10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About The Simpsons
2. Who Shot Mr. Burns (Originally)?
This question took America by storm back in 1995, and the whole two-parter is still considered by many to be among the greatest episodes in the show’s entire run. It was almost very different, however. Famously, Maggie Simpson was Mr. Burns’ shooter, though in 'The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular', hosted by Troy McClure, there are several different endings shown.
Even though there was an entire alternate ending produced with Smithers as the culprit, the writers’ first choice was actually quite obscure. Not Maggie, not Smithers, but Barney Gumble.
Springfield’s resident wino lost his reason for getting out of bed in the morning when Moe’s shut because of Mr. Burns, and the writers saw him as a character they could sacrifice. Maybe he would even have gone to jail for a short period of time for attempted murder.
Then there was the idea that it could have been either Patty or Selma. Burns could have been having a secret affair with either one of them, or potentially both, and they found out about each other. The fun of the mystery was that EVERYBODY had a motive, and looking back at some ideas that never made the final cut, it’s almost disappointing that they went with the baby.