode 20). Look who it is!
I always get (overly) excited when I see Nelson referenced in popular culture, but for some reason, seeing him Simpson-ified – for want of a better word – made me particularly happy.
Little did I know it, but Nelson’s influence on The Simpsons reaches further than one might have thought. The most glaring example being the long-running character, Nelson Muntz (below). The surname Nelson is thought to derive from ‘Neil’s son’, but its use as a Christian name generally stems from Horatio Nelson. (Nelson Mandela himself was assigned the name Nelson by a teacher, a common practice in African schools at the time. I dread to think what my teachers may have called me…)
Fans of The Simpsons will also be familiar with the Sea Captain (below). Although seldom referred to as such, it turns out his full name is Horatio McAllister, a certain nod to the most famous sailor of them all.
Nelson also made a cameo appearance in the episode ‘The Wettest Story Ever Told’ (Season 17, Episode 18), played, of course, by Nelson Muntz.
Two centuries on from his death, it’s amazing to see that Horatio Nelson can still sail uncharted waters.
Where will I see him next?
Nelson The Sailor 