Johnny Carson Wasn't Happy With The Simpsons' Original Pitch For His Cameo

Getting the undisputed King of Late Night to lend his voice to your animated sitcom sounds like an absolute dream, but "The Simpsons" writers almost turned it into a total nightmare when pitching to the legendary Johnny Carson.

Fans of one of the longest running TV shows of all time likely remember the talk show host's memorable appearance in the classic Season 4 finale, "Krusty Gets Kancelled." According to "Springfield Confidential" — the memoir of former writer and showrunner Mike Reiss, co-written with author Mathew Klickstein — that wasn't their first attempt to get him on "The Simpsons." In fact, Carson himself actually had to drop a hint to get the show's attention.

"We'd heard from a friend who was working for him that Carson said, 'Gee, they got all these big celebrities on 'The Simpsons' –- why don't they ask me?' So we did," Reiss wrote, as reported by SlashFilm. Of course, after the news reached their ears, the writers quickly went to work, but the first story they cooked up did not sit well with the King of Late Night. Instead of treating him like Hollywood royalty, they pitched him a role that came off as more of an insult.

"We wrote a storyline where a post-retirement Carson comes to visit the Simpsons ... and won't leave," Reiss explained. "He becomes the bad brother-in-law: Sleeping on their couch, stealing the last piece of pizza, drinking Homer's beer. Carson was deeply offended and turned down the part."

With the late-night titan completely turned off by the couch-potato angle, the team pivoted to a far more flattering idea that reflected Johny Carson's reputation as one of the greatest late night talk show hosts. "The writing staff was ready to give up on him, but I urged them to try another approach: Instead of making Johnny a slob, let's make him a superhero," Reiss said.

They tailored the new pitch specifically for the episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled." The plot follows Krusty the Clown – one of best characters on "The Simpsons" – when his show gets canceled due to the arrival of a flashy new TV rival: A ventriloquist dummy named Gabbo, the star of "The Gabbo Show." After being crushed in a ratings war, Krusty gets dropped by his network. To save his career, Bart and Lisa help the down-and-out clown stage a star-studded comeback special that included not just Carson, but other guest stars like Bette Midler, Hugh Hefner, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The revised angle, which portrayed Carson as more of a super-human figure, won him over. "We wrote a scene where he appeared on 'The Krusty the Clown Show,' singing opera and juggling a Chrysler with one hand. Carson accepted," Reiss shared. The late-night legend ended up being a total pro in the recording booth, with Reiss adding that Carson "rolled into our studio early one morning, did a little monologue for us about the previous night's Emmys ... recorded his lines, charmed everyone, then signed autographs for the next two hours."