The Simpsons: 11 Most Paused Moments

As a cartoon show, there are some continuity errors that slip through the animators’ fingers, more noticeably in the earlier series. In his first appearance, Mr Smithers was black. Chief Wiggum also started off with dark hair, Judge Snyder switched between yellow and brown skin before staying as the latter and Sideshow Bob’s red afro was rounder shaped before eventually becoming spikier.

However, in the Season 6 episode “Bart’s Comet”, which is far enough into the show for the producers to have in stone their characters physical designs, Apu is seen with a yellow colouring. We all know Apu as the lovable Hindu who runs the Kwik-E-Mart (let’s not go into the unfortunate controversy of him in recent years). Logically being born and raised into an Indian family, his skin colour is brown. But there is one frame of this episode which the producers turned a blind eye to.

It takes place when Ned Flanders is kicked out of his own bomb shelter to make more room for the other town folk. With guilt looming over the Springfieldians, they ascend to a top of a hill to join Ned in singing “Que Sera Sera”. Within that second, you can see a yellow Apu at the very back. It’s obviously just an animation glitch because moments later, Apu is seen with his usual darker complexion. But once you notice it, it is impossible to ignore.