#OnThisDay #OTD #30YearsAgo January 14, 1993, "Marge vs. the Monorail" first aired on the Fox network. Dir: @_rich_moore. Wr: @ConanOBrien. EP: @AlJean & @MikeReissWriter. Guest-starring @TheRealNimoy as himself and Phil Hartman as Lyle Lanley. #TheSimpsons
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy Conan O'Brien (pictured here at the Simpsons writers' offices in 1992) conceived the idea when he saw a billboard in Los Angeles that just had the word "Monorail" on it, with no other details or explanation.
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy Writers did not think Leonard Nimoy would accept the role, because William Shatner had previously turned the show down. Instead, @GeorgeTakei was asked to guest star, as he had previously appeared as Akira in the second season episode "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish".
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy @GeorgeTakei After requesting several script changes, Takei declined, saying he did not want to make fun of public transportation as he was a member of the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District. As a result, the staff went to Nimoy, who accepted.
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy @GeorgeTakei Writer @Interbang1Jeff stated "[Nimoy] was just very gracious and easy to work with." Here is Nimoy talking about the show later the same year he recorded his first appearance.
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy @GeorgeTakei @Interbang1Jeff Martin called Nimoy a “good sport”, recalling when he got to recording the “cosmic ballet” line, he said, “Okay, I know how to deliver this one,” meaning, “I can be pompous and windy, just like you want me to be.”
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy @GeorgeTakei @Interbang1Jeff Here is Nimoy congratulating The Simpsons on their 100th episode in 1994. He would go on to make one more appearance on the show in Season 8's "The Springfield Files."
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy @GeorgeTakei @Interbang1Jeff Although he only appeared twice, Nimoy's performances were so fondly remembered that a memoriam card was featured at the end of Season 26's "The Princess Guide" after his death.
@_rich_moore @ConanOBrien @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @TheRealNimoy @GeorgeTakei @Interbang1Jeff Homer's monorail conductor uniform is based on uniforms of the Imperial officers in Star Wars. (FYI, the imperial officer on the left in the second image was overdubbed by an uncredited @theharryshearer)
The episode features references to The Flintstones, The Silence of the Lambs and Batman, amongst others. (video: Onikorp)
Here's Conan talking with other #TheSimpsons writers (Jeff Martin, Al Jean, Mike Reiss and @JayKogen) in 2013 about "Marge vs. the Monorail" and writing "The Monorail Song."
The song, with lyrics by Conan and music by Jeff Martin, was inspired by the song "Ya Got Trouble" from the musical The Music Man, which the general plot of the episode also stemmed from.
Conan went on to perform The Monorail Song (featuring @HankAzaria) live at "The Simpsons Take The Bowl" in 2014. (video: YanisRei on YouTube)
@HankAzaria .@VICE published a great article titled An Oral History of 'Marge vs The Monorail' in 2020, featuring new interviews with the staff that worked on it. vice.com/en/article/akd…
Syndication promo for "Marge vs. the Monorail."

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More from @dailysimpsons

Jan 14
#OnThisDay #OTD January 14, 1996, "Two Bad Neighbors" (S07E13) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: Wes Archer. Wr: Ken Keeler. EP: @thatbilloakley & @Joshstrangehill. #TheSimpsons
@thatbilloakley @Joshstrangehill The episode features the first appearance of Disco Stu. Originally designed as a withered, old, John Travolta-esque figure, he was to be voiced by Phil Hartman. However, when the animators remodeled him, Hartman was not available so @HankAzaria took over the role.
@thatbilloakley @Joshstrangehill @HankAzaria President Bush had appeared in cameos a few times before "Two Bad Neighbors," including "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington," "Mr. Plow" and "Rosebud". ImageImageImage
Read 9 tweets
Jan 14
#OnThisDay #OTD January 14, 1990, "Bart the Genius," the first non-holiday episode of #TheSimpsons, aired on the Fox network. Dir: @tubatron. Wr: @jon_vitti. EP: @canyonjim, @simonsam and Matt Groening.
@tubatron @jon_vitti @canyonjim @simonsam The concept for the episode developed from writer Jon Vitti coming up with a long list of bad things Bart would do for attention imagining the potential consequences. The only idea that developed into an interesting episode concept was Bart's cheating on an IQ test.
@tubatron @jon_vitti @canyonjim @simonsam It was Vitti's first script for a 30-minute television program. Bart's phrase "Eat my shorts" was intended to reflect his adoption of catchphrases he had heard on TV; the creative team had told Vitti that he should not come up with original taglines for the character.
Read 20 tweets
Jan 12
#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) Image
@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…
Read 11 tweets
Nov 11, 2021
#OnThisDay #OTD November 11, 1993, "Bart's Inner Child" (S05E07) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: Bob Anderson. Wr: George Meyer. EP: @DaveMirkin. Guest-starring @AlbertBrooks as Brad Goodman, James Brown as himself and Phil Hartman as Troy McClure. #TheSimpsons
@DaveMirkin @AlbertBrooks This was Bob Anderson's directorial debut on The Simpsons. He's gone on to direct the most episodes of the Simpsons (62), the most recent of which was "Undercover Burns", the season premiere of Season 32. imdb.com/name/nm0026433/
@DaveMirkin @AlbertBrooks It was Albert Brooks' third appearance on the show. Dave Mirkin describes Brooks as "really weird to direct" because "almost every one of his takes is flawless, but each one has different material. He makes up the stuff as he goes."
Read 9 tweets
Nov 11, 2021
#OnThisDay #OTD (one day late) November 9, 1997, "Bart Star" first aired on the Fox network. Wr: @Donick. Dir: @LovesickFool2. EP: @scullymike. Guest-starring @RealJoeNamath as himself, @RoyFirestone as himself and @MikeJudge as Hank Hill. #TheSimpsons
@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge The episode was written by Donick Cary, who obtained inspiration from an experience in high school he had with a football coach who had a son on the team. Similarly, show runner Mike Scully had been on a soccer team whose coach would give his son special treatment.
@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge George Meyer obtained inspiration for the scene toward the beginning of the episode where Rainier Wolfcastle is taunting the children from an experience he had with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was following Schwarzenegger during a hike, and overheard him taunting his children.
Read 7 tweets
Nov 11, 2021
#OnThisDay #OTD November 10, 1996, "The Homer They Fall" (S08E03) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: @markk1914. Wr: @collierjonathan. EP: @thatbilloakley & @Joshstrangehill. Guest-starring Paul Winfield as Lucius Sweet and @MichaelBuffer as himself. #TheSimpsons
@markk1914 @collierjonathan @thatbilloakley @Joshstrangehill @michaelbuffer Writer Jonathan Collier is a huge boxing fan. Knowing that the people on the internet would "give them grief", the writers went to a lot of effort to explain how Homer would be able to challenge for the Heavyweight Title.
A lot of the scenes involving Homer fighting hobos were pitched by @JJSwartzwelder. The montage of Homer fighting various hobos was based on a similar montage in Raging Bull.
Read 12 tweets

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