Once Upon a Time in Springfield

"Once Upon a Time in Springfield"
The Simpsons episode
Promotional image
Episode no.	451
Directed by	Matthew Nastuk
Written by	Stephanie Gillis
Showrunner(s)	Al Jean
Production code	LABF20
Original air date	January 10, 2010
Chalkboard gag	"The world may end in 2012, but this show won't"
Couch gag	The couch is seen inside a human egg. Each family member is a sperm cell swimming towards and penetrating the egg to sit on the couch. The zygote then divides multiple times, forming a Mr. Burns embryo, whose first words are, "Ex-cellent!"
Guest appearance(s)
Anne Hathaway as Princess Penelope Jackie Mason as Rabbi Hyman Krustofski Eartha Kitt as herself Gary Larson as himself Maurice LaMarche as Nuclear Power Plant Security Guard
Season 21 episodes September 27, 2009 – May 23, 2010 "Homer the Whopper" "Bart Gets a 'Z'" "The Great Wife Hope" "Treehouse of Horror XX" "The Devil Wears Nada" "Pranks and Greens" "Rednecks and Broomsticks" "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" "Thursdays with Abie" "Once Upon a Time in Springfield" "Million Dollar Maybe" "Boy Meets Curl" "The Color Yellow" "Postcards from the Wedge" "Stealing First Base" "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" "American History X-cellent" "Chief of Hearts" "The Squirt and the Whale" "To Surveil with Love" "Moe Letter Blues" "The Bob Next Door" "Judge Me Tender"
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

Anne Hathaway as Princess Penelope
Jackie Mason as Rabbi Hyman Krustofski
Eartha Kitt as herself
Gary Larson as himself
Maurice LaMarche as Nuclear Power Plant Security Guard

"Once Upon a Time in Springfield" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 2010. It was promoted as the 450th episode of the series, but is actually the 451st, and aired alongside The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!. The episode is dedicated to Eartha Kitt, who died December 25, 2008, over one year before the episode first aired.

In the episode, The Krusty the Clown Show is once again reconstructed. This time, in a bid to get girls to watch the show, a female character named Princess Penelope is hired as Krusty's latest sidekick. Meanwhile, a corporate recruiter persuades Homer, Lenny, and Carl to work for a nuclear plant in Capital City, after Mr. Burns announces a moratorium on free doughnuts. The episode was written by Stephanie Gillis and directed by Matthew Nastuk. The episode has received positive reviews from critics, and in 2014, showrunner Al Jean selected it as one of five essential episodes in the show's history. It received a Nielsen rating of 6.9/17 in the 18–49 demographic and in 2010 was nominated for two awards at the Primetime Emmy Award, winning one for Anne Hathaway's voice-over performance.