The Simpsons Considered Two Separate Krusty Spinoffs – But We Got The Critic Instead

Although "The Simpsons" has a reputation as a show that's been dragged out long beyond its natural life span (never mind that it's still given us some banger episodes in recent seasons), it's worth noting that Fox easily could've milked the franchise way more than it has. As the show itself parodied in season 8's "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase," there were all sorts of shameless spinoff ideas Fox easily might've tried. Why not attempt its own "Frasier" or "Better Call Saul" or "Young Sheldon"? With such a massive hit as "The Simpsons" on its hands, why was the 2007 movie the most ambitious thing we ever got?

Turns out, it wasn't for lack of trying. Fox was genuinely interested in cashing in even more on the success of "The Simpsons," and creator Matt Groening made at least some attempt to pitch them ideas. As "Simpsons" writer and former showrunner Mike Reiss explained in his 2018 book "Springfield Confidential," two of those ideas centered around Krusty the Clown:

"As Al [Jean] and I were completing our two years running 'The Simpsons,' Matt Groening came to us with a new idea: an animated Krusty the Clown spin-off. We developed the concept, imagining Krusty as a single dad in New York, with a crabby makeup lady and a crazy, Ted Turner-like boss. Matt turned us down, deciding he'd rather do a live-action Krusty 'reality show' in which Dan Castellaneta (who voices the character) would go around having adventures, like working on a tuna boat or delivering a baby."

Neither idea materialized, in part because they don't sound all that more substantive than season 8's joke spinoff ideas like "Chief Wiggum, P.I." or "The Love-Matic Grandpa." As popular a character as Krusty is, we're not sure if he's got the depth to lead his own series. 99% of his scenes focus on him being a miserable, talentless hack, floundering his way through any gig that's not exclusively for a child audience. A spin-off would probably add some complexity to him to make things work, but is a complex Krusty still funny?

There's also the problem that Krusty's profession was growing increasingly out of date. The local TV clown shows that "The Simpsons" parodied with Krusty have long stopped being a big thing, and with Pennywise being the most famous clown in current pop culture, it doesn't seem like they're coming back any time soon. Sorry Krusty, but you're the relic of a bygone era; count yourself lucky that you live in the only town in America where clowns are still considered funny instead of creepy.

When Al Jean and Mike Reiss did end up making a quasi-"Simpsons" spinoff, they cut all the clown stuff and gave us "The Critic" instead. "We fleshed it out with all the rejected Krusty show ideas," Reiss explained, "Single dad in New York, crabby makeup lady, Ted Turner boss. Comedy, like composting, involves smart recycling." Although "The Critic" was never a big hit, being canceled after just two seasons and returning in 2001 for a brief web series, it was still a fun and ambitious show. It may not have reached syndication status like "Futurama,' but it wasn't a cheap cash grab like a Krusty spinoff was bound to be.

In the "Simpsons" season 4 DVD commentary, producer James L. Brooks mentioned how the season 4 premiere, "Kamp Krusty," was once conceived as a 90-minute movie. It's easy to see the appeal, as the episode features the fairly cinematic storyline of Lisa and Bart going off to a summer camp centered around Krusty the Clown, only for them to start a violent revolution when they discover the camp's a miserable hellhole. It's a great kid-centric episode, and even gives Krusty a quasi-redemption storyline when he apologizes and takes the kids on a nice trip to Tijuana, Mexico instead.

Ultimately, the writers couldn't figure out how to stretch the premise into a 90-minute story, so the "Kamp Krusty" movie was abandoned. It's a shame though; the story may not have been substantial enough for a movie, but it also has way too much going on for a single episode. "Kamp Krusty" is a fun time yet it's absurdly rushed, to the point where it's hard not to wonder if maybe "The Simpsons" should've tried to turn it into a two-parter. (To this day, "The Simpsons" has only done a two-parter twice: once with "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" in seasons 6/7, and again with "A Serious Flanders" in season 33.)

In the end, the show's plans for Krusty have rarely worked out. Even his intended backstory — that Krusty would be Homer's alter ego — was quickly (and rightfully) dropped early into the series. Poor Krusty is doomed to stay a mediocre clown in Springfield forever, getting at most a spotlight episode every few seasons. On the bright side, at least he'll always have Sideshow Mel to boss around.