Editing Lisa's First Word (section)

==Reception==
In its original American broadcast, "Lisa's First Word" was watched by 28.6 million viewers,<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC's Tuesday lineup ends up rosy |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Donna|last=Gable |page=03.D |date=December 9, 1992}}</ref> the most-watched episode of the season. It finished thirteenth in the ratings for the week of November 30 to December 6, 1992, with a Nielsen rating of 16.6.<ref name="ratings">{{cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings |date=December 9, 1992 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]] |pages=C6}}</ref> The episode was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.<ref name=ratings/> It acquired the highest national Nielsen rating of the show since the [[The Simpsons season 2|season two]] episode "[[Bart Gets an "F"|Bart Gets an 'F']]{{-"}} aired on October 11, 1990.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arts Beat |last=Bark |first=Ed |date=December 5, 1992 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |pages=39A}}</ref>

Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', said the episode is a "convincing portrait of young marriage and hardship in the days of [[Reaganomics]]—and the biggest name to guest voice gets the littlest, but the most significant, to say".<ref name="bbc"/> When asked to pick his favorite season out of ''The Simpsons'' seasons [[The Simpsons season 1|one]] through [[The Simpsons season 20|twenty]], Paul Lane of the ''[[Niagara Gazette]]'' picked season four and highlighted "the sweetly funny" "Lisa's First Word".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dzikiy |first1=Phil |first2=Paul|last2=Lane  |title=Television: 20 years&nbsp;— A 'Simpsons' extravaganza |work=[[Niagara Gazette]] |date=September 25, 2008 }}</ref> David Johnson at DVD Verdict named it "one of the greatest flashback episodes".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason4.php |title=DVD Verdict Review&nbsp;— The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season |first=David |last=Johnson |publisher=DVD Verdict |date=July 12, 2004 |access-date=2008-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926155746/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason4.php |archive-date=September 26, 2008 }}</ref> Dave Manley at DVDActive said in a review of ''The Simpsons: Greatest Hits'' DVD that it is "one of the better episodes and probably my personal favourite on the disc, although most Simpsons connoisseurs would probably go for the [[Bart Gets an "F"|previous episode]] [on the DVD]", and added that there are "some great parodies in the episode too".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/simpsons-the-greatest-hits.html |title=Simpsons, The: Greatest Hits (UK&nbsp;— DVD R2) in Reviews |last=Manley |first=Dave |publisher=DVDActive |access-date=2008-10-26 |archive-date=March 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329014945/http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/simpsons-the-greatest-hits.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]''{{'}}s Gregory Hardy named it the fourteenth best episode of the show with a sports theme (the Olympics in this case).<ref>{{cite news |title=Hitting 300 - For Sporting Comedy, 'The Simpsons' Always Score |last=Hardy |first=Gregory |date=February 16, 2003 |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |page=C17}}</ref>

Elizabeth Taylor's performance as Maggie was praised by critics. She was named the 13th greatest guest spot in the history of the show by ''[[IGN]]''.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances |title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances |access-date=January 15, 2022 |date=January 4, 2010 |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric |last2=Iverson |first2=Dan |last3=Zoromski |first3=Brian |website=[[IGN]] |archive-date=June 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622134744/http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  Taylor also appeared on [[AOL]]'s list of their favorite 25 ''Simpsons'' guest stars.<ref>{{cite web|last=Potts|first=Kimberly|title=Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars|url=http://www.aoltv.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars|access-date=2008-11-24|publisher=[[AOL]]|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924092118/http://television.aol.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars}}</ref> Todd Everett at ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the last scene in the episode, where Maggie speaks her first word, "quite a heart-melter".<ref name="variety">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1992/tv/reviews/the-simpsons-maggie-s-first-word-1200431052/ |title=The Simpsons Maggie's First Word |last=Everett |first=Todd |date=December 7, 1992 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> He added that "it is probably no surprise that the casting of Elizabeth Taylor as the voice for baby Maggie Simpson's first word was a publicity stunt [...] No mind, the episode in question delivered well-rounded view of series' multiple attractions."<ref name="variety"/> ''[[Total Film]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Nathan Ditum ranked her performance as the best guest appearance in the show's history.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-20-best-simpsons-movie-star-guest-spots/ |title=The 20 Best Simpsons Movie-Star Guest Spots |last=Ditum |first=Nathan |date=March 29, 2009 |work=[[Total Film]] |publisher=GamesRadar |access-date=2022-01-15 |archive-date=April 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410171103/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-20-best-simpsons-movie-star-guest-spots/page:4 |url-status=live }}</ref> Fox rebroadcast the episode on April 3, 2011, in memory of Taylor, following her death on March 23.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exclusive: FOX to Rebroadcast Elizabeth Taylor's "Simpsons" Episode This Sunday |publisher=[[The Futon Critic]] |date=2011-03-31 |access-date=2011-04-03 |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2011/03/31/exclusive-fox-to-rebroadcast-elizabeth-taylors-simpsons-episode-this-sunday-853011/9203}}</ref>