performed at a rabbis' convention unknowingly attended by Hyman. A rabbi squirted seltzer on him, washing off his clown makeup. Recognizing Krusty, an enraged Hyman immediately exiled his son. They have not seen or spoken to each other in 25 years. Seeing Itchy & Scratchy playing with their fathers causes Krusty to breakdown and cry on live TV. Bart and Lisa decide to help reunite father and son, but Hyman refuses to accept Krusty's career choice because he believes that Krusty abandoned his faith and family. To outsmart him, Lisa finds Judaic teachings that urge forgiveness, but Hyman refutes Lisa's arguments and refuses to reconcile with Krusty. In a last-ditch effort, Bart convinces him to abandon his stubborn ways by quoting Sammy Davis Jr. — a Jewish entertainer like Krusty — and making a passionate plea about the struggles that the Jewish people have overcome. Bart's speech finally convinces Hyman that entertainers have a place in Jewish culture. Krusty is feeling glum when he starts the live telecast of his show, and then calls for The Itchy & Scratchy Show to roll. Bart and Lisa arrive backstage with Rabbi Krustofsky, and he and Krusty joyously reconcile before the audience. Hyman accepts a cream pie from Bart and throws it in his son's face. Production "Like Father, Like Clown" was written by the duo of Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky. Krusty's religion had not been part of the original concept of the character, so Kogen and Wolodarsky decided to parody The Jazz Singer and establish that Krusty is Jewish. They pitched the idea to co-executive producer Sam Simon, who rejected it, but it was approved by James L. Brooks. Krusty's last name, Krustofsky, was established in this episode as pitched by Al Jean. The portion of the episode where characters quote the Bible in support or opposition of clowning were carefully researched. Cited passages from the Bible include Exodus 20:12 and Joshua 1:8. The quotations from the Talmud were also researched, and two rabbis, Lavi Meier and Harold M. Schulweis, were credited as "special technical consultants". Schulweis was asked to take a look at a draft of the script. While not a fan of the show, he felt "it was profound" and added some corrections. He later commented, "I thought it had a Jewish resonance to it. I was impressed by the underlying moral seriousness." The episode was co-directed by Jeffrey