Simpsons Histories - Richard & Lewis

[@TheRealJims]

If there's anything in The Simpsons that makes me think of Halloween, it's definitely Richard and Lewis. Background characters are scary.

[@Xen8008]

Season 1 Background characters especially

[@Capt._Cheese_Balls]

They really are fascinating charactes

[@mathieuleader8601]

Not Ralph and Milhouse's friend that looks like Akbar & Jeff

[@Elvusmiw]

Especially season 1

[@cancelculture4920]

How bout supernintendo chalmers or grounds keeper willie

[@BenCol]

It’d be interesting to see a Simpsons Histories on Sam & Larry, the barflies at Moe’s. Like Richard & Lewis, they’re apparently important enough to be named, but rarely ever get any lines or jokes.

[@eternalux6343]

Hell yeah

[@DeltaFRFX]

I think the only reason the barflies never get used is because Lenny, Carl, and Barney exist, so the barflies are kinda redundant

[@VICTORZITOSS]

Have they ever gotten a line at all, now that i think about it? Outside of drunkenly singing while Barney can't drink or stuff like that

[@heisensaul5538]

A great idea, but is there enough material to an episode about the barflies?

[@BenCol]

@@VICTORZITOSS Sam has a line in ‘Lisa the Greek’ where he asks what Homer’s betting on the game. When Homer says “my daughter” he replies “What a gambler!” Later, in ‘The Mysterious Voyage of Homer’, when Homer is looking for his soul mate at Moe’s, Larry says “colleague” and Sam says “sympathiser”.

[@Redlegcook]

I remember having a Simpsons calendar in '99 that features what social clique-like labels the kids had. Nelson was 'sir,' Jimbo was 'the usual suspect,' and Richard was 'the gambler.' He had a quote to go with it, too. With an aggressive smirk he said "Wanna bet your milk money on it?" So there's this rare Simpsons merch that expands on Richard's identity.

[@ohnoitschris]

Huh, neat. Makes me wonder if that was taken from an internal character outline, or written by whomever designed the calendar

[@driveasandwich6734]

That would be such an interesting role for him. He could be the guy who says Bart can't do [outlandish feat that kicks off the plot], with Bart never noticing his ill-intent, or something.

[@mandelabutterfly9162]

He could have been like their Hustler Kid( From Recess)

[@quenotedariayo]

He seems really assertive. No wonder girls like him more than Milhouse.

[@mandelabutterfly9162]

@@quenotedariayo And he got good drip.

[@Indigo_Polarity]

That would actually be a pretty neat premise for an episode. Bart ends up in some sort of rivalry with Richard and Lewis with them angry at him for something he doesn't understand. He investigates what is going on and discovers that Milhouse has been secretly sabotaging every other potential friendship over the years (or whatever period of time makes sense in the Simpsons' timeline). You could do a bunch of call-backs to previous guest characters who Bart befriended for an episode but then never appeared again, as Milhouse had basically tricked or threatened them into staying away from him. Hell, if the writers were feeling ambitious, the writers could use this as an avenue to make Richard and Lewis active characters, with Bart patching things up with them at the end of the episode. Probably not though.

[@TheRealJims]

This is an awesome idea. They could even do it as a Halloween segment if they wanted to up the creep factor for Milhouse

[@pseudonymous317]

yes i love this idea. that would explain why we dont see bart hanging out with bashir, donny, etc anymore. also it would make sense why nelson still gets to occasionally hang around with bart because milhouse obviously couldnt get rid of him. maybe also add a joke about how milhouse tried to replace santa's little helper himself, but the dog food contains actual food, which he is allergic to it or something lmao. as for making richard and lewis active characters, even tho it think that it would be cool to change the status quo, tbh i also dont see it happening, bcs if a simpsons writer were to write this into an actual episode, i bet they'll end it with bart telling milhouse that he's the only friend he needed anyway or something like that.

[@DidgeridudeEX]

I love this idea! Would be so cool to see!

[@stryke-jn3kv]

This is a genious idea, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[@MADKapo]

Would love to see some guest stars come back for that episode, like Topher Grace as Donny or Daniel Radcliffe as Diggs.

[@maxresdefault_]

"we are all Lewis and Richard to somebody" Oddly profound

[@Blujul]

That's what I mainly take from this one!

[@FD_and_B]

True 😮 makes me wanna jork my shi 😅

[@MrJACKBaird]

These guys always gave me the impression that if they had stuck to more Bart centered episodes like they did in early years, they would have ended up as Bart’s Lenny and Carl.

[@ddthewolf]

Would that make Milhouse his Barney or Moe?

[@Scarybug]

@@ddthewolf Nelson is Bart's Moe, So Milhouse would be his Barney.

[@Rbills02]

I guess that makes glasses kid Barfly #1

[@elha7982]

Bart looks at hand: Richard = White Lewis = Black

[@nousukas]

They will eventually grow up as having same kind of dynamic as Lenny and Carl have, if they don't already have.

[@erikm8373]

I like to think that TheRealJims just wakes up every now and then and goes "today I think I'll rewatch 500+ episodes of the simpsons looking for background characters" and he has this massive spreadsheet marking every episode, and every character that appears.

[@Fiska]

I, too, would like to see that spreadsheet

[@quenotedariayo]

700

[@oz_jones]

@@quenotedariayo 700 is 500+

[@ToonrificTariq]

I begged for this, but I never actually thought you’d do it.

[@AarturoSc]

You put the idea on his head.

[@foxbuns]

not surprised Tariq is a fan too

[@AarturoSc]

@@foxbuns They have collabed already.

[@phantomstrider]

Proof that TheRealJims can make even the most random of Simpsons background characters interesting 😄

[@davidmoncholi6746]

You are right strider

[@Jim-so3zm]

Little tip Strider - you don't need to insert political jokes into every other video. Trump's out of office now and there's no need to focus on him anymore.

[@phantomstrider]

@@Jim-so3zm I will always be transparent and honest with my audience, Jim. And if I think something or someone is dangerous, I will not refrain from mentioning it. And if a 4 second comment admidst a 30 minute video is enough to upset you, best to unsubscribe. I'll understand 🙂

[@Jim-so3zm]

@@phantomstrider Tbh I probably did phrase that more rudely than I intended. But still, the reason I stopped watching is because more political jokes started creeping in and ultimately I don't watch channels like yours for that sort of thing. Hell, having studied politics I've more than got my fill of it as it is. 😂

[@jwr2904]

@@phantomstrider so if I go visit your channel I'll hear some criticism of Biden?

[@ricardoluis1622]

If people don't like Richard and Lewis, they're going to double-y hate me irl

[@B3Band]

I like them, but I still doubly hate you

[@ricardoluis1622]

@@B3Band ...mom?

[@justincoleman3805]

Hate her too.

[@ricardoluis1622]

@@justincoleman3805 ...dad?

[@gretathuumberg]

@@ricardoluis1622 nah, I'm still getting cigarettes

[@logancrapser3866]

"we are all lewis and Richards to somebody's story" when I get super anxious about myself in social situations I like to think about this. I'm just a background character to most people, they won't notice the small things I'm working about. Great video, interesting deep dive.

[@sukita1324]

I was totally into Richard when when I saw the first series as a kid. I saw him as "the cool one" of the group and totally got in early on the Richard Train, which kinda just never ended up leaving the station.

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

Yhea, He always gave too cool for school vibes

[@milliondollarmistake]

I am voting for Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon. He's such a weird character because he doesn't fit into Apu's story at all yet there he is.

[@thomasjeppesen3055]

I always thought there had to be some early episode that gave him some focus and context but there apparently isn’t.

[@MisterDramastic]

He's just Apu's nephew. We see Apu's brother in 22 Short Films, but I don't think he gets a name

[@TuesdaysArt]

@@MisterDramastic History nephew's name is Jamshed. Sanjay and Tikku are his brothers. I could see how you'd get confused though. Jamshed goes by "Jay" and he's Sanjay's son.

[@milliondollarmistake]

@@MisterDramastic Sanjay IS Apu's brother.

[@reddeadspartan]

If anyone here ever played GTA IV I always pictured Sanjay as a Roman style character. A sort of party animal who revels in the debauchery of american night life as opposed to Apu who is far more straight laced and job focused (though he isnt a stick in the mud).

[@Sh0tgunJust1ce]

I've been pushing this one for a while, but Captain McAllister would be an interesting one to do. A lot of fans don't even know his name and just call him "The Sea Captain".

[@adamh9660]

I was literally just coming in here to make this comment. I use his one line a lot "Yarrr not a looker in the bunch."

[@mightyfilm]

I second McAllister! I always love a good scurvy sea dog in a cartoon series! ARRRRRRRR!

[@MrJACKBaird]

WOW this comment just taught me what his name was all this time and I’ve been watching simpsons since I was a little kid lol

[@hasan_z]

@@MrJACKBaird next one: what is comic book guy's name?

[@JumbleJammyJokes]

Isn’t it a fact that he’s not a real captain?

[@scottfremin7850]

Now I just want a “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” style episode following Richard and Lewis while an existing classic Simpsons episode happens in the background, kinda how Family Guy had their characters time travel back to the pilot, which went on interrupted behind them

[@BrendanJSmith]

I think the real comparison you're looking for is A Wish Too Far and The Big Scoop from The Fairly OddParents: where one episode is a different point of view of the same story as the other.

[@bathroomshy]

@@BrendanJSmith or The Big Cheese and The Little Peas from Foster's Home

[@epiccarrot88]

Richard is so forgotten that he hasn't even been added to Tapped Out yet. That game has hundreds of characters, and Richard still hasn't been added.

[@cancelculture4920]

Oh my god his name is richard! Ive been calling him ricardo! Ahhhhhh!

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@cancelculture4920 I mean he could be, we don't know if he is hispanic or not

[@Cecnorthernohio]

I'm surprised they didnt add richard when they added lewis.

[@kafkaesque6459]

Tapped Out has a ridiculous number of weird and irrelevant characters, like Moe's barflies. Surprised to hear Richard isn't in it...

[@Cecnorthernohio]

@@kafkaesque6459 they have bort too

[@rotallyPumpered]

Fifteen minutes on Lewis and Richard? You're a machine, Jim.

[@BenCol]

I remember on the Season 1 DVD, they had some scripts in the special features. According to one of them, Richard is apparently Asian. Never occurred to me until I read that, but you can kinda see it in the way they draw his eyes, but it’s odd that they didn’t give him paler skin like they do with other Asian characters - perhaps they didn’t want people mixing him up with Wendell.

[@hasan_z]

@Marc Carran on average, the most common type of person in Asia, heck even the world, is..... Chinese..... so obvious

[@Pintroll300]

West and South Asia tend to be associated with darker skin tones - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh all fall into Asia too

[@BenCol]

@Marc Carran I dug out my Season 1 DVD and found the script in question (Bart the Genius). The stage directions say, and I’m copying this verbatim: “In a corner of the playground is Bart, surrounded by a group of boys, including Milhouse, who is white, Richard, who is Asian, and Lewis, who is black.” So, yeah, I get where you’re coming from, but that’s what it says, so take it up with Jon Vitti. I’m not American, but from what I’ve heard it’s common in American English for “Asian” to be shorthand for East Asian, and judging by the character’s final design, I’m pretty sure that’s what he meant. (Unlike in British English where “Asian” is shorthand for South Asian.)

[@theMoporter]

@Marc Carran You're right, there is no one way to look Asian. Unfortunately, the Simpsons was created by mainly white guys in the 80s, so the art direction didn't reflect this. East Asian characters, like Akira, have thin eyes and look anaemic in the early Simpsons, Indian and MENA characters all have brown skin and black hair, and they almost always inserted embarrassing stereotypes and impressions every chance they got for many, many years.

[@Kstang09]

@Marc Carran We get it man, you're the white knight in this scenario. Do you want a medal?

[@PaperyPip]

I feel like in the hypothetical parallel timeline where The Simpsons stayed more Bart-focused, these two might have evolved into the Springfield Elementary equivalent of Lenny and Carl - not prominent, but probably slightly more jokes associated with them

[@PelinalDidNothingWrong]

A shit. I kinda wanna see that timeline

[@ZgermanGuy.]

I guess if the simpsons ever gets a reboot of some kind that would be a good starting point

[@hacim42]

Richard and Lewis to me represent just how formative those early years were in establishing the main cast, and them being around today is like Komodo Dragons, you don't see big lizards that much nowadays. I would love to see a Jasper episode. He's one of my favorites, just filled with all those awesome old person takes. Plus, his "was that you, or was that me?" line just kills every time, I love it.

[@jvgreendarmok]

And what about the Crazy Old Man?

[@Specter053]

You know what? We got Krusty, we got Bob. How about Sideshow Mel just to complete the trifecta of Krusty-related characters? And hey, he's an interesting case of a character who grew a lot in the mid seasons, from just a side character for gags to someone with personality.

[@theMoporter]

Seconded

[@emanuelespinoza9325]

@Alex I love how in a 2008 episode, we finally got some backstory on Sideshow Mel on how he was had quite the acting career but then it died.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Melvin Van Horn

[@FTZPLTC]

Also Mr Teeny.

[@unlimited_pizza]

@@FTZPLTC corporal punishment as well.

[@mightyfilm]

The only thing that slightly bugs me is when they push them aside when they want to do the "Bart is a loser who's only friends with Milhouse" story and/or gag. I'm all for Milhouse being Bart's best/closest friend, but I always liked Richard and Lewis hanging around as his entourage, even if they weren't given much to do a lot of the time. Not nearly as much as Nelson not consistently being friends with Bart, but I always liked the fact that Bart was popular enough to have a circle of friends.

[@Grim2]

Would be cool if they make an episode where they're the main characters whilst Bart and Lisa are BG characters.

[@cowboyluigi5275]

kinda like the simpsons spin-off of season 8 where the main family made minor cameos.

[@benjaminbarraza8972]

Another 22 short stories about springfield

[@Nameless82284]

@@benjaminbarraza8972 Yeah, something like that, although it's kind of late to do that since Richard and Lewis would have been a bit more recognized in the older episodes

[@chesneyhawkesinofficial3742]

I´d watch the shit out of it, but if it was made today I´m not sure if it worked out too well. Would have been great during the mid 90s.

[@madisonc9989]

Yeah Like how they did in my little pony for the wedding episode

[@driveasandwich6734]

To me, Richard and Lewis always felt like Bart's equivalent those two guys who are always hanging out at Moe's next to Carl. Except that with them, I somehow expect there to have been a spotlight episode that I missed.

[@elijahblechman8633]

Right? Idk why but when I was a kid I thought the same.

[@sillyguy72]

Sam and larry?

[@deskish3930]

okay, now you gotta do one for the two barflies at moes, who are kinda homer's version of Richard and Lewis

[@eternalux6343]

Hell yeah

[@roddydykes7053]

Far more funny characters!

[@eternalux6343]

@@roddydykes7053 Not going to argue with that but the obscurity of these characters is what makes for an interesting analysis.

[@lanceuppercut_]

According to the wiki their names are Sam and Larry, Sam is the one with glasses I think

[@artydomi2466]

Had the same idea!

[@cmbeadle2228]

I remember being really obsessed with Richard's design as kid, no idea why.

[@ddthewolf]

Me too, He's the kind of kid I would have had a crush on back in elementary

[@rubywest5166]

To be fair, he does have a pretty sweet jacket

[@user-fl8ye2ge3r]

@@rubywest5166 is one of the few kid character that actually wears a jacket.

[@mandelabutterfly9162]

That nice hair and his 🔶 on his shirt makes him stand out. Also cool jacket.

[@chesneyhawkesinofficial3742]

He always had this latent James Dean vibe, but was too cool to stand in the focus

[@mathieuleader8601]

Given how estatic Richard was at Ned's release from hospital in my headcanon I think he is Ned's nephew via Maude's family

[@ddthewolf]

I could see that

[@B3Band]

Does he attend Maude's funeral? Does he ever appear at Ned's backyard parties? That would probably help your case.

[@cwbrooks5329]

I've always liked Richard and thought of him as kind of a good looking kid at school who probably got good grades and was sort of a rung above Bart and Milhouse on the Springfield Elementary ladder of success.

[@ronvlaarsvar6867]

Yip I get that

[@exa_eille]

We all want to be the Barts of the world, instead we wind up a Lewis.

[@TJDious]

Better than being a Bort.

[@Maniac4Bricks]

I'm lucky if I make it as a Just Stamp the Ticket Man, even in my own story.

[@ronanhavern1980]

At least I'm not glasses kid

[@waynemarvin5661]

Bart, you'll notice, doesn't spend all his time writing comments on videos.

[@exa_eille]

@@waynemarvin5661 Boy do I have some bad news for you about what Bart does in modern series

[@emilyfuller1563]

My favorite Lewis moment in Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire is in the scene where Bart is talking to him and Milhouse, then it cuts to Bart, then it cuts back to all three of them and Lewis has changed from black to white like a shape shifting alien

[@grapeshot]

I like it when there's information about more obscure characters on shows like The Simpsons.

[@AllHailTheAnimeLover]

Team Lewis definitely. I'm always kind of hoped that one day we'll get another 22 short films about Springfield and we get to see some of these background characters. It'd be nice to see Lewis, Richard, Janey, Sherri and Terri and all the other kids that don't talk much to get some more attention

[@sillyguy72]

YES

[@NemFX]

Richard and Lewis are Bart's version of Lenny and Carl for Homer. The thing is, Lenny and Carl have been going in a weird direction, so they aren't going to make the kids do that too.

[@adamh9660]

In a massive twist, it is revealed in Season 48 that Lenny and Carl are actually Richard and Lewis from the future.

[@NemFX]

@@adamh9660 it would make sense. As Homer becomes the guy they are used to, it becomes harder to be around Bart. They want to see their friend, but it's hard to keep up the act. They already know how smart Lisa is, so they keep their distance.

[@fronk140]

Are Lenny and Carl becoming a couple? I saw them hold hands a couple times

[@thomaszeblob]

You should do a Simpsons Mysteries on the geography of Springfield like you did with the episode about the Simpsons house. Lots of inconsistencies there, especially the location of the power plant.

[@jvgreendarmok]

Yep. Similar to this is the way that sometimes the writers will assume that anyone or anything invented for the Simpsons' world (e.g. Itchy and Scratchy cartoons, Troy McClure) is based in Springfield.

[@FuzzyEpic3]

that'd be neat

[@spoofy8885]

What about a Simpsons History on Marvin Monroe? He was never popular but the writers liked to try and keep him relevant for some reason

[@ddthewolf]

Plus there's that big air of mystery about him in regards to his death

[@Hulk2k6]

They even rose him from "the dead" by him saying he was "Really sick"

[@Aeneiden]

I think he was hard to voice also

[@matti.8465]

It seems they kept bringing him back to do the "Lol remembering this character who appeared one early on and never again?" The show pointed out Marvin Monoe's obscurity so much that he kinda stopped being obscure.

[@Hulk2k6]

@@Aeneiden One on commentary the crew mention they found voice annoying

[@MrQdiddy85]

I like to think that Richard and lewis are having their own crazy off screen adventures

[@proa007]

I like the observation about them being side characters in someone else's narrative. That's very well put when it comes to Richard and Lewis. If they ever did that Springfield show they had talked about while doing "22 Short Films" they would be good candidates for an episode or segment.

[@breadcrumbhoarder]

I love the idea that Richard and Lewis have their own fascinating lives and stories and adventures but we don’t see them because that’s not what the shows about. You’re right about how it makes the world feel lived in.

[@stproducciones9140]

I like the idea of Richard and Lewis having their own adventures behind the scenes. They could head their own 90s nickelodeon show

[@TJDious]

Richard should be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine.

[@Cheeseanonioncrisps]

It occurred to me while watching this that one of the reasons Louis gets so much more screen time than Richard might be because he's one of the very few Springfield Elementary kids (and the only one of Bart's immediate friend group) who is black. Possibly the animators want to avoid the school looking too white and so keep throwing Louis in as the token black kid. Richard, on the other hand, doesn't have that extra reason for them to keep including him in scenes, so he gets pushed more into the background.

[@Frisabelle]

I love how TheRealJims keeps bothering the same panel of physicists about The Simpsons

[@gabg1538]

What happened to Ruth and Laura Powers? That’s my vote for the next Simpsons Histories

[@sleepyhead8681]

Great idea!

[@bullmonty764]

Ruth’s gonna make an appearance in an episode that’ll premiere very soon (or maybe it already premiered). No word about Laura though

[@EpicGem815]

@@bullmonty764 that episode premiered last night. Ruth even made a joke about how Marge ignores her, despite living right next to one another

[@fixedfunshow]

Laura must be living with her dad because she never appeared again

[@fixedfunshow]

actually makes sense, since she went to jail

[@neetamoori8690]

Honestly, the fact you managed to make past the 10 minute mark on friggin' Richard and Lewis impresses me a lot. Also, yes, i was one of the people who suggested Lindsay Naegle, there's so much weird lore for a background character like her.

[@macmonkeyhat]

Love how quick and to the point the intro is. I mean really what else was there to say 😂

[@MaxOfFewTrades]

Gonna vote for Richard, gotta root for the underdog after all! Also yeah I'm voting for Lindsey Negal, she's a versatile character who's been around longer then people realize and every time she shows up we learn some tiny new thing about her, would be cool to see all those moments compiled together!

[@McForkCoverup2005]

I would still absolutely love a History video on Captain McAllister, Jasper, Duffman or Professor Frink. Despite being very minor characters, I'd say they are all a step up from Richard and Lewis, and you still managed to make a 15 minute video on those.

[@chrisoliver3642]

​ @Skye Callin' Jasper D-tier? That's a paddlin'.

[@WildBluntHickok]

Duffman has been said to not be the original Duffman a few times. If it was the one time I could accept that it's not in continuity but they've repeated it a few times.

[@sarysa]

If the Simpsons ever does a Lower Decks style episode, I'd love to see a segment starring these two. It could be next to anything.

[@wolfiekohaku3702]

I would love to see wendel or Üter covered as they have such varied appearance rates and have had minor side plot details in different episodes over the series. like Üter being abandoned after they run from the civil war field trip and being chased by homer in the hockey locker room.

[@LOVE-iv2pw]

Why not throw in Janey too while we’re at it?

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@LOVE-iv2pw And speaking of Lisa's friends, how Alison became a background character after being clearly defined in her first appearance.

[@consumerisms]

@@jvgreendarmok she was voiced by a guest star. that’s really it

[@quenotedariayo]

I love Uter's evolution in particular as he was first introduced in a THOH segment

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@consumerisms OK, maybe it could be a video about multiple guest star voiced characters who ended up becoming background cast members.

[@philosophicalphil6611]

13:23 Oh that reminds me, why didn’t Richard and Lewis get their own segment in 24 Short Stories about Springfield?!

[@darkninjafirefox]

I always like that Wendell is supposed to be pale cause he always gets sick and pukes

[@ddthewolf]

They should do a video of him

[@brianwill7980]

he's an important character for no other reason than no elementary school setting would be complete without the one kid who always throws up for no reason

[@chuckthecluckisoutofluck2197]

I like Wendell because his hair is the same color as his skin, so it makes the Simpson kids normal kinda

[@lkiswriting]

While I would be very interested to see a Miss Hoover Simpsons history, I would also like to suggest one on Sherri & Terri ! I think it would be neat

[@phantom74201]

im curious to see the history of kent brockman he's in a lot of episodes even just for minor scenes but how much about him is known to my knowledge i can only think of two spotlight episodes (but i might be forgetting some) the one where he swears on air and the one where he's fired for lying and making up stuff (sorry i don't remember the episode names) it could be interesting to see how he's evolved and changed over the years

[@adamh9660]

Well now I have the "Eye on Springfield" theme song in my head. Thanks so much!

[@WildBluntHickok]

Don't forget that episode where he reads off the lottery numbers and realizes he's the winner. That affected what quality home he goes back to at the end of the day.

[@ZgermanGuy.]

May favorit kent Brockmann episode is the one were he and lisa work together to make his own small news Channel remarking how odd it is that fox Entertainment is so progressive while fox news is hard right wing

[@thebobbrom7176]

I like to think they're the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of The Simpsons. The only ones who notice that it's been 30 years and are suffering every day due to the mundane existence of the world always being the same.

[@ReveiwKing999]

You mean Rosen-Carl and Guilde-Lenny.

[@PinataTime]

I’ve honestly been so curious about these two. And so surprised with how many episodes they show up in. I feel like I’ve barely seen them. Good video!

[@nicholascecic1270]

Honestly seeing how much depth Richard and Lewis have, I’d love to see one for Wendell. He’s always stuck out to me whenever I spot him in the background, even if he is just the puke joke kid.

[@elijahblechman8633]

He sticks out because he's off color compared to the rest of Springfield. Even if he's supposed to be sick.

[@ashaler__]

honestly to me he isnt even the puke kid anymore, bc i cant remember the last time i saw a puke joke with him as the centre hes just a background character who looks interesting but nothing really happens to

[@scrooge200]

@@ashaler__ They did a puke joke with him in early season 27 IIRC. It still happens, just not a lot.

[@grapeshot]

I wouldn't mind knowing more about Cookie Kwan best on the Westside.

[@TheUnunpentium]

A lot of the strength of Springfield Elementary is how fleshed out the crowd is. Sherri, Terri, Janey, Lewis, Richard, Wendell, Uter, all these c-tier characters that I can name off the top of my head and have a sense of who they are even though they're not really the focus of any episode. You can get a lot more depth in the school than in other regular settings, like the nuclear plant, where past Lenny and Karl, there's.... Charlie, and that's kind of it for named background characters.

[@consumerisms]

umm youre forgetting stewart

[@davidirving9242]

@@consumerisms is mindy Simmons still there?

[@ChaconnesAreFun2Play]

Would be curious to see season 2’s Principal Charming revisited. Found it a really awkward rewatch with how forced Skinner’s attempts on Patty are, and given how she came out on season 16, that adds another layer to her disinterest in him.

[@betsyrocketram]

the thing i like about richard and lewis is how they kinda represent how friends drift apart. i know its more so the writers just didnt know what to do with them and eventually found more intresting characters for bart to hang out with, but in universe its not too hard to image that they used to be good friends with bart but just stopped hanging out. there's no bad blood between them no huge event which caused them to stop hanging out they just kinda lost touch with each other and found other friends. its like those friends you have in school one year then the next year they're in a different classroom then you, but you still see them down in hallway occasionally and awkwardly say hi.

[@JohnBainbridge0]

You had me at: "This is Richard. This is Lewis. This is Richard Lewis... We're not talking about him today."

[@RKJ83]

RIP Richard Lewis.

[@rexcatston8412]

Please do a 15 minute video on lord thistlewick Flanders. I think he added so much to the show, so an indepth video would be excellent Thanks

[@MrBrassBalls]

Whenever people talk about Simpsons catchphrases, there are three that invariably come up the most. Homer's "D'oh", Bart's "Ay caramba" and Lord Thistlewick Flander's "A-googely-doogely"

[@the_kryllic]

Would love to see ol’ Gil get some love and have a proper Simpsons History episode. He’s one of the few characters I always feel pity for (except when he gambled away his employee’s paychecks at the casino).

[@Smith.S.E.]

Gil neeeeeeds an episodeee

[@davidirving9242]

@@Smith.S.E. they did one in season 18 kill gill

[@seantime2932]

I think a Simpsons Histories on Reverend Lovejoy would be pretty interesting, from a character most prominent in the first 10 or so seasons, to someone who gets some episodes here and there, but is mostly forgettable now

[@ChrisGorski]

This is honestly much much better than it has any right to be for such minor characters. Great job TheRealJims

[@flashash2846]

Honestly, while Wendell would be pretty much the video, he’s always been one of my favorite characters for some unexplainable reason. I guess barfing is just really funny to me.

[@TheWyman55_]

I think Richard and Lewis are cool characters because of their design. They still have that klasky-csupo look of the early seasons even in modern seasons. They also just add to the overall world building and make it feel more populated but having these smaller characters who are just kinda there

[@Redlegcook]

What about a History on Declan Desmond? He's popped up multiple times, voiced by a famous comedian, is always a player in the story, yet no one remembers him. Richard and Lewis feel like by-products on the early years, Declan feels like a byproduct of the middle years.

[@Spindrift_87]

"We're all Richard & Lewis in somebody's story" - that's kinda profound, although I have a dreadful suspicion that I'm R&L in my OWN story somehow. Also, 100% Team Richard. That lad has swagger

[@Detahramet]

C'mon, you've dangled Shelbyville over our heads for years now, it's like the backgroundiest background character group!

[@Xenunnaki]

Richard always dressed so snazzy for a kid his age

[@souio]

lol been watching Simpsons since I was 10 (I'm 33 now) and just today I realized his name was Richard.. that shows how much sadly in the background he is. Imagine if the Simpsons did a modern episode just focusing on Richard and Lewis. That'd be pretty dope

[@yellowfamilyfunny3065]

Thanks for bringing some attention to these underrated little guys TheRealJims, my favourite characters :'))

[@Spaceman-mm6od]

They should make a "future" episode where Richard and Lewis grew up to be Bart's Lenny and Carl

[@MR7498]

Its crazy how much time and effort it must take to make an episode of this series bravo you must have alot of patience. 😊

[@darthlord1997]

I'd really like to see a History of Ms. Hoover. It seems like the writers weren't able to make up there mind on how she's characterized, either a genuine teacher who's actually trying, or just a clone of Mrs. Krabappel. There's also the President's Day play episode where she demonstrates that she apperantly can control Bart better then Krabappel. That's something worth looking into!

[@theMoporter]

I agree that she's interesting to cover, but she's always been a lot more extreme than Krabappel on either end - either really on the ball, or she's attempting suicide or lecturing Lisa about being a "straight white male-basher" that makes it hard for her to get a date. I guess the difference is that she lacks a sympathetic motivation. Krabappel really wants Bart to be better, she wants to teach kids even a little despite her cynicism, and she keeps getting screwed over by men she's too good for (until Ned). She can be a bit callous, but rarely does it seem like it's not a little justified. Ms Hoover...she doesn't care about the kids at all. She gives them low marks on purpose to teach them a lesson, admonishes them when they're wrong but gets annoyed when Lisa is right too often, is ready to run out and leave at any chance she gets, and - perhaps the worst - barely even treats Ralph like he's a human, when he should clearly be getting extra patience and assistance compared to other students. Maybe at least *try* to stop him getting picked on or eating worms, teach. She's so cartoonoshly self-centred that there's really no coming back. She's been this awful for this long that it's hard to believe she's going to gain a heart now, even if her lack of decency is a little explained by her mental health problems. As a "severely" mentally ill person myself, it isn't anywhere near an excuse. Just seems like it would be a really depressing episode.

[@darthlord1997]

@@theMoporter Part of the reason I'd like to see this. In her earliest episodes, she wasn't really given much character, but what little we did see of her was her being a good teacher who was actually trying at her job, even praising Lisa at the parent teacher conference. As the show continued, she started progressively getting more and more malicious, like you said. It wasn't even a single turning point either, it was more gradual.

[@Cheeseanonioncrisps]

@@darthlord1997 I think it's because they needed her to be a foil to Lisa. It's very easy to create tension between Bart and Krabappel or Skinner because Bart is such a troublemaker, and those two are authority figures who are obliged to try and shut him down. It's easy to think of jokes or storylines to fit that dynamic. But Lisa is the sort who tries to please authority figures (so long as it doesn't go against her beliefs) so she needs a teacher who doesn't care, and actively dislikes how much of a good student she is, so as to put that side of Lisa's personality to the test. The way it's turned out, Lisa and Miss Hoover's dynamic is in many ways *more* hostile, and definitely more unpleasant, than Bart and Miss Krabappel's.

[@primiera1484]

never expected you to do these guys, but i'm glad you did

[@PatDurkinMusic]

I'd like to know more about that kid at 2:00

[@Lwhale.3797]

I find it interesting that neither Richard nor Lewis got featured in that Simpsons: A Complete Guide book from Seasons 1-8. And that book featured one-off joke characters used only for a single scene.

[@tinkerer3399]

I've always thought that these two were from pretty well off families. I think that idea came from Richard's outfit seeming somewhat well to do for a youngster and my inescapable belief that these two have been friends for a while, possibly growing up as neighbours. Not rich per se but one social rung above the Simpsons. Complete head canon of course but one of those head canons where you aren't even sure where it came from (aside from maybe Richard's... blazer?)

[@honeyham6788]

i like the niche that Richard is the cutest boy in school

[@cakes3958]

It’s always nice to accidentally switch on a modern Simpsons episode and see the familiar faces of Richard and Lewis still present

[@agentprime2179]

Bart - "I guess this is the end Wendell". Lewis - "He's Wendell, I'm Lewis". Bart - "Whatever, just tell Wendell I said bye".

[@EmmaMobes42]

I would love to see an episode on either Lindsay Naegle or Captain McCallister. It is interesting to see a character who is only brought on for a specific episode become an established reoccurring character

[@georgewang2947]

That's what happened with Cletus Spuckler too

[@ajzeg01]

7:39 I’m seeing double here! Four Lewises!

[@karmapolice247]

Girl with glasses. She's a mysterious character, and I don't recall ever seeing her talk (at least not talking as part of a crowd)

[@NickLogoAbk2913]

She’s never talked in the whole series, They never acknowledge her, she doesn’t have a Kidrobot or a World Of Springfield figure. And we don’t know what she looks like without glasses.

[@siobhanconnolly1839]

I wish you had more subscribers, your my favorite simpsons youtuber(maybe fav in general) i literally fall asleep to your videos every night cause ur voice is so calm

[@TheRealJims]

Thanks Siobhan, glad you enjoy the videos! I don't sweat the subscriber count as much, because 150k subs is still an unbelievable amount of people to me 🤣

[@YourBuddyBrady]

If I got to pick a joke name for Richard the first thing that came to mind was Richard Little. I also like that Richard's jacket and shirt keep changing. Lindsay would be an interesting video because she's the anti Gil, they use her when they need a successful insert but the show also gives her drops of character.

[@bobbyhill7948]

I have been thoroughly enjoying these videos the last couple of days I don't know why but I really like your format dude very pleasant straightforward not obnoxious at all Keep it up

[@projectno5]

I think a Simpsons history on Bart's love life would be interesting because of how it's changed over the years

[@alexandercrumulent271]

7:38 Did you miss the fact there are two Lewis's?

[@craigroaring]

0:22 Milhouse with black hair.

[@Tommedian]

Finally, you’re talking about the characters we’ve all been demanding you to talk about

[@colossaldonut5190]

It's so bizarre how much these characters were used when you look into it, despite having so few speaking roles. They easily could've ditched these characters in favour of more flavour-of-the-week characters but they instead decided they were important enough and stuck to their roots, using them consistently as background characters.

[@AGwolf2097]

I don't have useful input, but this was the first time I've seen one of your videos, and not only did I like it, I appreciate the animal crossing BGM toward the end :P I'll sub, looks like you've got a healthy amount of Simpsons content to traverse

[@mathieuleader8601]

don't forget Mr. and Mrs. Clark's fertility issues in the episode What to Expect When Bart's Expecting

[@tooka5777]

I love to see people nerd out on a very specific subject that they really love the passion just comes through

[@danielkeller9729]

I would love to see one about Charlie from the power plant. He was Homer's 3rd buddy from work who seem to have been phased out

[@adamh9660]

Didn't he go to jail for "conspiracy"?

[@danielkeller9729]

@@adamh9660 I'm not sure, that's why I need an episode

[@Metaljedd]

Charlie would be amazing. Bullseye!

[@LukasPeace]

The Amazing World of Gumball did a fantastic episode about what happens to background characters when they stop appearing in shows. Reminds me a lot of these two