Spurlock points out that another favorite episode of his, "E-I-E-I (Annoyed Grunt)," practically predicted the future. "I love the 'Tomacco' episode, where Homer becomes a farmer and crosses a tomato and tobacco to create tomacco. What's even more fantastic about this - this is what I love about the special that I think is going to be great - is now scientists have actually created tomacco as a result of this. There was a scientist in Oregon who did it and now there's a group of scientists in Spain who are now growing fields of tomacco." Paging Professor Frink...
Speaking of Frink, Morgan Spurlock was asked who he is most like from The Simpsons. He replied, "Troy McClure is one of my favorite characters in all The Simpsons. I don't know if I consider myself more like him. If I was going to literally pick somebody that I was 'that guy' I'm probably more like Declan Desmond, he's the Eric Idle character that came out I think three or four years ago, where he's the documentary filmmaker that made films like 'Do You Want Lies With That?' and 'Springfield Up.'"
And, of course, we asked his favorite quote from The Simpsons, because no self-respecting fan doesn't have one. "'Alcohol: the cause of and solution to all of life's problems.'"
Since The Simpsons has been on the air for 20 years, it makes sense that not every episode, character or aspect of the show can be covered in a TV special. So what will make the cut and what won't? "It has become a part of America, like this is a family that literally has become a part of all of our lives, and it's a show that has touched everyone. I mean, when we call people about this show, it's incredible, the minute you get anyone on the phone they're spouting lines from the show, and it's incredible for me to see just the massive - not just the massive exposure on an American level, but on a worldwide scale. So that's also one of the things we want to talk about in the special and when we start filming, is we don't want to just shoot in America, we want to shoot around the world and show that this has literally become a global phenomenon."
Spurlock continued to explain, "It's a show that has had such an effect on so many people that you can't even begin to think of the shockwaves that this show kind of sent out, the ripple effect. Not only in terms of people who watch it, but literally people who work in the industry, the number of jobs that this show, or the number the careers that this show launched. The shows that kind of came out of it and the people's shows that came out of it, I mean, it's an immense thing.
So, it sounds like Morgan Spurlock has a very clear vision for The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special, but what input do the creators (Groening, Brooks, Jean) have? Spurlock explained, "Any time we have questions or have one to get a little more information we get them on the phone, but they kind of gave us kind of their big picture at the beginning and now are kind of letting us run with it." Plus he said, "The whole thing will be animated. And there will be some original animation, but most of it will be clips."
Giving back to the fans. That's what the special is all about. Morgan Spurlock wrapped up by saying, "For me, I think what we're trying to do is give something back to the fans in the fact that they get to be a part of this special of this show, that the only reason it's still on the air is because of them."
