A turning point for the series surrounded the death of a beloved recurring guest star. Phil Hartman, or Troy McClure/Lionel Hutz, died in tragic circumstances at his home in 1998. While this saw a horrific departure of a fan favourite voice actor, it also signified the peak of The Simpsons popularity and quality. The death of Phil Hartman probably had little to do with the changing nature of the show at the time. Show runner Mike Scully has taken the majority of the blame for the start of the show's decline. Fan reaction to the craziness of episodes like "Maximum Homerdrive" has now become part and parcel of a show thats forgotten itself... but at the time it was unimaginable to dislike an episode The Simpsons has never really recovered from the passing of Hartman. From his enthusiasm to his humour, he embodied everything great about the show, and its probably fitting that it wasn't the same again.