“Now Hear Me Out On This…”: How The Simpsons Came Up With Its Most Famously Bizarre Joke Explained By Ex-Showrunner

Summary Troy McClure's memorable musical debut was a result of five separate pitches that built off each other.

Josh Weinstein offers advice to never shoot down any pitch.

The musical number became one of The Simpsons' best-remembered jokes.

Former The Simpsons showrunner Josh Weinstein explains how Troy McClure's memorable but strange musical debut came together from multiple pitches for The Simpsons season 7's "A Fish Called Selma". In the episode, Marge's (Julie Kavner) elder sister Selma Bouvier (Also voiced by Kavner) finds herself romancing Phil Hartman's Troy McClure after he and his agent MacArthur Parker (Jeff Goldblum) realize that a romance would attract press attention. As part of his career's revitalization, McClure is cast as George Taylor in Stop The Planet Of The Apes! I Want To Get Off!, a Broadway adaptation of the iconic sci-fi feature.

Weinstein explains on X how the Stop The Planet Of The Apes! I Want To Get Off! sequence came together.

In a scenario that helped inform him how best to run the show, Weinstein explained that he learned not to refuse any pitch, no matter how outlandish it may be. The former showrunner then revealed how five separate pitches were gradually building up the initial idea surrounding the Planet of the Apes musical, from the Falco "Amadeus" parody, to specific lines and visual gags.

Where Else Where We May Remember Troy McClure From?

The Simpsons Shed Some Light On McClure's Filmogaphy

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McClure's career has been shown to have taken him outside of Springfield.

While many may remember McClure for his many public-service video appearances made presumably during the low point of his career following the allegations about his aquarium visit becoming public, The Simpsons has still shined a light on McClure's Hollywood career. Alongside his many feature name-drops, McClure can be seen acting alongside Miss Piggy in The Muppets Go Medieval!, where he played Sir Lancelot. As such, much like fellow Springfield Heights resident Krusty the Clown (Dan Castelaneta), McClure's career has been shown to have taken him outside of Springfield before scandal hit.

Despite his romance with Selma sending him into the limelight once more, it can be assumed that McClure's career would ultimately come to a halt once more after losing out on a role in McBain IV: Fatal Discharge, forcing him to independently finance his passion project The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Profesor Horation Huffnagel. While there was interest from both The Simpsons' cast and Hartman himself to take the character further and even develop a potential live-action The Simpsons spin-off, McClure would make his final appearance in season 10's "Bart the Mother". Following Hartman's untimely death, the character was quietly retired.

Related Why Planet of the Apes Musical Is The Simpsons Best Parody The Simpsons has delivered a number of great movie parodies of the years, but Troy McClure's Planet of the Apes musical remains its very best.

"A Fish Named Selma's" surprising musical moment is one of The Simpsons most memorable scenes, despite just being a quick gag sung by a guest character. From the surprisingly catchy twist on Falco's one-hit-wonder, to the sight of Planet of the Apes' classic designs breaking out into dance, the scene stands out in an episode full of fun moments. As such, Weinstein's thread is an interesting look at how the gag was brought to life.

Source: @JoshStrangeHill/X