The Simpsons: 10 Springfield Characters You Totally Forgot Existed

When the viewing figures and ratings for Itchy and Scratchy dropped immensely, and even Bart and Lisa stopped watching their beloved cartoon show, the producers elected to bring in a new character in a shameless grab for attention.

This is when Poochie was born, and as the canine character joined the Krusty the Clown show, The Simpsons themselves hilariously parodied this TV trope by introducing Roy. The red capped newcomer was staying at 742 Evergreen Terrace with absolutely no explanation of how he got there, or why.

Instead, he arrived in the kitchen for breakfast just as Lisa explained that a new character is often a desperate attempt to boost low ratings. Appearing in just a few scenes before leaving the Simpsons' to live with two sexy ladies, Roy was hilarious even if he was just a conduit for TV satire, and deserves far more recognition from fans of the show.

The only other time the character can be seen in Springfield, apart from a season 26 opening sequence, is when he took part in the town's attempt to construct the world's tallest human pyramid. This was a blink and you'll miss it moment that most fans wouldn't have even noticed.