#OnThisDay #OTD November 8, 1990, "Dancin' Homer" first aired on the Fox network. Dir: mark kirkland. Wr: ken levine & David Issacs. EP: james l. brooks, Sam Simon & Matt Groening. #TheSimpsons

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam "Dancin' Homer" was the first episode of The Simpsons directed by Mark Kirkland. He has since directed over 50 episodes.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam The episode features a guest appearance by singer @itstonybennett, who was the first guest star to appear as himself on The Simpsons. Here he is congratulating The Simpsons on their 100th episode in 1994.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett Tony Bennett appears in a scene in which the Simpson family meets him while taking a tour of Capital City. He also sings a song called "Capital City" over the closing credits. The lyrics and music of the song were written by Simpsons writer @Interbang1Jeff.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Here's a group photo of The Simpsons crew with Tony Bennett taken during his recording session for "Dancin' Homer" (photo provided by Chris Ledesma)

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Tom Poston guest starred in the episode as the Capital City Goofball. The mascot has appeared in many episodes later on in the show, but he has spoken only once since "Dancin' Homer" and has been reduced to making minor background appearances.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Ron Taylor was meant to reprise his role of Bleeding Gums Murphy, who he had played in the first season episode "Moaning Lisa", but was unable to record the part; Daryl L. Coley filled in for him. (Taylor did return for Season 6's "'Round Springfield," where the character dies.)

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Homer's chants and his nickname "Dancin' Homer" is a reference to American baseball fan Wild Bill Hagy, who earned the nickname "The Roar from Thirty-Four" for his chants during the 1970s in section thirty-four at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Homer's line, "Today, as I leave for Capital City, I consider myself the luckiest mascot on the face of the earth," is a reference to Lou Gehrig's farewell speech, dramatized in the 1942 baseball film The Pride of the Yankees.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Very cute print ad for "Dancin' Homer" by Bill Morrison.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff This one has a special place in my heart. It was the very first Simpsons episode I ever recorded to VHS. I paused recording at the commercials and I remember every cut I made when I didn't un-pause at exactly the right time. I stopped at about 2 dozen tapes. (not my tapes below)

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff Unfortunately, once the episodes came out on DVD starting in 2001, I ended up throwing out my old tapes. Here's a great post on Reddit about this old routine shared by a lot of young kids during the 1990s.

@KenLevine @canyonjim @simonsam @itstonybennett @Interbang1Jeff (Almost) every Thursday night, we watch one of these classic recordings - complete with original commercials - recorded by Simpsons fans who digitally transferred their well-stored recordings. Check it out!