The Simpsons producers have clarified that longtime character Mr Largo has not been killed off, despite a joke in the season 37 premiere. In the episode 'Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother', a student tells Lisa Simpson that the music room was taken over 'when Mr Largo died', before adding 'Or he has jury duty. It was something dumb.'
Co-executive producers Cesar Mazariegos and Jessica Conrad told TVLine the line was intended as a joke. Conrad, who wrote the line, said she hadn't intended to rile up fans. 'For something like this, I would welcome the riling up if you actually believe that [we] would kill him off off-camera,' she said.
Mazariegos added that killing off a character is a big decision, referencing the death of Larry the Barfly last season. 'We usually don't want to get rid of our characters. And it's such a cartoony world. We know even if Moleman is in a car that explodes, it doesn't mean he's dead forever,' he said.
Mr Largo, voiced by Harry Shearer, has been a part of the show since its first episode in 1989. The producers' comments aim to reassure fans that the music teacher remains alive and well in Springfield.
