 The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Wes Archer . The character Lance Murdoch was based on Evel Knievel , an American motorcycle daredevil and entertainer famous in the United States and elsewhere between the late 1960s and early 1980s . Kogen , Wolodarsky , and many other members of the Simpsons ' staff were fans of Knievel 's stunts , and Wolodarsky named " Bart the Daredevil " as his favorite episode among the episodes that he wrote for The Simpsons , because it is " near and dear to [ his ] heart " . 
