A Star Is Burns

"A Star Is Burns"
The Simpsons episode
A shot from Barney's film, Pukahontas
Episode no.	121
Directed by	Susie Dietter
Written by	Ken Keeler
Showrunner(s)	Al Jean and Mike Reiss
Production code	2F31
Original air date	March 5, 1995
Couch gag	The family’s heights are reversed; Maggie is now the largest while Homer is the smallest.
Commentary	James L. Brooks Al Jean Mike Reiss Ken Keeler Dan Castellaneta Jon Lovitz Susie Dietter
Guest appearance(s)
Jon Lovitz as Jay Sherman Maurice LaMarche as George C. Scott and Jay Sherman's burp Phil Hartman as Charlton Heston
Season 6 episodes September 4, 1994 – May 21, 1995 "Bart of Darkness" "Lisa's Rival" "Another Simpsons Clip Show" "Itchy & Scratchy Land" "Sideshow Bob Roberts" "Treehouse of Horror V" "Bart's Girlfriend" "Lisa on Ice" "Homer Badman" "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" "Fear of Flying" "Homer the Great" "And Maggie Makes Three" "Bart's Comet" "Homie the Clown" "Bart vs. Australia" "Homer vs. Patty and Selma" "A Star Is Burns" "Lisa's Wedding" "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds" "The PTA Disbands" "'Round Springfield" "The Springfield Connection" "Lemon of Troy" "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)"
Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Jon Lovitz as Jay Sherman
Maurice LaMarche as George C. Scott and Jay Sherman's burp
Phil Hartman as Charlton Heston

"A Star Is Burns" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons' sixth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 5, 1995. In the episode, Springfield decides to hold a film festival, and famed critic Jay Sherman is invited to be a judge.

The story involves a crossover with the short-lived animated series The Critic. Jay Sherman was the main character on the show. The Critic was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously written for The Simpsons but left following the fourth season, and produced by James L. Brooks, who was also a producer for The Simpsons. The show had premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network in January 1994 but was canceled despite positive critical reception. The series was switched over to Fox, and put in the timeslot directly after The Simpsons. Brooks pitched a crossover episode as a way to promote The Critic and decided that a film festival would be a good way to introduce Sherman.

Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, reacted negatively when he heard about this episode, feeling that it was just an advertisement for The Critic, and that people would incorrectly associate the show with him. When he was unsuccessful in getting the program pulled, he had his name removed from the credits and went public with his concerns, openly criticizing James L. Brooks.