According to an article originally posted in TV Guide, Judd Apatow’s 25-year old script for Fox’s The Simpsons will air on the network next Sunday. The episode, titled “Bart’s New Friend,” was written in 1990 after the show had only aired six episodes.
Apatow reveals in the article that he was obsessed with The Simpsons at age 22 and penned a spec script – an unsolicited screenplay written by a writer hoping to break into the business – that went nowhere with The Simpsons or other Apatow-favored shows. The script went through revisions, or “Simpsons magic” as Apatow calls it in the article, before ultimately receiving a table read with the main cast and Apatow.
The episode involves Homer regressing through hypnosis to a 10-year-old state, instantly befriending Bart. Clearly, there are themes – specifically that of the man-child – central to Apatow’s body of work on display in this episode.
The Simpsons returned from midseason hiatus on January 4. “Bart’s New Friend” will air Sunday, January 11.