Santa's Little Helper the show in minor appearances, although there have been some episodes that feature him heavily, including the first episode of "The Simpsons". In that episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (season one, 1989), Homer discovers that he has no money to buy Christmas presents for the family. Desperate for a miracle, he and Bart go to the greyhound racing track on Christmas Eve in hopes of winning some money. Although Homer has inside information on which dog is the most likely to win, he instead bets on a last-minute entry, Santa's Little Helper (here despite being brown), believing the
Brother's Little Helper eventually stops at the school. There, he points the tank's cannon into the sky and shoots down a Major League Baseball satellite; inside are detailed documents on everybody's behaviors. Mark McGwire appears, distracts the citizens with a long home run, and hides the evidence under his cap. Marge takes Bart off Focusyn for good and puts him back on Ritalin. Major League Baseball, however, still spies on the Simpson family due to an autographed bat McGwire gave Bart that has a hidden camera. "Brother's Little Helper", which was originally called "Bart a Go Go", was written by staff writer George