The episode , titled " Holidays of Future Passed " , was written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Rob Oliver . It was first announced to the press at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego , California on July 23 , 2011 , during a panel with the producers of '' The Simpsons '' . " Holidays of Future Passed " is the eleventh episode of the series with a Christmas theme , and the fourth episode set in the future ( the others being " Lisa 's Wedding " from 1995 , " Bart to the Future " from 2000 , and " Future-Drama " from 2005 ) . Originally there was a joke in the episode about a meltdown occurring at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in the future ; however , it was cut following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that resulted in several nuclear accidents in Japan
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Holidays of Future Passed