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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

Feb 21 • 10 tweets • 13 min read

@Interbang1Jeff

#OnThisDay #OTD February 21, 1991, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" (S02E15) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: Wes Archer. Wr: @Interbang1Jeff. EP: @canyonjim, @simonsam & Matt Groening. Guest-starring @DannyDeVito as Herb Powell. #TheSimpsons

@Interbang1Jeff

@Interbang1Jeff @canyonjim @simonsam @DannyDeVito Danny DeVito was suggested for the role by Simpsons executive producer Sam Simon. DeVito had to record his lines quickly because he had another appointment, so the staff focused on recording only his scenes while he was there.

@Interbang1Jeff

@Interbang1Jeff @canyonjim @simonsam @DannyDeVito .@nancycartwright thought DeVito "threw his body and soul" into his performance. While the recording took part, animation director Wes Archer scribbled down some of DeVito's attitudes, gestures, and facial expressions on a piece of paper as he performed.

@Interbang1Jeff

@Interbang1Jeff @canyonjim @simonsam @DannyDeVito @nancycartwright The original @TVGuide print ad for "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" (Rare that Bart isn't saying "man" here.)

@Interbang1Jeff

@Interbang1Jeff @canyonjim @simonsam @DannyDeVito @nancycartwright @TVGuide Another print ad for "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" which totally gives away the reveal of Homer's design from the end of the episode!

https://twitter.com/DigitalRossman/status/1363477572563197952

@Interbang1Jeff

@Interbang1Jeff @canyonjim @simonsam @DannyDeVito @nancycartwright @TVGuide Danny DeVito went on to appear as Herb once more in "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" in 1992 and can be heard briefly in 2014's "Changing of the Guardian". Here he is talking about #TheSimpsons in 1992, stating "It could go on forever."

@Interbang1Jeff

@Interbang1Jeff @canyonjim @simonsam @DannyDeVito @nancycartwright @TVGuide Danny DeVito congratulating The Simpsons on their 100th episode in 1994.

The storyline of a controversially styled car causing the company to fail echoes that of the Edsel, the Tucker 48, and the later DeLorean.

On June 29, 2013, Porcubimmer Motors debuted a real-life version of "The Homer," the car that was designed by Homer in this episode, at the 24 Hours of LeMons race in Buttonwillow, California.

@MaggieRoswell

Homer's mother, Mona Simpson, makes her first appearance in this episode, voiced by @MaggieRoswell.

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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

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Feb 22

@Donick

#OnThisDay #OTD #25YearsAgo February 22, 1998, "The Last Temptation of Krust" (S09E15) first aired on Fox. Dir: Mike B. Anderson. Wr: @Donick. EP: @scullymike. Guest-starring @jayleno, Bruce Baum, Janeane Garofalo, Bobcat Goldthwait, @StevenWright, & @HankJr. #TheSimpsons

@Donick

@Donick @scullymike @jayleno @StevenWright @HankJr Mike Scully said that the writers had difficulty getting Krusty's offensive bad jokes through the network censors. The stereotypical jokes were allowed because the writers convinced them that viewers would understand it was simply emphasizing Krusty's dated comedic material.

@Donick

@Donick @scullymike @jayleno @StevenWright @HankJr The Canyonero sequence, sung by Hank Williams, Jr., was originally planned to be displayed during the closing credits. The production team liked the scene so much that they did not want it to be obscured by the credits and gave it its own segment at the end of the episode.

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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

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Feb 22

@markk1914

#OnThisDay #OTD February 21, 1999, "Marge Simpson in: 'Screaming Yellow Honkers'" (S10E15) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: @markk1914. Wr: David M. Stern. EP: @scullymike. Guest-starring Hank Williams Jr. as the Canyonero singer and @JohnKassir as Possum. #TheSimpsons

@markk1914

@markk1914 @scullymike @JohnKassir The road rage film which Chief Wiggum shows during the road rage class was originally titled "Screaming Yellow Honkers". The road rage film was originally to have been presented, of course, by Troy McClure, but voice actor Phil Hartman died the previous year.

@markk1914

@markk1914 @scullymike @JohnKassir The group of people running out of the zoo, before Homer, Bart, and Lisa, are caricatures of showrunner Mike Scully, his wife @ScullyThacker, and his children. They are also seen running behind Kent Brockman's news report later in the episode.

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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

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Feb 20

@JJSwartzwelder

#OnThisDay #OTD February 20, 1992, "Homer at the Bat" (S03E17) first aired on the Fox network. Dir: Jim Reardon. Wr: @JJSwartzwelder. Guest-starring EP: @AlJean & @MikeReissWriter. #TheSimpsons #Baseball #MLB

@JJSwartzwelder

@JJSwartzwelder @AlJean @MikeReissWriter "Homer at the Bat" features @rogerclemens, Mike Scioscia, Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, @STLWizard, @ChickenMan3010, Darryl Strawberry, Ken Griffey Jr., @JoseCanseco and musician Terry Cashman.

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@JJSwartzwelder @AlJean @MikeReissWriter @rogerclemens @STLWizard @ChickenMan3010 @JoseCanseco The episode was written by John Swartzwelder, who is a big baseball fan, but suggested by @simonsam, who wanted an episode filled with real @MLB players. Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Ryne Sandberg, and Carlton Fisk were among the players who turned down the show.

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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

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Jan 14

@thatbilloakley

#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

@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

@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".

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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

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Jan 14

@_rich_moore

#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

@_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

@_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".

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On This Day in Simpsons History 🇺🇦

@dailysimpsons

Jan 14

@tubatron

#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

@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

@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.