Years after making his television debut, Jeff Goldblum reprises his role as Troy McClure in the classic Simpsons episode A Fish Called Selma. Released during Season 7, the episode is a fan favorite for its unique blend of humor and heart.

The original version of A Fish Called Selma had a runtime of 28 minutes, which was deemed too long for broadcast TV. To shorten the episode, writers asked Jeff Goldblum to change his line delivery from calm and slow-talking to more energetic. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

A Fish Called Selma: Behind the Scenes

The true appeal of the episode, for Josh Weinstein at least, is how it reveals "a lot of real heart and emotion with these two characters [McClure and Selma]." Weinstein explained, "It gets to why 'The Simpsons' works ...

there's an essential humanity underlying all these characters." The show may be one of the funniest on TV, but "The Simpsons" also has its fair share of truly heartfelt episodes.

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Years after Jeff Goldblum made his television debut as an extra in "Columbo," he starred in a classic episode of "The Simpsons." In Season 7's "A Fish Called Selma," the Phil Hartman-voiced Troy McClure seduces and marries Selma (Julie Kavner) to cover up the rumors of his sexual attraction to fish, and in the process he wins back the support of his agent MacArthur Parker. Parker previously abandoned McClure, but after the actor's well-publicized marriage, he decides to help him out again.

Jeff Goldblum Gueststarred Details and Timeline

Parker, voiced "I'm not gonna give him the glory of saying who it was," stated Bill Oakley, co-showrunner of Seasons 7 and 8, in the episode's behind-the-scenes DVD commentary. "This was inspired " Goldblum, in the DVD commentary, joked that Parker would later provide the inspiration for Jeremy Piven's Hollywood agent character in "Entourage." On working on the animated sitcom, Goldblum stated, "I love the show, and I love this episode, and I loved doing it," although he noted that there was an unexpected production hiccup involving his character.

The original version of "A Fish Called Selma" had a 28-minute runtime, which was too long for a sitcom on broadcast TV. One of the writers' tricks to shorten the episode's length was to ask Jeff Goldblum to change up his line delivery. Instead of playing Parker as calm and slow-talking, they requested him to play him more energetically.