Most syndicated reruns (mostly the older, free-TV American version. The newer syndicated version shown on cable, the season eight DVD version, and the Disney+ streaming version don't contain this change) and international versions (particularly the version shown on ProSieben in Germany) of this episode replace the couch gag where The Simpsons are part of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club album (which was originally seen on the episode "Bart After Dark") with the one from the season four premiere "Kamp Krusty" where The Simpsons find Fred, Wilma, and Pebbles Flintstone on the couch, with Fred smiling at Homer and inviting the family to sit with them (the reason it was replaced was because, with this episode, The Simpsons beat The Flintstones' record for longest-running American animated TV sitcom).
Cultural References[]
This episode's theme is a reference to the TV phenomenon of "jumping the shark", when a TV show loses popularity due to outlandish stunts (adding new characters, in this case) for ratings, backstage issues (such as creative burn-out, cast members quitting, getting fired, or being replaced; or change in writing) ruining the show, or the show no longer having the edge and popularity it once had (which can be and has been argued by fans and critics alike as the main reason why The Simpsons isn't as popular as it once was).
The couch gag (which was used before on "Bart After Dark") is a homage to the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album by The Beatles, though, as mentioned above, most versions replace that couch gag with the one from "Kamp Krusty" where The Simpsons meet The Flintstones, as the episode itself broke The Flintstones' record for longest-running American animated TV sitcom.
June Bellamy, voiced by Simpsons regular Tress MacNeille, is a reference to veteran voice actress June Foray.
The scene where Homer hides in a closet and hears that Poochie will be killed off is a reference to Jay Leno supposedly hiding in a closet and hearing that he would replace Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.
Roy is largely based on Fonzie, calling Homer and Marge Mr. and Mrs. S, similar to how Fonzie refers to Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham as "Mr. C" and "Mrs. C".
Roy saying he will move in with "two sexy ladies" is a reference to the sitcom Three's Company.
Krusty without his topmost piece of hair
Krusty exclaiming his disappointment and wanting "Chinese cartoons" may refer to programming trends at the time around the mid 1990s, when cable and basic channels began to import anime from Japan (some of which, like Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and the Dragon Ball series, have become immensely popular among the generation that grew up with those shows) for their immense cost-effective profit dividend payoffs and providing rarely-made content and entertainment value outside of slapstick and conventional superhero fare (which was suffering under FCC regulations for more educational programming and moral guardian groups complaining that the slapstick and superhero fare was inappropriate for children).
Goofs[]
On the Krusty cereal box towards the beginning of the episode, Krusty is missing the hair on the top of his head.
On the Krusty cereal box the side Lisa is looking at Krusty is missing one of the side pieces of his hair.
Scratchy's skeleton without a spine
For a frame in the final Itchy & Scratchy cartoon of the episode, Scratchy's skeleton is missing its spine.
In Krusty's office the poster with Mr. Teeny his fur is pink instead of the usual brown.
Production Notes[]
The final draft for this episode was published on July 25, 1996.[1]
