Former EP Josh Weinstein shares a never-animated scene from the '22 Short Films About Springfield' script featuring the sketchy lawyer

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You’ve seen him pull off his dubious shenanigans in a courtroom (“That’s why you’re the judge and I’m the law…-talking guy”) and in jail (“Surprise witnesses, each more surprising than the last!”). But have you ever seen Lionel Hutz work his charms in a jury room? An early version of the script for The Simpsons‘ season 7 classic “22 Short Films About Springfield,” which delved into the life of the supporting players in Springfield, contained a showcase scene for the slippery, sometimes pants-less lawyer voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman.

Former Simpsons executive producer Josh Weinstein, one of the co-writers of the 1996 episode, tweeted the script pages for the scene over the weekend, saying, “’22 Short Films About Springfield’ never had 22 stories but the second draft did have 20! Here’s the Lionel Hutz story that was cut.”

The scene finds Hutz in fine schmoozing form, flattering a group of people sitting at a table. “Mr. Hutz, you’re marvelous,” coos Maude Flanders, to which Hutz replies, “Not half as marvelous as Mrs. Bouvier’s big brown eyes.” Then the judge walks in and admonishes Hutz for entering the jury room, and he leaves, but not before escaping with a cake and a few more quips. “He yells, but he respects me a ton,” Hutz tells the group about the judge.

The fan favorite, who first appeared in season 2, popped up in a handful of episodes during the early years, making his last appearance in season 9. Hartman, who also voiced B-movie actor Troy McLure as well as many one-time characters, died tragically in 1998, and his characters were retired.

The Simpsons is currently airing season 29. For a peek at Treehouse of Horror XXVIII, click here… if you dare.

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