Krusty Gets Busted
Encyclopedia
"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons
' first season
, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen
and Wallace Wolodarsky
, and directed by Brad Bird
. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the Kwik-E-Mart
. Bart
and Lisa
investigate, convinced that Krusty has been framed
.
This episode marks the first full-fledged appearance of Kent Brockman
, and Kelsey Grammer
makes his first guest appearance on the show as the voice of Sideshow Bob
. The episode was well received by critics, and it was the highest rated show on the Fox Network the week it aired.
stops by the Kwik-E-Mart
on the way home from work and witnesses a robbery committed by a masked clown, resembling Krusty
. He positively identifies the clown as Krusty to the police, and Krusty is arrested, convicted and sentenced to jail. With Krusty now in jail, Krusty's sidekick Sideshow Bob
becomes the new host of The Krusty the Clown Show, which he renames Sideshow Bob's Cavalcade of Whimsy. Bob promises the viewers that the show will still retain the popular Itchy & Scratchy Show series, but will also become a more educational program. Devastated and feeling that his hero could not have committed the crime, Bart enlists the help of Lisa and they set out to prove Krusty's innocence.
Bart and Lisa return to the scene of the crime to search for clues. They reason that Krusty could not have used the microwave as depicted by the hidden camera footage from the store because he wears a pacemaker
, and that Krusty would not have been reading at the magazine rack, because he is illiterate. They conclude that Krusty was framed. The next day Bart, Lisa, and Maggie
meet Sideshow Bob at the studio to ask him for input. A suspicious Bob dismisses their investigations and gives them tickets to his show.
At the live broadcast, Bart realizes the final link to the mystery. Bob had the most to gain from Krusty's downfall. He has feet large enough to fill Krusty's clown shoes, unlike Krusty who has small feet like everyone else, and therefore he yelled when Homer stepped on his foot during the robbery. Bart contends that the real robber is Sideshow Bob to the audience, and demonstrates the fact by smashing the end of Bob's shoe with a croquet mallet, causing him to scream in pain. Arrested and exposed, Bob confesses that the reason he framed Krusty out of frustration was for constantly being on the receiving end of the clown's humiliating gags. He is taken off to jail, swearing revenge on Bart, and the charges against Krusty are dropped. Grateful to be free, Krusty thanks Bart for standing up for the truth and sticking to his convictions, and the two get in a picture together (which Bart later hangs in his bedroom).
wanted to open the episode with a close up of Krusty's face. The staff liked the idea and he then suggested that all three acts of the episode, defined by the placement of the commercial breaks, should begin with a close up shot. Act one begins with Krusty's face introducing the audience at his show, act two begins with Krusty's face being locked up behind bars, and act three begins with Sideshow Bob's face on a big poster. Krusty's character is based on a television clown from Portland, Oregon
, called Rusty Nails
, whom The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
watched while growing up in Portland. The original teleplay
, written by Jay Kogen
and Wallace Wolodarsky
, was 78 pages long and many scenes had to be cut. One scene that had to be cut down was the scene where Patty and Selma
show the slideshow of their vacation; it originally contained images of them being detained for bringing heroin into America.
Sideshow Bob's first major appearance on The Simpsons was in this episode, but he first appeared in the background of a scene in the season one episode "The Telltale Head
". In that appearance, his design was more simple and his hair was round in shape. Bob's design was updated for "Krusty Gets Busted", and the animators tried to redo his scenes in "The Telltale Head" with the re-design, but did not have enough time. The script for "Krusty Gets Busted" called for James Earl Jones
to voice Bob, but the producers instead went with Kelsey Grammer
, a cast member on Cheers
at the time. Kent Brockman
and Scott Christian make their first appearances on The Simpsons in this episode.
from the 1960s. The background music in that scene resembles the theme of the television series Mission: Impossible
at one point. The song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
" by Cole Porter
is featured in the episode. Following Sideshow Bob's arrest, he mutters: "I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for these meddling kids.", which is a reference to the famous line from Hanna-Barbera
's animated television show Scooby-Doo
.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 1)
The Simpsons first season originally aired between December 17, 1989 and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The show runners for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L...
, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
and Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
, and directed by Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
. Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
investigate, convinced that Krusty has been framed
Frameup
A frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
.
This episode marks the first full-fledged appearance of Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
, and Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
makes his first guest appearance on the show as the voice of Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
. The episode was well received by critics, and it was the highest rated show on the Fox Network the week it aired.
Plot
HomerHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
stops by the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
on the way home from work and witnesses a robbery committed by a masked clown, resembling Krusty
Krusty
Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski, better known as Krusty the Klown, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is the long-time clown host of Bart and Lisa's favorite TV show, a combination of kiddie variety television...
. He positively identifies the clown as Krusty to the police, and Krusty is arrested, convicted and sentenced to jail. With Krusty now in jail, Krusty's sidekick Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
becomes the new host of The Krusty the Clown Show, which he renames Sideshow Bob's Cavalcade of Whimsy. Bob promises the viewers that the show will still retain the popular Itchy & Scratchy Show series, but will also become a more educational program. Devastated and feeling that his hero could not have committed the crime, Bart enlists the help of Lisa and they set out to prove Krusty's innocence.
Bart and Lisa return to the scene of the crime to search for clues. They reason that Krusty could not have used the microwave as depicted by the hidden camera footage from the store because he wears a pacemaker
Pacemaker
An artificial pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the beating of the heart.Pacemaker may also refer to:-Medicine:...
, and that Krusty would not have been reading at the magazine rack, because he is illiterate. They conclude that Krusty was framed. The next day Bart, Lisa, and Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
meet Sideshow Bob at the studio to ask him for input. A suspicious Bob dismisses their investigations and gives them tickets to his show.
At the live broadcast, Bart realizes the final link to the mystery. Bob had the most to gain from Krusty's downfall. He has feet large enough to fill Krusty's clown shoes, unlike Krusty who has small feet like everyone else, and therefore he yelled when Homer stepped on his foot during the robbery. Bart contends that the real robber is Sideshow Bob to the audience, and demonstrates the fact by smashing the end of Bob's shoe with a croquet mallet, causing him to scream in pain. Arrested and exposed, Bob confesses that the reason he framed Krusty out of frustration was for constantly being on the receiving end of the clown's humiliating gags. He is taken off to jail, swearing revenge on Bart, and the charges against Krusty are dropped. Grateful to be free, Krusty thanks Bart for standing up for the truth and sticking to his convictions, and the two get in a picture together (which Bart later hangs in his bedroom).
Production
Director Brad BirdBrad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
wanted to open the episode with a close up of Krusty's face. The staff liked the idea and he then suggested that all three acts of the episode, defined by the placement of the commercial breaks, should begin with a close up shot. Act one begins with Krusty's face introducing the audience at his show, act two begins with Krusty's face being locked up behind bars, and act three begins with Sideshow Bob's face on a big poster. Krusty's character is based on a television clown from Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, called Rusty Nails
Rusty Nails
Jim Allen portrayed the clown character Rusty Nails and was the host of various children's television shows in the Portland, Oregon, U.S. television market from 1957–1972...
, whom The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
watched while growing up in Portland. The original teleplay
Teleplay
A teleplay is a television play, a comedy or drama written or adapted for television. The term surfaced during the 1950s with wide usage to distinguish a television plays from stage plays for the theater and screenplays written for films...
, written by Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
and Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
, was 78 pages long and many scenes had to be cut. One scene that had to be cut down was the scene where Patty and Selma
Patty and Selma
Patty and Selma Bouvier are fictional characters in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. They are twins and are both voiced by Julie Kavner. They are Marge Simpson's older twin sisters, who both work at the Springfield Department of Motor Vehicles, and possess a strong dislike for their...
show the slideshow of their vacation; it originally contained images of them being detained for bringing heroin into America.
Sideshow Bob's first major appearance on The Simpsons was in this episode, but he first appeared in the background of a scene in the season one episode "The Telltale Head
The Telltale Head
"The Telltale Head" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons first season, and it originally aired February 25, 1990. It was written by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon, Matt Groening, and directed by Rich Moore. In the episode, Bart cuts the head off the statue of Jebediah Springfield in the center of...
". In that appearance, his design was more simple and his hair was round in shape. Bob's design was updated for "Krusty Gets Busted", and the animators tried to redo his scenes in "The Telltale Head" with the re-design, but did not have enough time. The script for "Krusty Gets Busted" called for James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
to voice Bob, but the producers instead went with Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
, a cast member on Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
at the time. Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
and Scott Christian make their first appearances on The Simpsons in this episode.
Cultural references
The close up shot of Krusty's face behind bars in the beginning of act two is a reference of the closing credit motif of the British television series The PrisonerThe Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
from the 1960s. The background music in that scene resembles the theme of the television series Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
at one point. The song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Published by Chappell & Company, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" is a song with lyrics and music by Cole Porter. It was introduced in 1944 in Billy Rose's musical revue, Seven Lively Arts....
" by Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
is featured in the episode. Following Sideshow Bob's arrest, he mutters: "I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for these meddling kids.", which is a reference to the famous line from Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
's animated television show Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Krusty Gets Busted" finished thirteenth place in the ratings for the week of May 23–29, 1990, with a Nielsen rating of 16.4. It was the highest rated show on the Fox network that week. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. Series creator Matt Groening listed it as his ninth favorite episode of The Simpsons and added "I have a peculiar love of TV clownery". Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, praised the episode: "The invention of the Simpsons' arch enemy as a lugubrious yet psychotic Englishman in dreadlocks succeeds wonderfully in this super-fast, super-funny episode that works by constantly reversing the audience's expectations." In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck gave the episode a rating of 3/5. Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said in a review that "throughout the episode we found great material; it really seemed clear that the show was starting to turn into the piece we now know and love. It’s hard for me to relate any deficiencies" and added that "almost every Bob episode offers a lot of fun, and this episode started that trend in fine style."External links
- "Krusty Gets Busted" at The Simpsons.com