The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean has unveiled a shocking secret: O.J. Simpson was almost a guest star in a very popular episode of the long-running series. The revelation arrived not long after it was revealed Simpson’s lost interview concerning the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman is finally airing.
The interview special, If I Did It, was supposed to air on FOX 12 years ago to accompany Simpson’s book, If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. The book outlined an allegedly imaginary take on the grisly murders of Brown and Goldman without ever actually confessing to anything straight out. The interview was scrapped in 2006 due to backlash and has now been rebooted with the name O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? This time, Simpson’s book publisher, Judith Regan, will be conducting the interview. Regan recently revealed that Simpson’s lawyer had confessed to his client’s involvement around the time of the original interview during a conversation over the phone.
Related: O.J. Simpson’s ‘If I Did It’ Interview to Finally Air on FOX
Jean shared a surprising bit of trivia with his Twitter followers earlier today, pointing out how oddly timed the interview’s debut was from his perspective. Jean revealed that Simpson had been offered the opportunity to voice a character in The Simpsons season 4 episode “Last Exit to Springfield,” which originally aired in 1993 “25 years to the day” before the long-lost interview was finally allowed to be aired.
.@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
The writer/producer made sure to make the distinction that this was before the murders had taken place. Jean said that Simpson had turned down the offer and Dr. Joyce Brothers was brought in instead. This news led some of Jean’s followers to question whether or not FOX would have pulled the episode following the Trial of the Century, while others noted that the interview had bumped The Simpsons from their usual Sunday night slot for the week.
Suffering from failing ratings and frequent criticism from both the media and viewers alike, many fans have become concerned that The Simpsons could become a casualty of the Disney/FOX buyout deal. The series is currently contracted through season 30. While 30 seasons is certainly an impressive feat for any series, this contract only guarantees the series’ survival until the year 2020. It has not yet been confirmed whether or not the series will be renewed after its contract comes to a close. As is their usual, uncanny way, The Simpsons actually predicted the Disney/FOX merger in the season 10 episode “When You Dish Upon a Star” 19 years ago.
More: The Simpsons Predicted U.S. Curling Gold Medal In 2010
Source: Al Jean
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