It’s that time of year where we all start revisiting our old favourite festive TV specials and films – and for many of us, that includes revisiting some classic episodes of The Simpsons.
Fans of the long-running animated sitcom will know that it launched 35 years ago this week with its very first Christmas special, Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire.
Some devotees may even be aware that this wasn’t always the intention for The Simpsons, but the episode that had originally been slated to come out first wasn’t ready in time, meaning the show launched with a festive episode instead.
But what you might not realise was just how bad the situation was.
During an appearance at ComicCon in October, creator Matt Groening told the audience (via Metro): “We were supposed to debut in the fall of 1989 and we got back the animation for the first episode, and it was so horrendous.”
He admitted: “We lied to Fox and we said we hadn’t gotten the animation back. We delayed the premiere of the show from a fall premiere to December 17, 1989.
“We took that very first episode and we buried it until we made it airable. It was quite dramatic in those months before the show actually came on.”
The Simpsons had originally been set to launch with Some Enchanted Evening, in which Bart and Lisa outsmart a deranged babysitter, which was eventually pushed back and aired as the season finale instead.
In honour of The Simpsons’ 35th anniversary, the show has just debuted its first two-part special on Disney+, a new festive story featuring a very unexpected British guest star.
This episode – dubbed C’Mon All Ye Faithful – marks the final voice appearance of The Simpsons staple Pamela Hayden, who announced last month that she was retiring from the role of Milhouse Van Houten.