The Simpsons’ “Last Exit to Springfield” aired during its fourth season, twenty-five years ago.
The occasion also brought with it an interesting revelation from Simpsons executive producer Al Jean who took to Twitter and shared that that episode was supposed to be a real Simpson crossover.
The animated series offered O.J. Simpson a cameo role in the episode where Homer becomes president of the nuclear power plant’s union and strikes to reinstate dental plans so Lisa can get braces.
“Ironically OJ Simpson airs on fox 25 years to the day after the episode we asked him to be in (pre-murders) and he turned down,” wrote Jean. Responding to a fan question, Jean further noted that “fortunately he passed and we got Dr. Joyce,” played by Dr. Joyce Brothers as herself on the news-show-within-the show Smartline.
Simpson did make an appearance on the animated comedy ten years after “Last Exit to Springfield” aired, in the episode “The Bart of War” but as the voice of Harry Shearer and not as himself.
.@TheSimpsons Ironically OJ simpson airs on fox 25 years to the day after the episode we asked him to be in (pre-murders) and he turned down
— Al Jean (@AlJean) March 11, 2018
