Thread by @dailysimpsons

#OnThisDay #OTD January 12, 1997, "The Springfield Files" (S08E10) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: Steven Dean Moore. Wr: Reid Harrison. EP: @AlJean & @MikeReissWriter. Guest-starring David Duchovny & @GillianA as Agents Mulder and Scully. #TheSimpsons

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA The episode was produced by Al Jean and Mike Reiss (pictured here with George Meyer), who had served as showrunners of seasons three and four. They returned to the show to produce this and several other episodes while under contract with The Walt Disney Company. (lol)

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA .@themikeayers wrote a great article about "The Springfield Files" for the @WSJ six years ago, including interviews with the crew behind it. wsj.com/articles/BL-SE…

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ “The Springfield Files” also featured the late @TheRealNimoy in his second appearance as himself. The Leonard Nimoy segments are a send-up of the paranormal documentary series "In Search Of...," which Nimoy hosted.

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy It was also another big night in animation history, as the series premiere of King of the Hill aired on Fox following "The Springfield Files".

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy In one chapter title, the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" being printed out ad infinitum is a reference to the 1980 film The Shining. (video Onikorp)

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy "I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to SPEED around the city..."

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy The episode features several other references to The X-Files. Mulder has a picture of himself only wearing a speedo on it as a reference to the episode "Duane Barry". In the scene where Scully gives Homer a lie detector test, The Smoking Man is in the background.

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy The FBI line-up, featuring Marvin the Martian, Gort, Chewbacca, and @ALFforreal, was described by Al Jean as the "most illegal shot" in the history of the show as the writers did not get permission to use any of the characters besides Kang/Kodos.

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy @ALFforreal Jimbo Jones is seen displaying a sign that reads "Alien dude: Need two tickets to Pearl Jam", a reference to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

@AlJean @MikeReissWriter @GillianA @themikeayers @WSJ @TheRealNimoy @ALFforreal Several deleted/alternate scenes from “The Springfield Files”