<P> Ellen M. Violett wrote the first television adaptation, seen on Albert McCleery's Cameo Theatre (1950--55). </P> <P> Larry Yust's short film, The Lottery (1969), produced as part of Encyclopædia Britannica's' Short Story Showcase' series, was ranked by the Academic Film Archive "as one of the two bestselling educational films ever". It has an accompanying ten - minute commentary film, Discussion of "The Lottery" by University of Southern California English professor James Durbin . Featuring the film debut of Ed Begley, Jr., Yust's adaptation has an atmosphere of naturalism and small town authenticity with its shots of pick - up trucks and townspeople in Fellows, California . </P> <P> Anthony Spinner's feature - length TV film, The Lottery, which premiered September 29, 1996, on NBC, is a sequel loosely based on the original Shirley Jackson story . It was nominated for a 1997 Saturn Award for Best Single Genre Television Presentation . </P> <P> In The Simpsons episode "Dog of Death" all copies of the book are checked out of the local library in the hope that it may contain information on how to win an upcoming lottery draw . Homer Simpson is seen reading a copy of the novel, and on learning that it is useless in helping him to win the lottery, throws it on the fire . </P>

Who threw the first stone in the lottery