Lisa's First Word performance as Maggie was praised by critics. She was named the 13th greatest guest spot in the history of the show by IGN. Taylor also appeared on AOL's list of their favorite 25 "Simpsons" guest stars. Todd Everett at "Variety" called the last scene in the episode, where Maggie speaks her first word, "quite a heart-melter". 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." "Total Film"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Nathan
Media in The Simpsons "The Simpsons" is in a unique place, and when former producers/writers move to different networks, they are told that "We would never have "The Simpsons" on our network". On this issue Robert Sloane concludes in "Leaving Springfield" that "In sum, the show seems to defy certain industry practices." The episode "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" was a satire over unoriginal, poor television writing and references and parodies many TV shows. The episode features three spin-off ideas for "The Simpsons" show, which also functions as a critique of spin-offs in general. Troy McClure introduces the three spin-offs as a host of the