| "Behind the Laughter" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 11 Episode 22 |
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
| Written by | Tim Long George Meyer Mike Scully Matt Selman |
| Production code | BABF19 |
| Original air date | May 21, 2000 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Willie Nelson as himself Jim Forbes as the narrator | |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not obey the voices in my head" |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons sit on the couch as normal. Bart puts a coin in a slot on the arm of the couch and the couch vibrates away, taking the family with them. |
| Commentary | Mike Scully George Meyer Ian Maxtone-Graham Matt Selman Tim Long Mark Kirkland |
"Behind the Laughter" is the twenty-second and final episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2000. In the episode, a parody of the VH1 series Behind the Music, the Simpsons are portrayed as actors on a sitcom, and their dramatic inner turmoil and struggles are detailed. Told in a mockumentary format, the episode presents a fictional version of how The Simpsons began.
The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Tim Long, George Meyer, Mike Scully and Matt Selman. The idea was pitched by Long, and the writers wrote the episode quickly without a draft. VH1 and the producers of Behind the Music allowed the crew to use the show's visual graphics package, and Behind the Music narrator Jim Forbes recorded narrations. In addition, country musician Willie Nelson guest stars as himself.
The episode received critical acclaim, with many reviewers noting it as a highlight of the season and the series itself, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour) in 2000. In addition, composer Alf Clausen won an Annie Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Television Production".
In May 2004, the BBC chose it as the last episode to be aired, having lost the terrestrial broadcasting rights in February 2002, to Channel 4, who later aired the series in November 2004.[1]