"Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the twenty-second and final episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1993. In the episode, a new show featuring ventriloquist Arthur Crandall and his dummy Gabbo premieres in Springfield and competes with Krusty the Clown's show. Krusty's show is soon cancelled. Bart and Lisa decide to help Krusty get back on the air by staging a comeback special. The episode was written by John Swartzwelder, and directed by David Silverman. Following the success of "Homer at the Bat", the writers wanted to try a similar guest star-heavy episode, except with celebrities instead of baseball players. The episode proved quite difficult, as many of the actors asked to guest star declined at the last minute and the comeback special portion was nearly scrapped. Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner, Bette Midler, Luke Perry, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Arik Marshall and Chad Smith) all guest star as themselves and appear on Krusty's special. Elizabeth Taylor and Barry White, both of whom guest-starred in previous episodes this season, make cameo appearances. Plot One afternoon while watching television, Homer and Bart see a commercial for something named "Gabbo"; this is the start of a viral marketing campaign, with the whole of Springfield unsure what "Gabbo" actually is. Finally, "Gabbo" is to revealed to be a ventriloquist's dummy. Ventriloquist Arthur Crandall announces that Gabbo's new children's program will air in direct competition with the established Krusty the Klown Show each afternoon at 4 p.m., and Gabbo's catchphrase — "I'm a bad widdle boy" — instantly charms his intended audience. At first, Krusty is unimpressed by Gabbo and vows to fight back, but quickly pales to Gabbo's clever tactics and great reviews. Krusty even tries to use a dummy of his own, but its gruesome appearance and poor condition scare off many of the children in the audience. To make matters worse, Itchy and Scratchy have moved to Gabbo's show, forcing Krusty to instead show an obscure Cold War-era Eastern European Communist cartoon entitled "Worker and Parasite", before his ratings hit rock-bottom and his show is eventually cancelled. Left without work and having no nest egg (something referenced in "Krusty Gets Busted" by his ex-sidekick, Sideshow Bob), Krusty falls on hard times and begins suffering from depression. Meanwhile, Bart