The Simpsons: 10 Biggest Scandals Ever

Most of these scandals have a bit of an us against the world feel to them, for better or worse. This time though, it’s infighting amongst the writers themselves. All sides involved have a bit of a point, but airing the dirty laundry in public is never a good move.

The scandal concerns Jay Sherman, the eponymous critic of The Critic, who had a crossover with The Simpsons in A Star Is Burns. A fairly strong episode, one neither particularly helped nor hindered by Sherman’s presence. Not too much of note in the episode itself, but the drama was heavily influential in a famous falling out.

Simpsons and The Critic producer James L. Brooks cut a deal with Fox that saw Sherman headed to Springfield; a move Matt Groening publicly opposed. His concerns that the move was a cheap stunt and that The Critic hadn’t particularly earned the right hold water.

However Brooks hit back that with (Critic co-creators and Simpsons writers) Al Jean and Mike Reiss having written so many scripts with Groening’s name on, he owed them this break. Groening then publicly condemned the episode the day before it aired.

Whoever you agree with, this is one discussion that should’ve been private.