1998, with a Nielsen rating of 8.0, equivalent to approximately 7.95 million viewing households. It tied with Beverly Hills, 90210 and Home Improvement for the 25th place. The episode was the third highest-rated show (tied with Beverly Hills, 90210) on the Fox network that week, following Ally McBeal and Party of Five. "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" has received generally positive reviews from critics. James Plath of DVD Town thought it had strong writing. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "a terrific episode, full of wit and sly digs at our expectations of Homer's abilities. The fact that he invents things that other people find useful (and steal the credit for) is both amusing and a little sad. Poor Homer." Writing for DVD Movie Guide, Colin Jacobson commented that "though 'Wizard' borders on 'Homer’s wacky scheme' territory, his attempts to come up with something significant offer amusement. At no point does 'Wizard' threaten to become a particularly strong episode, but it entertains to a reasonable degree. I do like the 'Everything’s Okay Alarm' and the makeup gun, though." Although "Lard of the Dance" aired as a teaser episode a month earlier, "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" was the official season premiere of The Simpsons tenth season. Don Aucoin of The Boston Globe wrote that "It is gratifying to report that, based on the season premiere, The Simpsons promises to remain the most reliable half-hour of laughs on television." Similarly, David Bianculli of The New York Daily News reported that "The Simpsons is one series that, year after year, remains fresh and funny and lively and surprising. Based on tonight's season premiere, that amazing streak is in no danger of ending." Lauri Githens of The Buffalo News gave the episode a 5/5 rating, commenting that it shows that "This cynical, bleak yet somehow still hopeful comedy is nowhere near midlife crisis with Season No. 10. It's still fall-down funny. Thank God." She cited Homer's line to Marge as he and Bart leave for the Edison Museum, "I'm-taking-Bart-over-state-lines-back-soon-I-have-your-wallet-bye!", as the best line of the episode. The Lexington Herald-Leaders Heather Svokos was not as pleased. She stated that "As always, the show is better written than most anything on TV, but for a 10th season premiere, it didn't blow me out of the water." In