document_title: REO Speedwagon

question_text: where did the band reo speedwagon get their name

text: REO Speedwagon

text: History[edit]

text: Formation[edit]

text: In the fall of 1966, Neal Doughty entered the electrical engineering program at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, coming in as a junior. On his first night, he met another student, Alan Gratzer. They held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dormitory,[1][2] and soon started a rock band. Gratzer had been a drummer since high school, and was playing in a local group on the weekends, while Doughty had learned some Beatles songs on his parents' piano.

text: Doughty started to follow around Gratzer's band, eventually sitting in on a song or two. The keyboard player was the leader, but several other band members were unhappy with the situation. On the last day of the university's spring semester, guitarist Joe Matt called the band's leader and told him that he, drummer Gratzer, and bassist Mike Blair had decided to leave the band and start a new one with Doughty.

text: They made a list of songs to learn over the summer break, and Doughty landed a summer job to buy his first keyboard. On his Farfisa organ, he learned "Light My Fire" by The Doors. The members returned to school in the fall of 1967, and had their first rehearsal before classes even started. They named the band REO Speedwagon, from the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck Doughty had studied in transportation history, and the initials are those of its founder Ransom E. Olds. Rather than pronouncing REO as a single word as the motor company did, they chose to spell out the name with the individual letters each pronounced ("R-E-O"). An ad in the school newspaper produced their first job, a fraternity party that turned into a food fight. They continued to perform cover songs in campus bars, fraternity parties, and university events. The first lineup consisted of Doughty on keyboards, Gratzer on drums and vocals, Joe Matt on guitar and vocals, Mike Blair on bass and vocals.

text: In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover joined as the guitar player, replacing Matt. When Mike Blair left the band in the summer of 1968, Gregg Philbin replaced Blair, Marty Shepard played trumpet and Joe McCabe played sax until McCabe moved to Southern Illinois University. Crownover played guitar for the group until the summer of 1969 when Bill Fiorio replaced him. Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe, and went on to form the All Star Frogs. Steve Scorfina (who would go on to found progressive rock/album-oriented rock band Pavlov's Dog) came aboard for over a year, composing with the band and performing live, before being replaced by Gary Richrath in late 1970.

text: Richrath was a Peoria, Illinois-based guitarist and prolific songwriter who brought fresh original material to the band. With Richrath on board, the regional popularity of the band grew tremendously. The Midwestern United States was the original REO Speedwagon fan stronghold and is pivotal in this period of the band's history.

text: The band signed to Epic Records in 1971. Paul Leka, an East Coast record producer, brought the band to his recording studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut where it recorded original material for its first album. The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin, and Luttrell.

text: Debut album[edit]

text: With their equipment being hauled to dates in a friend's station wagon, REO played bars and clubs all over the Midwest. The band's debut album, R.E.O. Speedwagon, was released on Epic Records in 1971. The most popular track on this record was "157 Riverside Avenue". The title refers to the Westport, Connecticut address, where the band stayed while recording in Leka's studio in Bridgeport and remains an in-concert favorite.

text: Although the rest of the band's lineup remained stable, REO Speedwagon switched lead vocalists three times for their first three albums. Luttrell left the band in early 1972, eventually becoming the vocalist for Starcastle. He was replaced by Kevin Cronin. Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. but left the band during the recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out because of internal conflicts.[3] Ridin' the Storm Out was completed with Michael Bryan Murphy on lead vocal, and featured Neal Doughty's memorable "wailing storm siren" entrance on the title track. Murphy stayed on for two more albums, Lost in a Dream and This Time We Mean It, before Cronin returned to the fold in January 1976 and recorded R.E.O., which was released that same year.

text: Cronin's return came after Greg X. Volz turned down the position for lead vocalist after becoming a born-again Christian.

text: In 1977 REO convinced Epic Records that their strength was in their live performances. Epic agreed to let them produce their first live album, Live: You Get What You Play For, which was eventually certified platinum. That same year, the band moved to Los Angeles, California.

text: In 1977 bassist Gregg Philbin left the band. Depending upon which band member is expressing an opinion, it was either because Philbin was disenchanted with the new corporate-structure REO where Cronin and Richrath got bigger slices of the pie instead of the equal credit they once shared as a "garage band", or he was asked to leave over his lifestyle issues affecting the music quality.[4] Philbin was replaced with another Champaign, Illinois musician, Centennial High School alumnus, Bruce Hall,[2] to record You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish. The album was released in 1978 and received FM radio airplay. The album was REO's first to make the Top 40, peaking at #29. The album went on to sell over 2 million copies in the US, ultimately achieving double platinum status.

text: In 1979 the band took a turn back to hard rock with the release of Nine Lives.

text: Mainstream success[edit]

text: The stage was now set for the height of the band's popularity. On November 21, 1980, REO Speedwagon released Hi Infidelity, which represented a change in sound, going from hard rock to more pop-oriented material.[5] Hi Infidelity spawned four hit singles written by Richrath and Cronin, including the chart-topping "Keep On Loving You" (Cronin), plus "Take It on the Run" (#5) (Richrath), "In Your Letter" (#20) (Richrath), and "Don't Let Him Go" (#24) (Cronin), and remained on the charts for 65 weeks, 32 of which were spent in the top ten, including 15 weeks atop the Billboard 200. Hi Infidelity sold over 10 million copies and set the bar for rock bands across the country.

text: The band's follow-up album, Good Trouble, was released in 1982. Although it was not as successful as its predecessor, the album performed moderately well commercially, featuring the hit singles "Keep the Fire Burnin'" (U.S. #7), "Sweet Time" (U.S. #26) and the Album Rock chart hit "The Key."

text: The band came storming back two years later with Wheels Are Turnin', an album that included the #1 hit single "Can't Fight This Feeling" plus three more hits: "I Do' Wanna Know" (U.S. #29), "One Lonely Night" (U.S. #19), and "Live Every Moment" (U.S. #34).

text: REO Speedwagon toured the US in 1985, including a sold-out concert in Madison, Wisconsin in May.[6] On July 13, on the way to a show in Milwaukee, the band made a stop in Philadelphia to play at the US leg of Live Aid, which broke a record for a number of viewers. They performed "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Roll With the Changes," which featured members of the Beach Boys, the band members' families, and Paul Shaffer on stage for backing vocals.

text: 1987's Life as We Know It saw a decline in sales, but still managed to provide the band with the top-20 hits "That Ain't Love" (U.S. #16) and "In My Dreams" (U.S. #19).[7] The Hits (1988) is a compilation album from REO Speedwagon. It contains new tracks "Here With Me" and "I Don't Want to Lose You." "Here with Me" cracked the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten on the Adult Contemporary chart. They were the last songs recorded with Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer

text: Changes in the 90s[edit]

text: By the late 1980s, the band's popularity was starting to decline.[5] Alan Gratzer left in September 1988 after he decided to retire from music to open a restaurant. In early 1989, Gary Richrath quit after tensions between him and Kevin Cronin boiled over.[8] Cronin had been playing in The Strolling Dudes, a jazz ensemble that included jazz trumpet player Rick Braun (who had co-written the abovementioned "Here With Me" with Cronin), Miles Joseph on lead guitar and Graham Lear on drums. Lear had already been invited to join REO in September 1988 as Gratzer's successor and Joseph was brought in as a temporary stand-in for Richrath. Back up singers Carla Day and Melanie Jackson were also added. This lineup did only one show, on January 7, 1989 in Viña del Mar, Chile, where it won the award for best group at the city's annual International Song Festival. After that, Miles Joseph and the back up singers were dropped in favor of former Ted Nugent guitarist Dave Amato (who was brought aboard in May 1989) and keyboardist/songwriter/producer Jesse Harms.

text: The 1990 release The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken, with Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung) on drums, was a commercial disappointment. The album produced only one, and - to date - the band's last Billboard Hot 100 single, "Love Is a Rock," which peaked at #65. Harms, disenchanted by the album's failure, left the group in early 1991.

text: Shortly after his departure, Richrath assembled former members of the Midwestern band Vancouver to form a namesake band, Richrath. After touring for several years, the Richrath band released Only the Strong Survive in 1992 on the GNP Crescendo label. Richrath (the band) continued to perform for several years before disbanding in the late 1990s. In September 1998, Gary Richrath briefly joined REO onstage at the County Fair in Los Angeles to play on band's encore song, "157 Riverside Avenue". He then joined REO once again in Los Angeles in May 2000 for the same encore but no serious plans for a reunion ever materialized.

text: Without Richrath's involvement, REO Speedwagon lost their recording contract with Epic, and ended up releasing Building the Bridge (1996) on the Priority/Rhythm Safari label. When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on Castle Records, which also experienced financial troubles. REO Speedwagon ultimately self-financed this effort, which failed to chart. The title track did make R&R's AC Top 30 chart.

text: Revival of the hits[edit]

text: The commercial failure of the band's newer material with its revised lineup demanded a change in marketing strategy. As a consequence, Epic began re-releasing recordings from older albums with updated artwork and design.

text: From 1995 to the present, the label released over a dozen compilation albums featuring greatest hits, including 1999's The Ballads. In 2000, REO teamed up with Styx for an appearance at Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis, which was released as a live concert video Arch Allies: Live at Riverport. The REO portion of the show was released again under three separate titles: Live - Plus (2001), Live Plus 3 (2001) and Extended Versions (2001) (which was certified gold by the RIAA on April 26, 2006). REO once again teamed with Styx in 2003 for the Classic Rock's Main Event tour which also included another band from their common rock era, Journey.

text: The band released a self-financed album entitled Find Your Own Way Home in April 2007. Though it did not chart as an album, it produced two singles which appeared on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio chart.

text: REO Speedwagon continues to tour regularly, performing mostly their classic hits.[9] They teamed up with Styx to record a new single entitled "Can't Stop Rockin'", released in March 2009, as well as for a full tour that included special guest .38 Special.[10]

text: In November 2009, REO Speedwagon released a Christmas album, Not So Silent Night...Christmas with REO Speedwagon.[11]

text: In Summer 2010, the band — then touring with Pat Benatar — announced that it would release a 30th anniversary deluxe edition reissue of Hi Infidelity.[12]

text: On December 2, 2009, REO Speedwagon released an online video game, Find Your Own Way Home, produced by digital design agency Curious Sense. The game was the first "downloadable casual game" produced with a rock band and was cited by numerous publications including the New York Times as an innovative marketing product for a music act.[13]

text: REO Speedwagon headlined on the M&I Classic Rock Stage at the Milwaukee Summerfest on June 30, 2011. On March 11, 2012, Kevin Cronin appeared on the Canadian reality TV series Star Académie. He sang a sampling of REO's hits with the show's singing finalists.

text: On November 22, 2013, they announced a benefit concert with Styx titled "Rock to the Rescue" to raise money for the affected families of the tornadoes in central Illinois. The concert was held on December 4, 2013 in Bloomington, Illinois. Richard Marx joined REO on stage for a joint performance of two of his hit songs. Gary Richrath reunited with REO one final time for a performance of "Ridin' the Storm Out" to end REO's set at the sold-out concert. Richrath stayed on stage to help with the encore of "With a Little Help From My Friends" along with REO, Styx, Richard Marx, and others. Richrath was originally from the town of East Peoria which was damaged during the storm. Families impacted by the storm and first responders sat near the stage for this special REO concert.

text: In early 2014, it was announced that REO Speedwagon and Chicago would be teaming up for 15 dates throughout 2014.[14]

text: Gary Richrath died on September 13, 2015, due to complications from surgery.[15]

text: In 2016, the band went on tour with Def Leppard and Tesla.[16]

text: The band performed with Pitbull the song Messin' Around live on the ABC TV show Greatest Hits in 2016, that version of the song was also released as a single on iTunes.[17]

text: The band toured the UK arena circuit with Status Quo in December 2016.[18]

text: The band toured the US with Styx and Don Felder on the "United We Rock" tour, debuting June 20 at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater.[19]

text: In 2017 the Hi Infidelity album received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over ten million copies.

text: Personnel[edit]

text: Members[edit]

text: Current members

text:
Neal Doughty – keyboards (1967–present)
Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1972–1973, 1976–present)
Bruce Hall – bass, backing and lead vocals (1977–present)
Dave Amato – lead guitar, backing vocals (1989–present)
Bryan Hitt – drums, percussion (1989–present)

text: Former members

text:
Alan Gratzer – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1967–1988)
Joe Matt – lead guitar, lead vocals (1967–1968)
Mike Blair – bass, backing vocals (1967–1968)
Terry Luttrell – lead vocals (1968–1972)
Bob Crownover – lead guitar (1968–1969)
Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals (1968–1977)
Joe McCabe – saxophone (1968)
Marty Shepard – trumpet (1968)
Bill Fiorio – lead guitar (1969)
Steve Scorfina – lead guitar (1969–1970)
Gary Richrath – lead guitar, occasional vocals (1970–1989; died 2015)
Mike Murphy – lead vocals, occasional rhythm guitar (1973–1976)
Graham Lear – drums (1988–1989)
Miles Joseph – lead guitar (1989; died 2012)
Carla Day – backing vocals (1989)
Melanie Jackson – backing vocals (1989)
Jesse Harms – keyboards (1989–1991)

text: Timeline[edit]

text: Discography[edit]

text: Studio albums

text:
R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971)
R.E.O./T.W.O. (1972)
Ridin' the Storm Out (1973)
Lost in a Dream (1974)
This Time We Mean It (1975)
R.E.O. (1976)
You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978)
Nine Lives (1979)
Hi Infidelity (1980)
Good Trouble (1982)
Wheels Are Turnin' (1984)
Life as We Know It (1987)
The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990)
Building the Bridge (1996)
Find Your Own Way Home (2007)[5]
Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)


document_title: List of Back to the Future characters

question_text: who played marty mcfly's father in back to the future

question_tokens: who played marty mcfly 's father in back to the future

root

text: List of Back to the Future characters

text: Main characters[edit]

text: Marty McFly[edit]

text: Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly (portrayed by Michael J. Fox in the films and voiced by David Kaufman in the animated series and AJ LoCascio in Back to the Future: The Game) is the son of George McFly and Lorraine Baines McFly. Marty travels between the past and the future, encountering his ancestors and descendants. Marty and his friend Doc Brown help restore the space-time continuum while encountering Biff Tannen (or members of the Tannen clan) at various points in time.

tag: p

text: Emmett "Doc" Brown[edit]

text: Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown (portrayed by Christopher Lloyd in the films and Back to the Future: The Game, and voiced by Dan Castellaneta in the animated series) is the inventor of the DeLorean time machine. At various points in time, Doc helps Marty restore the space-time continuum and reverse the changes that were caused by time travel.

text: In 2008, the character was selected by film magazine Empire as one of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time, ranking at #76.[1]

text: Biff Tannen[edit]

text: Biff Howard Tannen (portrayed by Thomas F. Wilson in the films and animated series and voiced by Kid Beyond in Back to the Future: The Game) is the main antagonist of the first 2 films and a local bully who harassed George McFly and has once altered history in the second film. He comes from a long line of bullies in Hill Valley, most of whom harassed members of the McFly family. Biff is also a descendant of Buford Tannen (also portrayed by Wilson), who is one of Hill Valley's outlaws during the 1880s.

text: McFly family[edit]

text: George McFly[edit]

text: George Douglas McFly (portrayed by Crispin Glover in Back to the Future and by Jeffrey Weissman in Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III and voiced by Michael X. Sommers in Back to the Future: The Game) is the father of Marty, Linda and Dave from the union with his wife Lorraine Baines McFly. Although he is one of the main characters in the first movie, George only makes cameos in Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III.

text: In the first film, George is portrayed as weak and the main target of Biff Tannen's bullying. The novelization of the film expounds on George's history of weakness, describing two incidents in which he is unable to stand up for himself. In 1955, in contrast with Marty, George did not have any friends for support and was targeted not only by Biff and his gang but also other kids in school. He has a penchant for science fiction, and writes some of his own but never allows himself to share them with anyone due to his fear of rejection. In 1955, with Marty's help, he gets the courage to stand up to Biff, knocking him unconscious. As a result, he and Lorraine fall in love and George becomes popular in school for defeating Biff in a fight. In the new future, they are both happily married with George working as a college professor and being a successful writer who orders Biff around. In the alternate timeline in Part II, George was murdered by Biff in 1973.

text: George's character was greatly reduced in the sequels, and the role was recast to Jeffrey Weissman.[2] Weissman wore prosthetics to resemble Glover and imitated Glover's rendering of McFly, and his scenes were spliced with shots of Glover from Back to the Future.[3] The result was so convincing that many people were fooled by it.[3] Glover did not appreciate this, and sued. The lawsuit resulted in the adoption of stricter rules by the Screen Actors Guild to prevent this situation from occurring again.[3]

text: Lorraine Baines-McFly[edit]

text: Lorraine Baines-McFly (portrayed by Lea Thompson and voiced by Aimee Miles in Back to the Future: The Game) is the wife of George McFly and the mother of Marty, Linda and Dave. She is the eldest daughter of Sam (George DiCenzo) and Stella (Frances Lee McCain) Baines, and sister of Milton (Jason Hervey), Sally (Maia Brewton), Toby, and Joey.

text: In Back to the Future, Lorraine is initially portrayed in 1985 as middle-aged and unhappy. After Marty changes the timeline, she is shown to be fit and happily married to George in 1985. In Part II, she is still happily married to George in 2015, but in the dystopian alternate 1985 timeline she is widowed and married to Biff.

text: Dave McFly[edit]

text: David "Dave" McFly (portrayed by Marc McClure) is the eldest child of George and Lorraine McFly. In 1985 before Marty went to 1955, Dave works at Burger King, but in the post-time travel 1985 he wears a suit as a nondescript white-collar worker for an accounting firm. In a deleted scene from Part II, the alternate 1985 timeline shows that Dave is an alcoholic and a gambling addict following George's death and Lorraine's second marriage to Biff.

text: Linda McFly[edit]

text: Linda McFly (portrayed by Wendie Jo Sperber) is the middle child and only daughter of George and Lorraine McFly. In 1985 before Marty went to 1955, Linda is having boy trouble and it is unknown if she is in college or has a job. In 1985 after Marty went to 1955, Linda works in a boutique and has gained the attention of many boys.

text: Seamus and Maggie McFly[edit]

text: Seamus and Maggie McFly (portrayed by Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson) are Irish immigrants and the paternal great-great-grandparents of Marty McFly. In Part III, Marty is befriended by Seamus and Maggie. While Maggie does not trust the "strange young man", Seamus has a familiar feeling about him and believes that helping him is the right thing to do. They have a son named William (Marty's great-grandfather). Much like his descendants, Seamus is harassed by a member of the Tannen family, Buford Tannen.

text: Maggie McFly is played by Lea Thompson, who also plays Marty's mother Lorraine, even though Maggie is not an ancestor of Lorraine; in a DVD commentary track for Part III, Bob Gale states that the creative team considered it important to include Thompson in the film, and he imagines that McFly men are simply "genetically predisposed" to be attracted to women who look like her.

text: Marty (Jr.) and Marlene McFly[edit]

text: Marty (Jr.) and Marlene McFly (both portrayed by Michael J. Fox) are Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker's future fraternal twin son and daughter in Part II.

text: Originally Marty (Jr.) was to be arrested for joining a robbery initiated by Griff and his gang. Marlene attempted to help Marty Jr. break out of jail but failed and was sentenced to 20 years in a woman's prison. Doc and Marty prevented the event from ever happening.

text: Brown family[edit]

text: Clara Clayton[edit]

text: Clara Clayton (portrayed by Mary Steenburgen in both Back to the Future Part III and the animated series) is the wife of Doc Brown and mother of Jules and Verne Brown.

text: Clara moved to Hill Valley and originally died in an accident when her wagon plummeted into Shonash Ravine, which was renamed Clayton Ravine in her memory. The animated series reveals that Clara, along with the rest of the family, moves to the early 1990s and lives in a farmhouse outside of Hill Valley. She then becomes a teacher at Hill Valley Elementary School.

text: Jules and Verne Brown[edit]

text: Jules Eratosthenes Brown and Verne Newton Brown (portrayed by Todd Cameron Brown and Daniel Evans in Back to the Future Part III and voiced by Josh Keaton and Troy Davidson in the animated series) are the two children of Doc Brown and his wife, Clara, who named them after their favorite author Jules Verne.

text: The characters had minor, non-speaking roles in Back to the Future Part III but were further developed in the animated series. Jules, an introvert, mostly imitates his father's interests and mannerisms while Verne appears to be more outgoing and extroverted. Several plot points of the animated series revolve around either Jules or Verne altering history and the steps necessary to correct the damage.

text: Copernicus[edit]

text: Copernicus is Doc's dog from 1955. Like his other dogs, Copernicus was used in many of Doc's experiments. When Copernicus died, he was replaced by Einstein.

text: Einstein[edit]

text: Einstein (portrayed by Tiger in the first film and Freddie in the other two and voiced by Danny Mann in the animated series) is Doc Brown's pet Catalan sheepdog. He later becomes one of the main characters in the animated series as the Brown family's dog.

text: In the first film, Doc successfully tests his time machine by placing Einstein in it and sending him one minute into the future. In the animated series, Einstein becomes anthropomorphic and smarter, helping Doc with his inventions for traveling to the past and the future.

text: Tannen family[edit]

text: Irving "Kid" Tannen[edit]

text: Kid Tannen is Biff's father who only appears in the Back to the Future game. Kid is a gangster who runs a local speakeasy in the 1930s Hill Valley. He, like the rest of the Tannen family, bullies the McFly family forcing Marty's grandfather Arthur to do his accounting. Kid is brought down with the help of Marty, a young version of Doc, and Arthur McFly. He later marries Edna Strickland and reforms from his criminal ways with her help.

text: Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen[edit]

text: Buford Tannen (portrayed by Thomas F. Wilson in Back to the Future Part III) is the main antagonist of the third film. He is the great-grandfather of Biff Tannen and the local town outlaw in 1885 Hill Valley. He was nicknamed "Mad Dog" by a newspaper reporter, due to his violent temper and propensity for drooling, a nickname Tannen greatly despises. Buford is cruel, homicidal, rude, and emotionally unstable. He displays a need for control and is brought down to childlike tantrums when he is humiliated or makes mistakes, whether it be something that happens to him or something he says or does. He is often accompanied by his gang (played by Christopher Wynne, Sean Sullivan and Mike Watson), and developed a feud with Marshal James Strickland and his deputies.

text: Griff[edit]

text: Griff (portrayed by Thomas F. Wilson in both Back to the Future Part II and in the animated series) is a grandson of Biff. He is part of a gang that also consists of "Data", "Spike", and "Whitey" (portrayed by Ricky Dean Logan, Darlene Vogel, and Jason Scott Lee).

text: In the animated series, Griff makes a brief cameo appearance in the episode "Solar Sailors" where his grandson, Ziff (also voiced by Wilson), is detained after he attempts to sabotage Marta McFly's space cruiser due to his hatred towards her family.

text: Griff's last name is never mentioned in the movies, which means he could either be the son of Biff's son Biff Jr, or the son of Biff's daughter, Tiffaney. However, in the animated series, Ziff refers that both he and Griff are Tannens.

text: Biff Tannen, Jr.[edit]

text: In the animated series, Biff Jr. is the son of Biff Tannen. Like his father and paternal relatives, he likes to bully and steal from children around him including Jules and Verne Brown with whom he developed a feud. In addition, Biff Jr. delights vandalizing other people's properties. Biff Jr. lives with his father with whom he has an abusive relationship. He is voiced by Benji Gregory.

text: Strickland family[edit]

text: Gerald Strickland[edit]

text: Gerald Strickland[4] (portrayed by James Tolkan) is the strict principal of Hill Valley High School. He is the grandson of Chief Marshal James Strickland of Hill Valley 1885.

text: There is a reference from Verne Brown that there is another Strickland who works at Hill Valley Elementary School as its vice principal.[episode needed]

text: James Strickland[edit]

text: James Strickland (portrayed by James Tolkan in Back to the Future Part III) is the chief marshal of Hill Valley in 1885 and the grandfather of Mr. Strickland. He also has an unnamed son (portrayed by Kaleb Henley), who will become Gerald Strickland's father.

text: Edna Strickland[edit]

text: Edna Strickland, in Back to the Future: The Game, is the sister of Gerald Strickland. She is somewhat nicer than her brother, but still set in her ways towards upholding strong morals and abolishing crime and laziness. After Marty alters her original timeline, Edna marries Kid Tannen who becomes the father of Biff Tannen.

text: Other characters[edit]

text: Jennifer Parker[edit]

text: Jennifer Jane Parker is the girlfriend (and, in 2015 in Back to the Future Part II, the wife) of Marty McFly.

text: The character was played by Claudia Wells in Back to the Future. However, Wells was not available to film the sequels for personal reasons, and the role was recast to Elisabeth Shue although Wells reprised her role as Jennifer in Back to the Future: The Game as a punk rock version of her character. Consequently, the opening scene of Back to the Future Part II was re-shot with Shue taking Wells' place, rather than using the ending of Back to the Future. In the spin-off Back to the Future: the Animated Series, Jennifer was voiced by Cathy Cavadini.

text: In 1985, Jennifer attends Hill Valley High School, along with her boyfriend Marty. In the animated series, Jennifer is enrolled to Hill Valley College with Marty after graduating high school and working part-time as a tutor. She lives with her family on a ranch, the deed to which was owned by Biff Tannen, after one of his ancestors forced Jennifer's great-great-grandfather to sign it over by holding Jennifer's great-great-grandmother hostage. In the episode "A Friend in Deed", Marty travels back in time to 1875 and sabotages the deal with help from Jules and Verne.[5]

text: In the future witnessed in Back to the Future Part II, Jennifer and Marty had two children, Marlene and Marty Jr. (both played by Michael J. Fox)

text: Douglas J. Needles[edit]

text: Douglas J. Needles (portrayed by Flea in Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III) is an acquaintance of Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker from Hill Valley High School. Like his school's alumnus, Biff Tannen, Needles also has his own gang (portrayed by Christopher Wynne, J.J. Cohen, and Ricky Dean Logan) and develops a rivalry with Marty. Needles often goads Marty into doing reckless things such as a street race that leads Marty to crash into a Rolls Royce and an illegal transaction which results in his firing in 2015.

text: Goldie Wilson[edit]

text: Goldie Wilson (played by Donald Fullilove in part 1) is a young man working at Lou's Cafe in 1955 who goes on to become the first black Mayor of Hill Valley in the 1980s. A campaign poster shows the name Goldie in quotation marks, suggesting Goldie is a nickname, presumably in reference to his gold tooth. He would also have a grandson, Goldie Wilson III (also played by Fullilove) in Part II, who works as a car salesman.

text: Match, Skinhead, and 3-D[edit]

text: Match (portrayed by Billy Zane), Skinhead (portrayed by Jeffrey Jay Cohen), and 3-D (portrayed by Casey Siemaszko) are the three high school boys who make up Biff Tannen's gang in 1955. Their nicknames are only given in the films' novels, screenplays, and credits. Only one of their real names is mentioned in the movies – Biff refers to Skinhead as Joey in one of the 1955 scenes in Back to the Future Part II, while outside of the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance.

text: In the alternate 1985, the three work in Biff's casino as his bodyguards. Each gets his nickname from a distinctive character trait. Match often has a match sticking out of his mouth; Skinhead has very short, close-cropped hair; 3-D is always wearing a pair of anaglyphic 3-D glasses (a reference to the 3-D movies that were popular in the 1950s).


document_title: List of The Simpsons characters

question_text: what is the doctors name in the simpsons

text: List of The Simpsons characters

text: Along with the Simpson family, The Simpsons includes a large array of characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and as well as fictional characters. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to creator Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the Canadian sketch comedy show Second City Television.[1]

text: The main characters, the Simpson family, are listed first; all other characters are listed in alphabetical order. Only main, supporting, and recurring characters are listed. For one-time characters, see "List of one-time The Simpsons characters".

text: Characters[edit]

text:
Character
Voice actor(s)
Character's role
Episode debut
Original air date

Homer Simpson
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Husband of Marge; father of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.
"Good Night (The Simpsons short)"
1987-04-19

Marge Simpson
Julie Kavner[2]
Wife of Homer; mother of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.
"Good Night (The Simpsons short)
1987-04-19

Bart Simpson
Nancy Cartwright[2]
Oldest child and only son of Homer and Marge; brother of Lisa and Maggie.
"Good Night (The Simpsons short)"[3]
1987-04-19

Lisa Simpson
Yeardley Smith[2]
Middle child and eldest daughter of Homer and Marge; sister of Bart and Maggie.
"Good Night (The Simpsons short)"[3]
1987-04-19

Maggie Simpson
Liz Georges
Gábor Csupó
Harry Shearer
Yeardley Smith
Nancy Cartwright
Elizabeth Taylor
James Earl Jones
Jodie Foster
Youngest child and daughter of Homer and Marge; sister of Bart and Lisa.
"Good Night (The Simpsons short)"[3]
1987-04-19

Akira
George Takei,[4] Hank Azaria[2]
Waiter at The Happy Sumo;[5] karate teacher.[6]
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"
1991-01-24

Albright, Ms. !Ms. Albright
Tress MacNeille[7]
Sunday school teacher.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Amadopolis, Aristotle !Aristotle Amadopolis
Jon Lovitz,[8] Dan Castellaneta[2]
Owner of the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant.[9]
"Homer Defined"
1991-10-17

Atkins !Atkins, State Comptroller
Harry Shearer,[10] Hank Azaria[11]
State comptroller.[12]
"Lisa Gets an "A""
1998-11-22

Bailey, Mary !Mary Bailey
Maggie Roswell[7]
Governor of Springfield's state.
"Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"
1990-11-01

Barlow !Birchibald "Birch" T. Barlow
Harry Shearer[7]
Radio talk show host; Fox News anchor.
"Sideshow Bob Roberts"
1994-10-09

Beardly, Jasper !Jasper Beardly
Harry Shearer[7]
Grampa's closest neighbor at the Retirement Castle.
"Bart the General"
1990-01-21

Benjamin, Doug, and Gary
Harry Shearer,[7] Hank Azaria,[2] and Dan Castellaneta[2]
Springfield University students.
"Homer Goes to College"
1993-10-14

Bill and Marty
Dan Castellaneta[2] and Harry Shearer[7]
KBBL Radio co-hosts.
"Bart vs. Thanksgiving"
1990-10-11

Blinky
Unvoiced
Three-eyed fish.
"Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"
1990-11-01

Blue Haired Lawyer[13]
Dan Castellaneta[13]
Attorney.
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"
1991-01-10

Boobarella
Tress MacNeille
Host of late night TV monster movies.
"I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"
2003-02-16

Borton !Wendell Borton
Russi Taylor[7]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Homer's Odyssey"
1990-01-21

Bouvier, Jacqueline !Jacqueline Bouvier
Julie Kavner[2]
Mother of Selma and Patty Bouvier and Marge Simpson, Grandmother of Bart, Lisa, Maggie and Ling.
"Bart vs. Thanksgiving"
1990-02-11

Bouvier, PattyPatty Bouvier
Julie Kavner[2]
Twin sister of Selma and older sister of Marge.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Bouvier, SelmaSelma Bouvier
Julie Kavner[2]
Twin sister of Patty and older sister of Marge. Adoptive mother of Ling.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Brockman, KentKent Brockman
Harry Shearer[7]
Channel 6 News anchor.
"Krusty Gets Busted"
1990-04-29

Bumblebee Man
Hank Azaria[2]
Star of slapstick sketch comedy show on Canal Ocho.
"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie"
1992-11-03

Burns, Charles MontgomeryCharles Montgomery Burns
Christopher Collins (early season 1), Harry Shearer[7]
Owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Capital City Goofball
Tom Poston[14]
Mascot of the Capital City Capitals baseball team.[15]
"Dancin' Homer"
1990-11-08

Carlson, CarlCarl Carlson
Hank Azaria[2]
Springfield Nuclear Power Plant employee.
"Homer's Night Out"
1990-03-25

Crazy Cat Lady
Tress MacNeille[10]
Mentally ill owner of many cats. Name revealed as Eleanor Abernathy in "See Homer Run".
"Girly Edition"
1998-04-19

Chalmers, GaryGary Chalmers
Hank Azaria[2]
Public schools superintendent.
"Whacking Day"
1993-04-29

Charlie
Dan Castellaneta[16]
Springfield Nuclear Power Plant employee.
"Life on the Fast Lane"
1990-03-18

Chase (Pyro)
Hank Azaria[13]
Luann Van Houten's ex-boyfriend; American Gladiator.
"A Milhouse Divided"
1996-12-01

Christian, ScottScott Christian
Dan Castellaneta[2]
News co-anchor.
"Krusty Gets Busted"
1990-04-29

Comic Book Guy
Hank Azaria[2]
Proprietor of The Android's Dungeon comic book store. Name revealed to be Jeff Albertson in "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass".
"Three Men and a Comic Book"
1991-05-09

Costington, Mr.Mr. Costington
Hank Azaria[11]
President of Costington's Department Store.
"Trash of the Titans"
1998-04-26

Database
Nancy Cartwright[2]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Bart's Comet"
1995-02-05

Desmond, DeclanDeclan Desmond
Eric Idle
Documentary filmmaker.
"'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky"
2003-03-20

Disco Stu
Hank Azaria[11]
Disco aficionado.
"Two Bad Neighbors"
1996-01-14

Dolph
Tress MacNeille[7]
Springfield Elementary School bully.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Doris, LunchladyLunchlady Doris
Doris Grau (1991-1995) Tress MacNeille (1996-present) [7]
Springfield Elementary School lunch lady.
"Lisa's Pony"
1991-11-07

Duffman
Hank Azaria[13]
Spokes-mascot for Duff Beer. His real name is Barry Duffman.
"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson".
1997-09-21

Eddie and Lou
Harry Shearer[7] and Hank Azaria[2]
Springfield police officers.
"There's No Disgrace Like Home"
1990-01-28

Fat Tony
Joe Mantegna
Mob boss.
"Bart the Murderer"
1991-10-10

Flanders, MaudeMaude Flanders
Maggie Roswell[7]
Ned Flanders's deceased wife.
"Dead Putting Society"
1990-11-15

Flanders, NedNed Flanders
Harry Shearer[7]
The Simpson family's next door neighbor; owner of The Leftorium.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Flanders, RodRod Flanders
Pamela Hayden[7]
Ned and Maude Flanders's oldest son.
"The Call of the Simpsons"
1990-02-18

Flanders, ToddTodd Flanders
Nancy Cartwright[2]
Ned and Maude Flanders's younger son.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Francesca
Maria Grazia Cucinotta[2]
Sideshow Bob's Italian wife.
"The Italian Bob"
2005-12-11

Frankie the Squealer
Dan Castellaneta[11]
Informant for Fat Tony.[17]
"Insane Clown Poppy"
2000-11-12

Frink, Professor JohnProfessor John Frink
Hank Azaria[2]
Scientist, inventor.
"Old Money"
1991-03-28

Gerald, BabyBaby Gerald
Unvoiced
One-eyebrowed baby. Arch-nemesis of Maggie Simpson.
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
1994-04-28

Ginger Flanders
Tress MacNeille[10]
Ned Flanders's "Vegas wife."[18]
"Viva Ned Flanders"
1999-01-10

Gino Terwilliger
Tress MacNeille[10]
Sideshow Bob's toddler son.
"The Italian Bob"
2005-12-11

Glick, AliceAlice Glick
Cloris Leachman,[19] Tress MacNeille
Elderly.
"Three Men and a Comic Book"
1991-05-09

Gloria Jailbird
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Snake's pregnant girlfriend.
"A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love"
2001-12-02

Gumble, BarneyBarney Gumble
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Homer's drunken old pal.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Gunderson, GilGil Gunderson
Dan Castellaneta[13]
Unsuccessful salesman.
"Realty Bites"
1997-12-07

The Happy Little Elves
Dan Castellaneta,[11] Hank Azaria,[11] and Harry Shearer[20]
Children's cartoon series characters.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-02-12

Harm, Judge ConstanceJudge Constance Harm
Jane Kaczmarek
Springfield judge.
"The Parent Rap"
2001-11-11

Herman Hermann
Harry Shearer[7]
Owner of Herman's Military Antiques shop.[21]
"Bart the General"
1990-02-04

Hibbert, BerniceBernice Hibbert
Tress MacNeille[10]
Dr. Hibbert's wife.
"Bart's Dog Gets an "F""
1991-03-07

Hibbert, Dr. JuliusDr. Julius Hibbert
Harry Shearer[7]
Medical doctor.
"Bart the Daredevil"
1990-12-06

Hoover, ElizabethElizabeth Hoover
Maggie Roswell[7]
Lisa Simpson's teacher at Springfield Elementary School.
"Brush with Greatness"
1991-04-11

Hutz, LionelLionel Hutz
Phil Hartman[22]
Attorney.
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"
1991-01-10

Itchy & Scratchy
Dan Castellaneta[2] and Harry Shearer[7]
Cartoon cat and mouse.
"There's No Disgrace Like Home"[23]
1988-11-20

Jacques
Albert Brooks[24]
Bowling instructor.[25]
"Life on the Fast Lane"
1990-03-18

Jones, JimboJimbo Jones
Pamela Hayden[7]
Springfield Elementary School bully.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Jordan, RachelRachel Jordan
Shawn Colvin[26]
Lead singer of the Christian Rock band Kovenant.[27]
"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily"
2000-02-13

Kang and Kodos
Harry Shearer[7] and Dan Castellaneta[2]
Extraterrestrials.
"Treehouse of Horror"
1990-10-25

Kashmir, PrincessPrincess Kashmir
Maggie Roswell[7]
Belly dancer.[28]
"Homer's Night Out"
1990-03-25

Krabappel, EdnaEdna Krabappel
Marcia Wallace[7]
Bart Simpson's teacher at Springfield Elementary School.
"Bart the Genius"
1990-01-14

Krustofski, Rabbi HymanRabbi Hyman Krustofski
Jackie Mason and Dan Castellaneta
Rabbi; father of Krusty the Clown.[29]
"Like Father, Like Clown"
1991-10-24

Krusty the Clown
Dan Castellaneta[2]
TV show clown host, original name Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski.[30]
"The Telltale Head"
1989-01-15

Kwan, CookieCookie Kwan
Tress MacNeille[10]
Real estate agent.[31]
"Realty Bites"
1997-12-07

Largo, DeweyDewey Largo
Harry Shearer[7]
Springfield Elementary School's music teacher.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Legs and Louie
Hank Azaria[2] and Dan Castellaneta[2]
Fat Tony's henchmen.
"Bart the Murderer"
1991-10-10

Leopold
Dan Castellaneta[7]
Superintendent Chalmers' assistant.
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
1994-04-28

Leonard, LennyLenny Leonard
Harry Shearer[7]
Springfield Nuclear Power Plant employee; one of Homer Simpson's friends.
"Life on the Fast Lane"
1990-03-18

Lewis Clark
Russi Taylor[7]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Lovejoy, HelenHelen Lovejoy
Maggie Roswell[7]
Reverend Lovejoy's wife.
"Life on the Fast Lane"
1990-03-18

Lovejoy, Reverend TimothyReverend Timothy Lovejoy
Harry Shearer[7]
Minister of the First Church of Springfield.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Coach Lugash
Dan Castellaneta[11]
Gymnastics instructor.[32]
"Children of a Lesser Clod"
2001-05-13

Lumpkin, LurleenLurleen Lumpkin
Beverly D'Angelo,[33] Doris Grau[7]
Country music singer-songwriter.
"Colonel Homer"
1992-03-26

Mann, OttoOtto Mann
Harry Shearer[7]
Springfield Elementary School bus driver.
"Homer's Odyssey"
1990-01-21

McCallister, Captain HoratioCaptain Horatio McCallister
Hank Azaria[2]
Sea captain.
"New Kid on the Block"
1992-11-12

Meyers, Jr., RogerRoger Meyers, Jr.
Alex Rocco,[34] Dan Castellaneta[2]
Chairman of Itchy & Scratchy International.
"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
1990-12-20

McClure, TroyTroy McClure
Phil Hartman[35]
Actor.
"Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment"
1991-02-07

Moleman, HansHans Moleman
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Misfortunate man.
"Principal Charming"
1991-02-14

Monroe, Dr. MarvinDr. Marvin Monroe
Harry Shearer[7]
Psychotherapist.
"There's No Disgrace Like Home"
1990-01-28

Nelson Muntz
Julie Kavner
Russi Taylor
Nancy Cartwright
Bully.
"Bart the General"
1990-02-04

Murdock, Captain LanceCaptain Lance Murdock
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Daredevil.
"Bart the Daredevil"
1990-12-06

Murphy, Bleeding GumsBleeding Gums Murphy
Ron Taylor[36]
Blues musician.[37]
"Moaning Lisa"
1990-02-11

Naegle, LindseyLindsey Naegle
Tress MacNeille[10]
Corporate executive.
"The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"
1997-02-09

Nahasapeemapetilon, ApuApu Nahasapeemapetilon
Hank Azaria[2]
Operator of the Kwik-E-Mart.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Nahasapeemapetilon, ManjulaManjula Nahasapeemapetilon
Jan Hooks(1997-2002) Tress MacNeille (2014-present)[38]
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon's wife.
"Much Apu About Nothing"
1997-11-16

Nahasapeemapetilon, SanjaySanjay Nahasapeemapetilon
Harry Shearer[10]
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon's older brother.
"Dog of Death"
1997-11-16

Jake[39]
Dan Castellaneta,[39] Harry Shearer[20]
Barber.
"Simpson and Delilah"
1987-11-15

Old Jewish Man
Hank Azaria[13]
Springfield Retirement Castle resident.
"Krusty Gets Kancelled"
1993-05-13

Patches and Poor Violet
Pamela Hayden[10] and Tress MacNeille[10]
Orphans.[40]
"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"
1997-12-21

Pye, ArnieArnie Pye
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Channel 6 helicopter reporter.
"Homer Alone"
1992-02-06

Powell, HerbertHerbert Powell
Danny DeVito[41]
Homer Simpson's half-brother.[42]
"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
1991-02-21

Powell, JaneyJaney Powell
Pamela Hayden[7]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Moaning Lisa"
1990-02-04

Powers, RuthRuth Powers
Pamela Reed[43]
The Simpsons' next door neighbor.[44]
"New Kid on the Block"
1992-11-12

Prince, MartinMartin Prince
Russi Taylor[7]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Bart the Genius"
1990-01-14

Pryor, LorenLoren Pryor
Harry Shearer[7]
Springfield Elementary's school psychologist.
"Bart the Genius"
1990-01-14

Quimby, Mayor "Diamond" JoeMayor "Diamond" Joe Quimby
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Mayor of Springfield.
"The Call of the Simpsons"
1990-10-11

Radioactive Man
Harry Shearer
Comic book superhero.
"Three Men and a Comic Book"
1990-01-14

Rich Texan, TheThe Rich Texan
Dan Castellaneta[13]
Philanthropist.
"$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)"
1993-12-16

Richard
Pamela Hayden,[7] Nancy Cartwright[2]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Bart the Genius"
1990-01-14

Risotto, LuigiLuigi Risotto
Hank Azaria[13]
Italian restaurant proprietor.
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
1994-04-28

Dr. Nick Riviera
Hank Azaria[2]
Incompetent medical doctor. Injured at the end of the movie by a falling chunk of glass, and brought back in the twentieth season.
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"
1991-01-10

Santa's Little Helper
Dan Castellaneta,[2] Frank Welker[20]
The Simpson family's pet dog.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Sherri and Terri
Russi Taylor[7]
Identical twins; Students at Springfield Elementary School.
"Homer's Odyssey"
1990-01-21

Shutton, DaveDave Shutton
Harry Shearer[7]
Reporter for The Springfield Shopper.
"Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"
1990-11-01

Robert Terwilliger
Kelsey Grammer[45]
Criminal mastermind and Krusty the Clown Show ex-operator and sidekick.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Sideshow Mel
Dan Castellaneta[2]
The Krusty the Clown Show sidekick.
"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
1990-12-20

Simpson, GrampaGrampa Simpson
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Homer Simpson's father; Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson's grandfather.
"Grampa and the Kids" (The Simpsons shorts)[46]
1988-01-10

Simpson, AmberAmber Simpson
Pamela Hayden[10]
Homer Simpson's deceased "Vegas wife."[18]
"Viva Ned Flanders"
1999-01-10

Simpson, MonaMona Simpson
Glenn Close,[47] Tress MacNeille,[10] Maggie Roswell[48]
Estranged mother of Homer Simpson and wife of Abe Simpson.
"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
1991-02-21

Skinner, AgnesAgnes Skinner
Tress MacNeille[7]
Seymour Skinner's mother.
"The Crepes of Wrath"
1990-04-15

Skinner, SeymourSeymour Skinner
Harry Shearer[7]
Principal of Springfield Elementary School.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Smithers, WaylonWaylon Smithers
Harry Shearer[7]
Mr. Burns's personal assistant.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1990-01-21

Snake Jailbird
Hank Azaria[2]
Recidivist.
"The War of the Simpsons"
1991-05-02

Snowball II
Frank Welker
The Simpson family's pet cats.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Snyder, RoyRoy Snyder
Harry Shearer[10]
Springfield judge.
"Krusty Gets Busted"
1990-04-29

Springfield, JebediahJebediah Springfield
Harry Shearer[7]
Founder of Springfield; local hero.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

Spuckler, CletusCletus Spuckler
Hank Azaria[2]
Slack-Jawed Yokel.
"Bart Gets an Elephant"
1994-03-31

Spuckler, BrandineBrandine Spuckler
Tress MacNeille[7]
Cletus Spuckler's wife and sister.
"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield"
1996-02-04

Squeaky-Voiced Teen
Dan Castellaneta[13]
Service industry.
"Dog of Death"
1991-02-14

Szyslak, MoeMoe Szyslak
Hank Azaria[2]
Owner of Moe's Tavern.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Tatum, DrederickDrederick Tatum
Hank Azaria[2]
Professional boxer, a caricature of Mike Tyson.[49]
"Homer vs Lisa and the 8th Commandment"
1991-02-07

Taylor, AllisonAllison Taylor
Winona Ryder, Pamela Hayden
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Lisa's Rival"
1994-09-11

Teeny, Mr.Mr. Teeny
Dan Castellaneta[13]
The Krusty the Clown Show trained monkey.
"Like Father, Like Clown"
1991-10-24

Terwilliger, CecilCecil Terwilliger
David Hyde Pierce[50]
Sideshow Bob's younger brother.[51]
"Brother from Another Series"
1997-02-23

Tightlips, JohnnyJohnny Tightlips
Hank Azaria[11]
One of Fat Tony's henchmen.[17]
"Insane Clown Poppy"
2000-11-12

Üter Zörker
Russi Taylor[7]
Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Treehouse of Horror IV"
1993-10-28

Van Houten, KirkKirk Van Houten
Hank Azaria[2]
Milhouse Van Houten's father; factory worker.
"Bart's Friend Falls in Love"
1992-05-07

Van Houten, LuannLuann Van Houten
Maggie Roswell[7]
Kirk Van Houten's wife; Milhouse's mother.
"Homer Defined"
1991-10-17

Van Houten, MilhouseMilhouse Van Houten
Pamela Hayden[7]
Bart Simpson's best friend; Student at Springfield Elementary School.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1989-12-17

Velimirovic !Dr. Velimirovic
Hank Azaria[11]
Plastic surgeon.[52]
"Pygmoelian"
2000-02-27

Wiggum, Police Chief ClancyPolice Chief Clancy Wiggum
Hank Azaria[2]
Springfield Chief of Police.
"Homer's Odyssey"
1990-01-21

Wiggum, RalphRalph Wiggum
Nancy Cartwright[2]
Son of Police Chief Clancy Wiggum.
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
1991-02-07

Wiggum, SarahSarah Wiggum
Pamela Hayden[10]
Chief Wiggum's wife; Ralph Wiggum's mother.
"Duffless"
1993-02-18

Groundskeeper Willie
Dan Castellaneta[2]
Janitor of Springfield Elementary School.
"Principal Charming"
1991-02-14

Raphael
Hank Azaria[11]
Service industry.
"The Way We Was"
1991-01-31

Wolfcastle (McBain), RainierRainier Wolfcastle (McBain)
Harry Shearer[7]
Actor; star of McBain films.
"The Way We Was"
1991-01-31

Yes Guy, TheThe Yes Guy[11]
Dan Castellaneta[11]
Service industry.
"Mayored to the Mob"
1998-12-20

Ziff, ArtieArtie Ziff
Jon Lovitz,[53] Dan Castellaneta[39]
Former billionaire and Marge's prom date.[54]
"The Way We Was"
1991-01-31

Zzyzwicz, KearneyKearney Zzyzwicz
Nancy Cartwright[2]
Springfield Elementary School bully.
"The Telltale Head"
1990-02-25

tag: table


document_title: From Here to Eternity

question_text: who won oscars for from here to eternity

text: From Here to Eternity

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1941, bugler and career soldier Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) transfers to a rifle company at Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu. Captain Dana "Dynamite" Holmes (Philip Ober) has heard he is a talented middleweight boxer, and wants him to join his regimental team to secure a promotion for Holmes. Prewitt refuses, having stopped fighting because he blinded his sparring partner and close friend over a year before.

text: Holmes makes life as miserable as possible for Prewitt, hoping that he will change his mind, and then orders First Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) to prepare general court-martial papers, after Sergeant Galovitch (John Dennis) first insults Prewitt and then gives an unreasonable order that Prewitt refuses to obey. Warden suggests, however, that he try to get Prewitt to change his mind by doubling up on company punishment. The other non-commissioned officers join in the hazing, and Prewitt is supported only by his close friend, Private Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra).

text: Meanwhile, Warden, at the risk of a prison sentence, begins an affair with Holmes' neglected wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr). Sergeant Maylon Stark (George Reeves) has told Warden about Karen's many previous affairs at Fort Bliss, including with himself. As their relationship develops, Warden asks Karen about her affairs to test her sincerity, and Karen relates that Holmes has been unfaithful to her most of their marriage. She miscarried one night when Holmes returned home from seeing a hat-check girl, drunk and unable to call a doctor, rendering her barren. She then affirms her love for Warden, and tells him that if he became an officer, she could divorce Holmes and marry him; Warden reluctantly agrees to consider it.

text: Prewitt and Maggio spend their liberty at the New Congress Club, a gentlemen's club where Prewitt falls for Lorene (Donna Reed). She wants to marry a "proper" man with a "proper" job, and live a "proper" life. Maggio and Staff Sergeant James R. Judson (Ernest Borgnine) nearly come to blows at the club over Judson's loud piano playing. Later, Judson provokes Maggio by taking his photograph of his sister from him, kissing it, and whispering in Prewitt's ear. Maggio smashes a barstool over Judson's head. Judson pulls a switchblade, but then, Warden intervenes. Judson backs down, but warns Maggio that sooner or later, he will end up in the stockade, where Judson is in charge.

text: During a weekend liberty, while Prewitt is with Lorene at the New Congress Club, Maggio walks in drunk and in uniform having deserted his post. The military police arrest Maggio, and he is sentenced to six months in the stockade.

text: Sergeant Galovitch later picks a fight with Prewitt while he is on detail, and a crowd gathers as the two start fighting. At first, Prewitt resorts only to body blows, and even then pulling his punches, but his fighting spirit reemerges and he comes close to knocking Galovitch out before Holmes, who had been watching for some time from outside the crowd, finally steps in and stops the fight. Galovitch accuses Prewitt of starting the fight, but when the man in charge of the detail says that it was Galovitch, Holmes abruptly lets him off the hook and disperses the crowd.

text: The entire incident is witnessed by the base commander, who orders an investigation by the Inspector General. When the truth about Holmes is revealed to the commander he orders a court martial, but when Holmes begs for an alternative, an aide suggests that Holmes resign his commission; the commander accepts the suggestion and orders Holmes' resignation within the hour. Holmes' replacement, Captain Ross (John Bryant), reprimands the others involved in the hazing and orders the boxing team's framed photographs and trophies be destroyed; he then demotes Galovitch to private and puts him in charge of the latrine.

text: Maggio escapes from the stockade and, after telling of the abuse he suffered at Judson's hands, dies in Prewitt's arms. After tearfully playing Taps in tribute to his friend, Prewitt hunts Judson down and kills him with the same switchblade Judson pulled on Maggio earlier, but in so doing sustains a serious stomach wound, and so he goes into hiding at Lorene's house.

text: The military is caught completely by surprise on Sunday morning when the Japanese commence a pre-dawn attack on Pearl Harbor. Against Lorene's wishes, Prewitt attempts to rejoin his company under cover of darkness, but is shot dead by a patrol guarding against possible saboteurs. Warden sadly notes the irony of the boxing tournament being canceled because of the attack.

text: When Karen finds out that Warden never applied for officer training, she realizes they have no future together, and regretfully sails back to the mainland with her husband. On board the ship, Lorene and Karen meet, and Lorene says that her fiancé, named Prewitt, was a bomber pilot who was heroically killed during the attack. Karen recognizes Prewitt's name, but says nothing.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Burt Lancaster as First Sergeant Milton Warden
Montgomery Clift as Private Robert E. Lee "Prew" Prewitt
Deborah Kerr as Karen Holmes
Donna Reed as Alma Burke / Lorene
Frank Sinatra as Private Angelo Maggio
Philip Ober as Captain Dana "Dynamite" Holmes
Mickey Shaughnessy as Sergeant Leva
Harry Bellaver as Private First Class Mazzioli
Ernest Borgnine as Staff Sergeant James R. "Fatso" Judson
Jack Warden as Corporal Buckley
John Dennis as Sergeant Ike Galovitch
Merle Travis as Private Sal Anderson
Tim Ryan as Sergeant Pete Karelsen
George Reeves as Sergeant Maylon Stark
Claude Akins as Sergeant "Baldy" Dhom
Alvin Sargent as Nair
Robert J. Wilke as Sergeant Henderson
Carleton Young as Colonel Ayres
Arthur Keegan as Treadwell
Barbara Morrison as Mrs. Kipfer
Kristine Miller as Georgette

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: Hollywood legend has it that Frank Sinatra got the role in the movie by means of his alleged Mafia connections, and it was the basis for a similar subplot in The Godfather.[4] However, that has been dismissed on several occasions by the cast and crew of the film. Director Fred Zinnemann commented that "the legend about a horse's head having been cut off is pure invention, a poetic license on the part of Mario Puzo, who wrote The Godfather".[4] One explanation of Sinatra's casting is that his then-wife Ava Gardner persuaded studio head Harry Cohn's wife to use her influence with him; this version is related by Kitty Kelley in her Sinatra biography.[4]

text: Joan Crawford and Gladys George were offered roles, but George lost her role when the director decided he wanted to cast the female roles against type, and Crawford's demands to be filmed by her own cameraman led the studio to take a chance on Deborah Kerr, also playing against type.[5]

text: The on-screen chemistry between Lancaster and Kerr may have spilled off-screen; it was alleged that the stars became sexual partners during filming.[6][page needed]

text: Two songs are noteworthy: "Re-Enlistment Blues", and "From Here to Eternity",[7] by Robert Wells and Fred Karger.

text: Differences from the novel[edit]

text: Several of the novel's controversial plot points were changed or eliminated for the film to satisfy the Production Code Office and the U.S. Army.[8][9] Army cooperation was necessary in order to shoot on location at Schofield Barracks, use training aircraft, and obtain military footage of Pearl Harbor for use in the film, as well as for cost reasons.[10][11] According to screenwriter Daniel Taradash, both the Code Office and the Army were impressed by his script, which reduced the number of censorship problems.[12]

text: In the novel, Lorene was a prostitute at a brothel, but in the film, she is a hostess at a private social club.[8] Karen's hysterectomy in the novel was caused by the unfaithful Holmes transmitting gonorrhea to her, but in the film, her hysterectomy resulted from a miscarriage, thus avoiding the topic of venereal disease. The changes were made to meet Code Office standards.[9]

text: In the novel, several of the enlisted men fraternize with homosexuals, and one soldier commits suicide as a result, but homosexuality is not mentioned or directly explored in the film. Again, the change was made to satisfy the Code Office.[9][13] However, J. E. Smyth has written that the film's treatment of Judson's behavior towards Maggio "has all the indications of sexual abuse, and therefore reintroduces the fear of homosexuality in the 1930s military that the rest of the script had to repress for obvious reasons of censorship".[14]

text: In the novel, Captain Holmes ironically receives his desired promotion, and is transferred out of the company. In the film, Holmes is forced to resign from the Army under threat of court-martial for his ill-treatment of Prewitt. The Army insisted on this change, which the filmmakers reluctantly made.[8][11][15] Director Zinnemann later complained that the scene where Holmes is reprimanded was "the worst moment in the film, resembling a recruiting short",[11] and wrote, "It makes me sick every time I see it."[16]

text: In the novel, Judson's systematic abuse of Maggio and other prisoners, including Prewitt himself at one point, is portrayed in detail. However, in the film, Maggio's abuse happens offscreen, and is told only verbally to Prewitt, who remains free. The Army required that the abuse of Maggio not be shown, and that Judson's behavior towards Maggio be portrayed as "a sadistic anomaly, and not as the result of Army policy, as depicted in Jones' book".[11] The filmmakers agreed, seeing these changes as improvements.[11][16] Maggio, who survives and is discharged in the novel, dies in the film,[8] having been combined with two other prisoner characters from the novel (one of whom is killed by Judson in the novel) to add drama and make Maggio a stronger, more tragic figure.[17][18][19] The Army was further pacified by the filmmakers' inclusion of a line suggesting that Maggio's death was partially caused by his falling off a truck during a prison break, rather than solely by Judson's beatings.[20]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Opening to rave reviews, From Here to Eternity proved to be an instant hit with critics and the public alike, the Southern California Motion Picture Council extolling: "A motion picture so great in its starkly realistic and appealing drama that mere words cannot justly describe it."

text: Variety agreed:

text: The James Jones bestseller, From Here to Eternity, has become an outstanding motion picture in this smash screen adaptation. It is an important film from any angle, presenting socko entertainment for big business. The cast names are exceptionally good, the exploitation and word-of-mouth values are topnotch, and the prospects in all playdates are very bright, whether special key bookings or general run.[21]

text: Of the actors, Variety went on to say,

text: Burt Lancaster, whose presence adds measurably to the marquee weight of the strong cast names, wallops the character of Top Sergeant Milton Warden, the professional soldier who wet-nurses a weak, pompous commanding officer and the GIs under him. It is a performance to which he gives depth of character as well as the muscles which had gained marquee importance for his name. Montgomery Clift, with a reputation for sensitive, three-dimensional performances, adds another to his growing list as the independent GI who refuses to join the company boxing team, taking instead the 'treatment' dished out at the C.O.'s instructions. Frank Sinatra scores a decided hit as Angelo Maggio, a violent, likeable Italo-American GI. While some may be amazed at this expression of the Sinatra talent versatility, it will come as no surprise to those who remember the few times he has had a chance to be something other than a crooner in films.[21]

text: The New York Post applauded Frank Sinatra, remarking, "He proves he is an actor by playing the luckless Maggio with a kind of doomed gaiety that is both real and immensely touching." Newsweek also stated that, "Frank Sinatra, a crooner long since turned actor, knew what he was doing when he plugged for the role of Maggio." John McCarten of The New Yorker concurred, writing that the film "reveals that Frank Sinatra, in the part of Mr. Clift's best friend who winds up in the stockade, is a first-rate actor."[22]

text: The cast agreed; Burt Lancaster commented in the book Sinatra: An American Legend that, "[Sinatra's] fervour, his bitterness had something to do with the character of Maggio, but also with what he had gone through the last number of years. A sense of defeat and the whole world crashing in on him... They all came out in that performance."[4]

text: With a gross of $30.5 million equating to earnings of $12.2 million, From Here to Eternity was not only one of the top-grossing films of 1953, but one of the ten highest-grossing films of the decade. Adjusted for inflation, its box office gross would exceed US$277 million in 2017 dollars.[1]

text: Despite the positive response of the critics and public, the Army was reportedly not pleased with its depiction in the finished film, and refused to let its name be used in the opening credits.[23] The Navy also banned the film from being shown to its servicemen, calling it "derogatory of a sister service" and a "discredit to the armed services".[24]

text:
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies: #52
AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions: #20

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text:
Award
Category
Nominee(s)
Result

Academy Award[3]
Best Picture
Buddy Adler
Won

Best Director
Fred Zinnemann
Won

Best Actor
Montgomery Clift
Nominated

Burt Lancaster
Nominated

Best Actress
Deborah Kerr
Nominated

Best Writing, Screenplay
Daniel Taradash
Won

Best Supporting Actor
Frank Sinatra
Won

Best Supporting Actress
Donna Reed
Won

Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)
Burnett Guffey
Won

Best Costume Design (Black-and-White)
Jean Louis
Nominated

Best Film Editing
William Lyon
Won

Best Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
George Duning and Morris Stoloff
Nominated

Best Sound (Recording)
John P. Livadary
Won

Golden Globe Award[25]
Best Supporting Actor
Frank Sinatra
Won

Best Director
Fred Zinneman
Won

New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Film

Won

Best Actor
Burt Lancaster
Won

Best Director
Fred Zinneman
Won

Cannes Film Festival[26]
Special Award of Merit

Won

Grand Prize of the Festival

Nominated

BAFTA Award[27]
Best Film from Any Source

Nominated

Directors Guild of America
Outstanding Directorial Achievement
Fred Zinneman
Won

Writers Guild of America
Best Written American Drama

Won

Photoplay Award
Gold Medal

Won

text: William Holden, who won the Best Actor Oscar for Stalag 17, felt that Lancaster or Clift should have won. Sinatra would later comment that he thought his performance of heroin addict Frankie Machine in The Man with the Golden Arm was more deserving of an Oscar than his role as Maggio.

text: Television[edit]

text: An unsuccessful 30 minute television pilot starring Darren McGavin as 1st Sgt Warden, Roger Davis as Pvt Pruitt, and Tom Nardini as Pvt Di Maggio was made in 1966.[28]

text: In 1979, William Devane starred as 1st Sgt Warden in a miniseries that became a television series in 1980.


document_title: NBA playoffs

question_text: when did the nba playoffs change from 5 games to 7 games

text: NBA playoffs

text: Format[edit]

text: In September 2015, the NBA announced changes to the formula used to determine the format of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. The top eight teams in each conference (East and West), ranked in order by win-loss records, qualify for the playoffs. The tie-break criteria for playoff seeding and home-court advantage have also changed; head-to-head results between the tied teams is the first tie-breaker, and whether a team won its division championship is the second tie-breaker.[1]

text: These seedings are used to create a bracket that determines the match-ups throughout the series. Once the playoffs start, the bracket is fixed; teams are never "reseeded", unlike in the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) where the strongest remaining teams face the weakest teams in subsequent rounds. The first round of the NBA playoffs, or conference quarterfinals, consists of four match-ups in each conference based on the seedings (1–8, 2–7, 3–6, and 4–5). The four winners advance to the second round, or conference semifinals, with a match-up between the 1–8 and 4–5 winners and a match-up between the 2–7 and 3–6 winners. The two winners advance to the third round, or conference finals. The winner from each conference will advance to the final round, or the NBA Finals.

text: All rounds are best-of-seven series. Series are played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5–7 being played if needed. This format has been used since 2014, after NBA team owners unanimously voted to change from a 2–3–2 format on October 23, 2013.[2]

text: The most common criticism of the current structure is related to parity of conferences. On numerous occasions, Eastern Conference teams with losing records qualified for the playoffs, while Western Conference teams with winning records ended up missing them, including the 2011, 2013 and the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

text: History[edit]

text: The National Basketball Association was established in 1949 by merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League but it recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history. In all of its three years the BAA champion was finally determined in a best-of-seven series but its first two tournaments, the 1947 and 1948 BAA Playoffs, were otherwise quite different from the third, which 21st-century NBA playoffs nearly match. In 1947 and 1948, the Eastern and Western Division champions were matched in a best-of-seven series following the regular season, whose winner advanced to the championship round. Meanwhile, four runners-up played best-of-three series to determine the other finalist: the two second-place teams were matched in one short series and the two third-place teams in another; the winners of those two series played another one. In 1947 the Philadelphia Warriors won the runners-up bracket and beat the Western champion Chicago Stags four games to one, which the NBA recognizes as its first championship; in 1948 Baltimore won the runners-up and beat Eastern champion Philadelphia in the final. Both tournaments generated one finalist from the Eastern and one from the Western Division, but only by chance.[3]

text: In 1949 the third and last BAA tournament matched Eastern teams exclusively and Western teams exclusively, necessarily generating Eastern and Western playoff champions to meet in the final. At the same time, the number of playoff teams was increased from three to four from each Division; two rounds of best-of-three series were played, followed by a best-of-seven championship. The main idea was retained by the NBA. Even the 1950 tournament, following a transitional season with three divisions rather than two, initially determined one playoff champion from each division. The Central champion Minneapolis Lakers became the first league champion under the NBA name by defeating Anderson from the West in a best-of-three, with Syracuse from the East idle, and then knocking off the Syracuse Nationals in six games.[4]

text: The 1951 through 1953 playoffs changed the division finals into a best-of-five playoff. With only nine league members in 1953–54, the NBA cut its postseason tournament field from eight teams to six (from 1954 through 1966, the period of eight to nine league members). Round robins were played in 1954, uniquely in NBA history—a three-team round robin among the three playoff teams in each division. From 1955 to 1966, the first-place team in each division was idle while its two runners-up faced played a best-of-three. Division finals were expanded to best-of-seven in 1958 and division semifinals to best-of-five in 1961.

text: With ten league members again for the 1966–67 season, eight teams were again admitted to the tournament, providing a simple three-round knockout (8-team bracket). A year later, the division semifinals were changed to best-of-seven playoff.  Then, in 1975 and 1977, respectively, a fifth and sixth team were added to each Division, necessitating an additional first round of best-of-three series.

text: Finally in 1984, the tournament expanded to its present 16-team, four-round knockout, and the now-complete set of first-round series were expanded to a best-of-five. In 2003 the first round was changed to also be best-of-seven. (Thus all playoff teams from 2003 to present, same as the two Division champions in 1947 and 1948, continue to play at the close of the regular season without idle team ("bye") and may be certain of four playoff games including two at home.)

text: Beginning with the 2004 season, with the addition of the thirtieth NBA franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA realigned its divisions. The result was that each conference would have three divisions of five teams each, and the winner of each division was guaranteed a top-three playoff seed. This would change slightly after the 2005–06 season; while division winners still receive automatic playoff berths, they are guaranteed a top-four seed, as described below.

text: 2006 NBA playoffs controversy[edit]

text: The previous playoff format, in place for the 2004–05 and 2005–06 NBA playoffs, after the NBA was re-aligned into six divisions, created controversy during the 2005–06 season and playoffs, and would be changed prior to the 2006–07 NBA season.[5]

text: Prior to 2005, NBA division champions were seeded higher than the other teams in their conference, regardless of their record. Prior to 2004, when the NBA was aligned into two conferences with two divisions each, the division champions were guaranteed the top two seeds. This meant that top two teams in a conference (by record) would be seeded either first and second (if they were in opposite divisions) or first and third (if they were in the same division). Because of the NBA playoffs' preset matchups in the second round, this meant that the top two teams in a conference could never meet until the conference finals, assuming they both made it to that round.

text: After the NBA realigned its two conferences into three divisions each, the seeding rules remained largely unchanged. The top three seeds would now be reserved for division champions.  However, this meant that if the top two teams (by record) in a conference were in the same division, they would be seeded first and fourth.  Assuming no first-round upsets, this raised the prospect that the top two teams in the conference would face each other in the conference semifinals, instead of the conference finals.

text: In the second year of this format, the 2005–06 NBA season, the two teams with the best records in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks of the Southwest Division, did just that.  The Mavericks had the second-best record in the Western Conference and the third-best record in the entire league, behind the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio.  However, they were seeded fourth because they finished second in the Southwest behind the Spurs.  This turn of events led to the playoff format being criticized by many. Besides the prospect of a team losing earlier in the playoffs than its regular-season record or seeding would suggest, critics claimed that it also created an unfair advantage for teams in the 2-7/3-6 half of the Western Conference playoff bracket, who could advance to the conference finals without playing either of the two best teams in the conference in an earlier round.

text: The Phoenix Suns, winners of the Pacific Division and possessors of the third best record, were seeded second, while the Denver Nuggets, winners of the Northwest Division and tied for only the seventh-best record in the conference, were seeded third.

text: The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers met in the second-to-last game of the regular season, after the top four seeds had been clinched. The two teams were already determined to be the fifth and sixth seeds, and had only to determine which rank higher. The fifth seed would likely need to defeat the best two teams in the conference without home-court advantage to advance to the conference finals, as it would face fourth-seeded Dallas in the first round and likely face first-seeded San Antonio if it managed to defeat Dallas. The sixth seed would play third-seeded Denver in the first round, but would have home-court advantage (since the Grizzlies had the fourth-best record in the conference and the Clippers had the fifth-best), and would not have to face either San Antonio or Dallas until the conference finals at the earliest.

text: This led to speculation about whether the Grizzlies or the Clippers would have much commitment to winning their match-up in the second-to-last game of the season, since it was clearly most advantageous to lose the game in order to obtain the 6th seed. The Clippers eventually lost to Memphis without much evidence to support the speculation that the Clippers had lost intentionally.[6] In the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers defeated the Nuggets in five games, while Memphis was swept by Dallas. Ultimately, Dallas and San Antonio did meet in the second round, with Dallas winning in seven games and advancing all the way to the NBA finals.

text: Timeline[edit]

text: 1947: The playoffs were instituted with a three-stage tournament, similar to the Stanley Cup playoffs of the 1930s; the two first-place teams qualified directly to one semifinal where they played each other in a best-of-7 series.  Teams finishing second & third qualified for the best-of-3 quarterfinals, where the two second-placed teams were paired in one quarterfinal, as were the two third-placed teams, and the two quarterfinal winners played each other in a best-of-three semifinal.  The two semifinal winners played each other in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) best-of-7 final series.

text:
QuarterfinalsBest-of-3

SemifinalsBest-of-3 (one series)
Best-of-7 (one series)

BAA finalsBest-of-7

 E3

W3

E3

E2

W2

E2

E2

W1

W1

E1

text: There were no byes, or idle time, for the division champions – as there would be for higher-seeded playoff teams 1955–66 and 1975–83. All six 1947 participants played their first tournament games on Wednesday, April 2; in 1948 the two Eastern runners-up (E2, E3 in the figure) were idle for a few days only because there was a three-way Western tie to break. Both winners of the runners-up bracket, Philadelphia in 1947 and Baltimore in 1948, reached the final series having played fewer tournament games than their final opponents, Chicago in 1947 and Philadelphia in 1948, had played in the best-of-7 pairings of division champions. And both winners of the runners-up bracket won the final series. The "postseason" actually comprised 11 games played in a span of 21 days for the 1947 Chicago Stags and 13 games in 30 days for 1948 Philadelphia Warriors, the finalists who emerged from the pairing of division champions.[3]

text: 1949: The playoffs were reorganized to match Eastern Division teams exclusively, and Western Division teams exclusively – in two halves of the bracket, so to speak. Thus the BAA tournament generated a playoff champion in each Division. (So did the NBA in each of three 1950 divisions, and so it has done in each half of the league since then.) The top four teams from each of the two divisions qualified.  The quarterfinals and semifinals were renamed division semifinals and division finals, respectively, and both rounds were best-of-3. Thus any playoff team might be eliminated in two games, one home game. The best-of-7 final was unchanged.

text:
Division semifinalsBest-of-3

Division finalsBest-of-3

BAA finalsBest-of-7

 E1

E4

E1

Eastern Division

E2

E2

E3

E1

W2

W1

W4

W1

Western Division

W2

W2

 W3

text:
1950: The BAA was renamed as the National Basketball Association (NBA).  With a three-division setup, 12 teams now qualified for the playoffs, with the top four teams from each division meeting in the best-of-3 division semifinals.  The winners met in the best-of-3 division finals.  With three teams remaining, the surviving team with the best regular season record qualified directly for the finals while the other two teams met in a best-of-3 NBA semifinals.
1951: With the NBA reverting to a two-division setup; the division semifinals reverted to its original 1949 format with only eight teams qualifying.  The division finals was extended to a best-of-5 format.

text:
Division semifinalsBest-of-3

Division finalsBest-of-5

NBA finalsBest-of-7

 E1

E4

E4

Eastern Division

E2

E2

E3

E2

W3

W1

W4

W1

Western Division

W3

W2

 W3

text:
1954: With only nine league members (soon to be eight), the number of playoff teams was cut down to six.  The division semifinals was changed to a double round-robin format within the division, with the top three teams from each division qualifying (each team played four games).  Following the round-robin games, the top two teams qualified for the best-of-three division finals, followed by the best-of-seven finals.
1955: The number of playoff teams remained at six, but the initial round-robin was dropped after one year in favor of giving the first-place team in each division a bye to the best-of-five division finals. Teams which placed second and third played a best-of-three division semifinal. In 1955 the byes provided five and six extra days idle for the first-place teams.[7]
1958: The division finals was extended to a best-of-seven format.
1961: The division semifinals were extended to a best-of-five format.

text:
Division semifinalsBest-of-3 (1955–1960),
Best-of-5 (1961–1966)

Division finalsBest-of-5 (1955–1957),
Best-of-7 (1958–1966)

NBA finalsBest-of-7

E1

Eastern Division

E3

E2

E3

E3

W1

W1

Western Division

W2

W2

 W3

text: The 1961 to 1966 tournaments alone combined initial byes for seeded teams with best-of-five initial series for unseeded teams. The 1961 byes provided five and seven extra days idle for the first-place teams. By 1966 the schedule provided more rest for the first-round participants with byes of 11 and eight extra days idle.[8]

text:
1967: The number of playoff teams was expanded to eight once more.  The division semifinals now included the fourth-best team in each conference.  The first-placed teams no longer received a bye.  They were matched against the fourth-placed teams in the best-of-5 division semifinals.
1968: The division semifinals was extended to a best-of-seven format.

text:
Division semifinalsBest-of-5 (1967),
Best-of-7 (1968–1970)

Division finalsBest-of-7 (1968–1970)

NBA finalsBest-of-7

 E1

E4

Eastern Division

E2

E3

W1

W4

Western Division

W2

 W3

text: 1970: With an increased number of teams, the divisions were upgraded into conferences, which were then split into two divisions.  Eight teams still qualified, four from each conference.  The two division winners were guaranteed at least a #2 seed, and the two best non-division winners from each conference qualified as third and fourth seeds.  Hence, the division semifinals and division finals came to be known as conference semifinals and conference finals, respectively.

text:
Conference semifinalsBest-of-7

Conference finalsBest-of-7

NBA finalsBest-of-7

 E1*

E4

Eastern Conference

E2*

E3

W1*

W4

Western Conference

W2*

 W3

text: 1975: The number of playoff teams was expanded from eight to ten.  A first round was introduced which matched the fourth and fifth seeds in each conference in a best-of-3 first round series, while the top three seeds received a bye. This is similar to the system currently used in the MLB.

text:
First RoundBest-of-3

Conference semifinalsBest-of-7

Conference finalsBest-of-7

NBA finalsBest-of-7

E1*

E4

E5

Eastern Conference

E2*

E3

W1*

W4

W5

Western Conference

W2*

W3

text: 1977: The number of playoff teams was expanded from 10 to 12.  The first round now included the sixth best team in each conference, which was matched against the third seed.  Only the division winners received byes to the next round. This is similar to the format currently used by the NFL.

text:
First RoundBest-of-3

Conference semifinalsBest-of-7

Conference finalsBest-of-7

NBA finalsBest-of-7

E1*

E4

E5

Eastern Conference

E3

E6

E2*

W1*

W4

W5

Western Conference

W3

W6

W2*

text: The 1983 tournament is the latest to incorporate first-round byes for seeded teams. The first-round best-of-three series tapped off on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 19 and 20; the second-round best-of-sevens on Sunday to the following Wednesday, April 27. Counting from Tuesday the byes provided five to eight extra days idle.[9]

text: 1984: The playoffs were expanded from 12 teams to 16 teams.  All teams now participated in the first round, which was extended to a best-of-five series.

text:
Conference quarterfinalsBest-of-5
Conference semifinalsBest-of-7
Conference finalsBest-of-7
NBA finalsBest-of-7
            E1*

E8

E4

E5

Eastern Conference

E3

E6

E2*

E7

W1*

W8

W4

W5

Western Conference

W3

W6

W2*

W7

text: 2003: The first round was extended to a best-of-seven series. This change arguably benefitted the higher seeds as it reduced the likelihood of an upset by a lower seed. It also meant that a team that swept their series 4–0 might have to wait up to two weeks to play their next series against a team that had won 4–3.

text:
Conference quarterfinalsBest-of-7
Conference semifinalsBest-of-7
Conference finalsBest-of-7
NBA finalsBest-of-7
            E1*

E8

E4

E5

Eastern Conference

E3

E6

E2*

E7

W1*

W8

W4

W5

Western Conference

W3

W6

W2*

W7

text: 2005: Each conference was realigned into three divisions with each division winner qualifying for a top-three seed regardless of record.  The next best five teams from each conference also qualify for the playoffs.

text:
Conference quarterfinalsBest-of-7
Conference semifinalsBest-of-7
Conference finalsBest-of-7
NBA finalsBest-of-7
            E1*

E8

E4

E5

Eastern Conference

E3*

E6

E2*

E7

W1*

W8

W4

W5

Western Conference

W3*

W6

W2*

W7

text:
2007: To address the criticisms of having each division champion guaranteed a top-three seed, regardless of record, the rules were changed such that the division winners are now only guaranteed a top-four seed.  The team with the second-best record in the conference is now guaranteed the second seed, even if it finishes second in its own division.  This ensures that the two best teams in the conference cannot meet until the conference finals at the earliest.  The previous system raised the prospect of the two best teams in the conference being seeded 1 and 4 if they play in the same division, thus forcing them to play each other in the second round (given no upsets).
Note: In the example below, the East's #2 seed is not a division champion.

text:
Conference quarterfinalsBest-of-7
Conference semifinalsBest-of-7
Conference finalsBest-of-7
NBA finalsBest-of-7
            E1*

E8

E5

E4*

Eastern Conference

E3*

E6

E2

E7

W1*

W8

W5

W4

Western Conference

W3*

W6

W2*

W7

text: 2016: While the playoff bracketing did not change, qualification criteria were changed. The teams with the eight best records in each conference receive playoff berths, with no automatic berths nor guaranteed top-four seed placement for division champions.

text: Team roster[edit]

text: Playoff teams must identify their postseason roster before the playoffs begin. They are allowed up to 15 players and can designate two as inactive for each game.[10] Players are eligible to be on a team's playoff roster provided they were on the team for at least one regular season game, and were not on another NBA team's roster after March 1.[11] Previously[when?], playoff rosters were limited to 12 players who were named before the playoffs began.[10]

text: Records and statistics[edit]

text:
Only five 8th seeded teams have managed to win a series versus the number 1 seeded team:  The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Seattle SuperSonics 3–2 in 1994. The New York Knicks eliminated the Miami Heat 3–2 in 1999. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4–2 in the 2007 Western Conference First Round (becoming the first 8 seed to beat a 1 seed in the best of 7 format). In 2011, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs, 4–2 and in 2012, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls  4–2.
The 1999 Knicks are the only 8th seeded team ever to reach the NBA finals. No 8th seeded team has won the NBA finals.
The 1956–57 St. Louis Hawks, 1958–59 Minneapolis Lakers and the 1980–81 Houston Rockets are the only teams with losing records (34-38, 33–39 and 40–42, respectively) to make it to the NBA finals. In 1981 the Houston Rockets' opponent in the Western Conference Finals, the Kansas City Kings, also had a losing record (40–42).
The 1994–95 Houston Rockets, a sixth seed with a record of 47–35, were the lowest seeded team to win the NBA finals. In the NBA finals, the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic (57–25) in four games. In doing so, the Rockets defeated four teams that had won 50 or more games during the regular season (Utah Jazz at 60–22, Phoenix Suns at 59–23, San Antonio Spurs at 62–20 and Orlando at 57–25), which had never been done before.  They are also the only team to have won an NBA title without having home-court advantage during any round of the playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors own the longest NBA playoff winning streak for a single postseason with 15 straight wins in the 2017 playoffs.
Of all the teams with multiple NBA finals appearances, the Chicago Bulls are the only team to have never lost in the finals, winning 6.
The Boston Celtics possess the most overall NBA finals series wins with an overall record of 17–4. The Los Angeles/Minneapolis Lakers have played in the most NBA finals series (31) with an overall record of 16–15.
The longest active playoff appearance streak currently belongs to the San Antonio Spurs with 21 consecutive appearances in the playoffs, beginning in the 1997–98 NBA season. The longest ever streak of playoffs appearances in a row belongs to the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, who made the playoffs 22 straight years from the 1949–50 season to the 1970–71 season.
In 1983, under the bye-7-7-7 system, the Philadelphia 76ers attained the best record of 12-1, having only lost in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 2001, under the best of 5-7-7-7 system, the Los Angeles Lakers attained the best record of 15-1, having only lost in Game 1 of the Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 2017, under the best of 7-7-7-7 system, the Golden State Warriors attained the best record of 16-1, having only lost in Game 4 of the Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors and Cavaliers came into the Finals with a combined record of 24-1, with the Cavaliers having only lost in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.

text: Playoff appearances[edit]

text: Current as of 2018 NBA Playoffs

text: Appearances by active teams[edit]

text:
Team

Appearances[12]

Los Angeles Lakers

60 [A]

Boston Celtics

55

Philadelphia 76ers

48 [B]

Atlanta Hawks

46 [C]

Detroit Pistons

41 [D]

New York Knicks

41

San Antonio Spurs

38 [E]

Chicago Bulls

35

Golden State Warriors

34 [F]

Portland Trail Blazers

34

Houston Rockets

32 [G]

Milwaukee Bucks

30

Oklahoma City Thunder

30 [H]

Phoenix Suns

29

Sacramento Kings

29 [I]

Washington Wizards

29 [J]

Utah Jazz

27 [K]

Indiana Pacers

25 [E]

Denver Nuggets

24 [E]

Cleveland Cavaliers

22

Dallas Mavericks

21

Miami Heat

20

Brooklyn Nets

19 [E][L]

Orlando Magic

14

Los Angeles Clippers

13 [M]

Charlotte Hornets

10 [N]

Memphis Grizzlies

10

Toronto Raptors

10

Minnesota Timberwolves

9

New Orleans Pelicans

7 [N]

text:
Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1960).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Syracuse Nationals (1946–1963).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1946–1951), the Milwaukee Hawks (1951–1955), and the St. Louis Hawks (1955–1968).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Fort Wayne Pistons (1949–1957).

^ Jump up to: a b c d Does not include appearances in the American Basketball Association (ABA) playoffs. Per the conditions of the ABA–NBA merger, the NBA does not officially recognize the ABA history, playoffs and records.

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Philadelphia Warriors (1946–1962) and the San Francisco Warriors (1962–1971).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the San Diego Rockets (1967–1971).

Jump up ^ As part of the 2008 relocation settlement with the City of Seattle, the Thunder officially shares its history with that of the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008).[13]

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Rochester Royals (1948–1957), the Cincinnati Royals (1957–1972), the Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972–1975), and the Kansas City Kings (1975–1985).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), the Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), the Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), the Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and the Washington Bullets (1974–1997).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the New Orleans Jazz (1974–1979).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the New Jersey Nets (1977–2012).

Jump up ^ Includes appearances as the Buffalo Braves (1970–1978).

^ Jump up to: a b The New Orleans Pelicans were originally named the Charlotte Hornets, and moved to New Orleans in 2002. A new team, the Charlotte Bobcats, was then established in 2004. When the Charlotte team reclaimed the Hornets name in a 2014 agreement, the Charlotte team also reclaimed the history of the original Hornets; as such, the New Orleans Pelicans were established in 2002, and the Bobcats/Hornets rejoined the NBA in 2004.[14]

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