The Death Of WCW Explained

Really, the answer is Jamie Kellner. He was the one who made the call to pull the plug and kill the promotion. But, really, Kellner only made that call because WCW was losing so much money. If it was profitable, there’s a chance he never would have closed its doors. 

And why wasn’t it making money? Well, because Vince Russo made lots and lots of bad decisions. He took a company that turned a profit of $30 million dollars, and made it one that lost over $60 million dollars. 

But, Russo was only there to fix the mess that Bischoff had put the company in. Russo is an easy scapegoat, but Bischoff’s refusal to look past Hogan is a huge contributing factor to the death of WCW.

Hogan had a shelf life, and Bischoff – and Hogan – couldn’t see that. And giving Hogan creative control from the get go did lead to a lot of issues on what were supposed to be big shows.

He also spent big on contracts.

Contracts that were so big that when WWF bought WCW, they didn’t pick up a lot of the TimeWarner contracts for the likes of Hogan, Hall, Nash, Goldberg etc because it would have upset their own pay structure in the WWF.

But perhaps the person who killed WCW was the man who created it in the first place.

A lot of WCW’s problems can be traced back to Ted Turner’s decision to merge with Time Warner in 1995.

If Turner hadn’t made that merger, they wouldn’t have been involved in the AOL merger of 2000 which wouldn’t have brought in Jamie Kellner who pulled the trigger on the Death of WCW

Turner lost a lot of power after the TimeWarner merger, and even more from the AOL one.

Eric Bischoff even argues that once Turner lost his power after the TimeWarner merger, he no longer was able to have Eric’s back and sign off on his big money spending, and he had other people to answer to who didn’t like the way he spent money, like giving wrestlers big contracts.

You could make the argument for any one of these people being the ultimate reason for the downfall of WCW, but in actuality, it was all of them.

Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi | Pilot | Cartoon Network

After Sam Register (the creator) pitched the idea of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi having their own cartoon series on Cartoon Network, the animation studio Renegade Animation created a pitch pilot, in the hopes of swaying Cartoon Network to green-light the show's production.

The pilot was sent to Cartoon Network and they accepted it and it was to air in late 2003, but for unknown reasons, the pilot was reworked and later premiered on November 19th, 2004. The series premiere was successful and was even at the time one of the highest-rated shows to premiere on Cartoon Network.

Elderly People Seen In Titanic Film Were Based On A Real Life Couple

Not only did the film - starring none other than Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio - recall the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 and deaths of over 1,500 passengers, but the movie also centred itself on the heart-wrenching love story between Rose and Jack too.

However, there's wasn't the only romance to board the ship.

The true story of another couple has since been revealed.

As well as featuring a scene where Jack paints Rose 'like one of his French girls' and a steamy rendezvous in the back of a car, another couple also makes a cut, spooning one another in bed as the water rushes onto the ship - ultimately deciding to die in one another's arms.

While the scene isn't entirely factually correct - the real-life couple actually deciding to hunker down for a hug on the deck opposed to back in their room - the shot is based on a real couple named Isidor and Ida Straus.

Married in 1871, the Jewish couple had seven children together. Isidor was 67 when he boarded the Titanic and Ida the age of 63.

After the Titanic was struck by an iceberg on that fateful day in 1912, the lives of women and children were prioritised on the lifeboats rescuing passengers from the sinking ship.

However, due to the Straus' status - Isidor a co-owner of Macy's Department Store located in New York - his chance to escape followed shortly after.

Despite being offered a seat due to his status and wealth, Isidor turned the opportunity down, stating: "I will not go before the other men."

Ida resolved to not leave without her husband and according to Historical Honey, said: "We have been living together for many years. Where you go, I go."

Isidor's body was recovered after the ship sunk, however, unfortunately Ida's has never been found.

However, their united love lives on in one of the scenes from the 1997 release - not only portrayed as the couple spooning on the bed, but the design for Rose's cabin room onboard the ship inspired by the Straus' actual room which was the best suite onboard the ship.

Cancelled Movies: Ghostbusters Film Starring Chris Rock, Chris Farley And Ben Stiller Was Reportedly In Development

Everytime there's rumors of a new "Ghostbusters" film, fans always draw up their dream cast line-up. Prior to the release of Paul Feig's 2016 reboot, fans were clamoring for "Ghostbusters" team that included comedy's top stars of the time (particularly from the Judd Apatow-verse) like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Paul Rudd, among others. While we know that film never came to be, we did get a stacked cast of top comedians including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones for the 2016 version of the movie, and Paul Rudd did end up in the cast of 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife."

In the '90s, when a script called "Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent" was going around Hollywood, franchise co-creator and Egon Spengler himself, Harold Ramis, had a dream cast in mind for who he thought would take up the mantle for a new generation in that decade. According to an interview with Ramis on Morewhatnot, the late filmmaker and funnyman revealed he would have cast Chris Farley, Chris Rock, and Ben Stiller in a "Ghostbusters" for a '90s film. 

It seemed as if Chris Farley had been a part of the new lineup as Ray Stantz's nephew ever since Dan Aykroyd worked with him on "Tommy Boy." Both Chris Rock and Will Smith were talked about at one time or another through the long development of "Ghostbusters 3" for a Winston Zeddemore-type of role. Ben Stiller was a name that came up all the way through 2005 when the script was still being talked about.

The Ghostbusters Go to Hell concept could never get to the production stage

The sequel Chris Farley, Chris Rock, and Ben Stiller could have starred in would have been called "Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent" and was essentially a concept that featured the Ghostbusters going to hell, fighting the devil, and training a new generation to take over their supernatural business. 

Ghostbuster Harold Ramis talked to Morewhatnot about how he envisioned hell in the script. Ramis said, "My concept there was that Hell is a simultaneous reality, it's slightly out of phase with our reality. It's like a strobe, when our reality is on, hell kind of blinks off." He explained (sort of) how the team ends up in hell saying, "So what the Ghostbusters have to do is kind of a hitch step, you know when you try to get in step with somebody. The Ghostbusters had to technically skip one beat and then they're in Hell." 

The '90s concept was thrown out after nearly two decades of being stuck in development hell. Ramis directed a Judd Apatow-produced comedy called "Year One" in 2009 which starred Michael Cera and Jack Black, who of course also came up as names for Next-Gen Ghostbusters, from "The Office" writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. Ramis brought on the writing duo to work on a new script for "Ghostbusters 3" Ramis said that he was interested in a new cast for the movie saying that he wanted to, "Bring a fresh generational spin to it. We were voices for our generation, popular voices, but this generation sounds different." "Ghostbusters 3" never ended up materializing, but fans now have "Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2" to look forward to later in 2023.

Credits: Looper

"The Cursed Atuk": A Script That Claimed The Lives Of 6 Actors

I want to dive into something a little different today but something super spooky. Outside of the horror genre, I love everything paranormal. I’m a big believer in ghosts and have had too many experiences to count. So I thought it would be fun to bring a little paranormal element to Horror Bound. Why? Because it’s my site and I feel like it. That’s the benefit of being the owner….ya’ll have to read my paranormal ramblings.

But I thought this would be kind of fun because it DOES involve movies. One in particular. And while it’s not a horror movie, it’s a movie that kills people. So it’s kind of like a real life horror movie…

The story is about an Inuit poet from Baffin Island who gets sent to Toronto. A total fish out of water story. But in the movie version, he lives in Alaska and ends up in New York City. A woman visits his town in Alaska, she’s a documentarian. When they leave, he stows away on their plane. When he arrives, he saves a young man who is the son of a powerful real estate mogul and hi-jinks ensue. 

The film adaptation was requested by Norman Jewison (he is a Canadian director and producer who helped start up the CBC, and did a bunch of other wonderful things. He seriously has lived a crazy productive life. Go check him out) in the early 1970’s. Todd Carol wrote the adaptation, and Jewison planned to film it in Canada. 

John Belushi was the first actor to be attached to the film. He was offered the lead role in 1982 and showed a lot of interest in the script. But a few months later, on March 5th, Belushi was tragically found dead in his hotel room at the Chateau Marmont by his trainer Bill Wallace. He was only 33 years old. The cause of death was determined to be drug related, most likely a speedball. His death was investigated by a forensic pathologist and the findings were disputed. 

Two months later, Catherine Evelyn Smith admitted she had been with Belushi on the night of his death and had given him the fatal dosage. The case was reopened and she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. 

In 1986, after losing their lead, the script went back on the market and this time Sam Kinison got involved. He would play the lead role of Atuk. In 1988 production began and managed 8 days of filming before Kinison halted the production. He didn’t like the way it had turned out and began to rewrite the script. Kinison said that he was given creative control. Apparently he became difficult when the studio got involved. A lawsuit began.

The movie was put on hold again until 1992 when production began to set up again. Unfortunately, during these negotiations, Kinison died.

It was Friday, April 10th, 1992. He was only 38. His vehicle was struck head-on in California by a pickup truck, driven by a 17 year old who was drunk. Kinison was alive after the crash, his best friend Carl LaBove had been driving behind him at the time of the accident. His brother was there as well and they could see no visible injuries. But Kinison began to talk to himself, repeating “I don’t want to die.” It then appeared as if he were talking to someone who wasn’t there, “But why?” “Okay, okay…” and then he lost consciousness. He could not be resuscitated and he died at the scene from internal injuries. His wife who was also in the car survived with a mild concussion. 

The production team refused to give up, they really believed this script was something special. And so, in 1994, they approached John Candy and offered him the role. Candy was thrilled and began to study the script. In March of that year he also died. Candy was working in Mexico and at some point in the night of March 4th, he died of a heart attack. He was 43 years old. 

Candy had reportedly asked his close friend, Michael O’Donoghue, to also read the script and perhaps join the cast. In November of that same year, he also passed away. He had a history of chronic migraines and died from a cerebral hemorrhage at 54 years old. 

1997 rolls around and the film surfaces again. Atuk was offered to Chris Farley. Farley was aware that his idol Belushi was once offered the part and so he was intrigued, and expressed an interest. But, much like his idol, Farley also died young, and the same age of 33. A few months after reading the script, on December 18th, Farley was found dead by his younger brother in his apartment. He died of a drug overdose. A speedball. Just like Belushi.

Farley, much like Candy, also introduced his friend Phil Hartman to the script. 5 months after the tragic death of Farley, Hartman’s wife murdered Phil in cold blood. His wife, Brynn Hartman, got into a heated argument with Phil after he threatened to leave her if she started using drugs again. At 3am Brynn entered the bedroom and around 3am shot Phil twice in the head and once in his side. She drove to a friends house and confessed to the murder, the friend didn’t believe her so the two of them drove back to the house. The friend saw the body and called the police. As the police arrived and escorted the children out of the home, Brynn locked herself in the bedroom and shot herself, committing suicide. 

And so, Atuk sits unmade and untouched for years. Some believe in the curse, some don’t. I’m not sure why no one is questioning the fact that a bunch of white men were being cast as an Inuit...but that’s a whole other side of Hollywood.

Who knows if the script will ever come out of the dark and attempt to be made again? But I really hope it doesn’t. That’s a long history of bad luck (and whitewashing) that I wouldn’t want to tamper with.

Credits: Horrorbound

Behind The Scenes Look Into One Of WWE's Most Controversial Figures, Chris Benoit

It can be hard to think about the life of Chris Benoit without thinking of the events of the final three days of his life. The tragedy of the Chris Benoit murder/suicide was perhaps the biggest scandal in wrestling history. According to Chris Jericho on "Talk Is Jericho," the surrounding aftermath of the controversy almost sent WWE, and the wrestling industry as a whole, out of business.

Before those final three days, he was considered to be one of the best wrestlers who ever lived. He was a bona fide top star, a future Hall Of Famer, a well-respected veteran, and many of his peers considered him a friend. For many, the tragedy of Benoit's murder/suicide was a shocking event that came out of nowhere. However, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems like there were a lot of strange stories and bizarre occurrences which can now be looked at as warning signs for what was going to happen. Chris Benoit was leading a tragic life a long time before those final three days.

Chris Benoit would punish himself if he made a mistake in the ring

On his own podcast, "Talk Is Jericho," Chris Jericho told a bizarre story about working with Chris Benoit in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During a tag match, Jericho slightly botched a spin kick, with Benoit selling a move that had barely touched him. The spot would have happened so fast that barely anybody would have noticed anyway, but the imperceptible mistake weighed heavily on Benoit.

Talking about finding Benoit backstage after the match, Jericho said on "Talk Is Jericho," "After the match was done I went looking for him. I couldn't find him anywhere. I found him in the boiler room doing squats. And I said, 'what are you doing?' And he said, 'you know I never should have bumped off that, that was so unprofessional of me and it was such a bad rookie mistake, I had to do squats.' He did 500 squats as like purging himself for making that mistake ... You know, when you hear things like that then you kinda equate it to the last few days. There was a lot of issues with him."

It goes without saying that this is very odd behavior, that Benoit thought he would have to put himself through physical pain because of a botched spot nobody even noticed. It shows Benoit's mindset even as a younger man.

Chris Benoit's infidelity 

In 1997, Chris Benoit started dating Nancy Toffoloni, a fellow talent best known in WCW as Woman. How Chris and Nancy got together is perhaps a story that could only happen in the wrestling business. Toffoloni was married to Kevin Sullivan at the time, who was Benoit's boss as head of WCW Creative. Sullivan booked the storyline of his own wife starting an onscreen relationship with Benoit. Much to his surprise, this storyline became a reality and Toffoloni started dating Benoit in real life. It has become wrestling legend that Sullivan booked his own divorce.

That wasn't the only time infidelity would plague Benoit's life, however. In documents featured by the Fayetteville Daily News (via PWInsider), it was revealed that Nancy suspected Benoit of having a relationship with "one of the WWE Divas" months before the tragedy.

A popular fan theory at the time was that this WWE Diva was Victoria. However, Victoria categorically denied these rumors at the time on her MySpace page (via WrestleZone): "A MySpace friend emailed me yesterday to let me know that a wrestling gossip website is claiming that they have an anonymous source or sources that say I was Chris Benoit's secret mistress at the time of his murder-suicide. First let me say, this is absolutely false. I invite the 'reporter' from that website to come to my home city, and I will submit myself to a polygraph."

Benoit was in a terrible car accident with William Regal

William Regal spoke on his podcast "Gentleman Villain" of a terrible car accident he had with both Chris Benoit and Nancy Toffoloni. Regal referred to it as a near death experience for all three of them. It happened as Regal, Benoit and Toffoloni were returning to a hotel from the gym in preparation for the WCW pay per view, Spring Stampede 97.

Regal tells the story of stopping at a stop sign when he noticed a car coming towards them at speed in the rear view mirror. Unable to move, Regal could do nothing as the car slammed into them. Regal said on his podcast, "This car hit me, I have no idea what speed ... it must have hit us that hard ... it flipped onto the grass verge, it flipped my car three times." He considers himself lucky that he survived, and took note of his surroundings: "I was upside down with the roof crushed on my head ... I look across and Chris is hanging with his tongue out, and I look across at Nancy and her eyes are closed. I think they're both dead."

Regal somehow managed to kick his way out of the car and pulled both Chris and Nancy out through the window. Amazingly, both Benoit and Regal wrestled on the pay-per-view that night in spite of the near death experience.

Chris Benoit was a bully to younger WWE talent

Chris Benoit had a long career in wrestling, spanned 22 years. In that time, Benoit often exhibited toxic behavior and was accused of several counts of severe bullying. Current AEW ring announcer Justin Roberts went into detail of these in his autobiography "Best Seat In The House." According to Roberts, on one such occasion, Benoit tackled him to the ground in an airport along with Jaime Noble. Both men put him in a double crossface and refused to let go even after he tapped. The incident left Roberts unable to walk for days afterwards. Oddly, in spite of the bullying behavior to Roberts, Benoit would also treat him with kindness, and often called Roberts' father to check up on him as he was going through cancer treatment.

Another famous example of Benoit's bullying comes with The Miz. Miz said in his "WWE 24" documentary that in 2006 he was eating chicken in the locker room and accidentally got crumbs on a WWE veteran's bag. In turn, Benoit overreacted and confront him saying, "You are not allowed to dress in our locker room. I think you should just stay out of the locker room." Miz was then forced to change and shower elsewhere for seven months, all because Chris Benoit wouldn't let him back in the locker room.

Benoit was always paranoid people were following him

In the weeks and months leading up to Chris Benoit's death, many of his friends were saying that dealing with Benoit was like dealing with a completely different person. On the "Dark Side Of The Ring" episode focusing on Benoit, friends said Benoit was exhibiting extreme paranoia and was starting to obsess over child kidnappings and violent fans, which they say was very out of character for him.

According to "Dark Side Of The Ring," Benoit began to take different routes to the gym every day, as well as different routes home from the airport, fearing he was being followed. Benoit even took different cars with each journey to evade whoever he thought was following him. Speaking on "Talk Is Jericho," Nancy's sister Sandra Toffoloni would go into detail on Benoit's paranoia. "What really became noticeable was a little bit more of — like a sense of — un-safeness and paranoia for the family. He'd just would like, be constantly checking the alarm at night, constantly be checking things, and for himself. He used to be fairly laid back about stuff like that, there was never any issue like that, so when it did start happening I noticed immediately. I still kind of look back on it ... Was it a precursor to everything that happened? I don't know."

Benoit became known as The Crippler because he broke Sabu's neck

In 1994, Chris Benoit started wrestling in ECW, and it was here he would get his most famous moniker, The Crippler. This nickname was cemented when Benoit wrestled Sabu at November 2 Remember 1994. The match, the main event of the show, ended after just two minutes, when Benoit threw Sabu into a face first bump. Sabu miscalculated and tried to change direction mid-air, causing him to land directly on his neck. Sabu broke his neck, causing damage to his spinal cord and nervous system.

According to the book "Ring of Hell," Paul Heyman found Benoit hiding in a closet, rocking and weeping uncontrollably at what had happened. He was terrified that he had crippled Sabu in the ring. Paul Heyman had to physically pick Benoit up and send him to the hospital with Sabu.

The event was clearly traumatic for Benoit. However, Heyman took advantage of the accident and used the footage, which would become infamous and one of the most replayed spots in ECW history, to push Benoit even further, using it to emphasize The Crippler nickname.

Benoit suffered intense grief for Eddie Guerrero

Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero were long-time friends and considered each other to be brothers. Chris Jericho, a friend of both Benoit and Guerrero, said on "Talk Is Jericho" that Eddie's death broke Benoit. Jericho remembers comforting Benoit with a hug at Guerrero's funeral, saying it was "the most desperate, saddest 'I'm hanging on for dear life' hugs that you could ever get."

Benoit's grief for Guerrero was plain to see on the tribute show on "Monday Night Raw," Benoit was visibly crushed, openly weeping on camera. On "Dark Side Of The Ring," it was revealed that Benoit's wife Nancy had told Vickie Guerrero that Eddie's death was "really affecting him in so many ways." Benoit decided to stay out of the public eye after Eddie's death, and even started shutting himself off from his own friends and family. Sandra Toffoloni, Nancy Benoit's sister, revealed on "Dark Side Of The Ring" that Benoit would go months without talking to his own family and that he had started a journal to work through his depression at losing Eddie, but it was all too late.

Chris Benoit wanted to open a wrestling school after Eddie died

Upon the death of Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit was emotionally distraught and was even considering quitting WWE altogether. Sandra Toffoloni spoke on "Talk Is Jericho" that Chris Benoit was scared of moving on and leaving WWE, as wrestling was all he had ever known. Sandra said that Nancy was ready to move on but Chris Benoit was hesitant, "She was ready for the next move, and I don't think that he was, in his mind, physically or emotionally — he was just really scared, so a lot of that boiled over into their personal life."

Chris, led by Nancy, began to consider alternate career options outside of WWE and settled on the idea of starting a wrestling school in Atlanta. The school would have been called Benoit Academy and Chris and Nancy had begun developing business ideas for the school and even had merchandise made. After Eddie's death, Benoit was still heavily involved in WWE — he never took any time off, he was still booked in big storylines and angles, including being booked for an ECW World Championship match on the day he died. Any potential retirement seemed like a long way off.

Chris Benoit abused steroids

At the time of his death, it was revealed the Chris Benoit's body contained 10 times the normal levels of testosterone, which is incredibly high for any normal man, and it is a huge indication that Benoit was abusing steroids at the end of his life. Many wrestlers of Benoit's era have spoken about using steroids, it was just part of the game back then, and Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer (via LA Times) speculated Benoit had abused steroids for 20 years.

Nancy Benoit had a low opinion of the WWE wellness program  In texts found of Benoit's phone, Nancy said, "I will not accept this steroid induced roller coaster ride of emotional abuse ... Ignoring the problem or running away isn't going to help you face it. You need professional (help) and only if you're fully honest about all of it ... Get off the stuff. I'm probably not the only one who can see and we both know the wellness program is a joke." In a criminal case against Dr. Phil Astin, Benoit's personal physician, it was revealed that Astin's prescription to Benoit far exceeded the normal amount for a testosterone disorder and was well above the normal dose. The discovery of Benoit's steroid abuse led many to believe, especially the mainstream media, that "roid rage" was the reason Benoit snapped and murdered his family. However, Benoit's father thinks it was another element of wrestling which was responsible for Benoit's downfall, namely head trauma.

Benoit suffered a lifetime of chronic concussions/CTE

Chris Benoit suffered a number of concussions during his long in-ring career. During his time in the ring, it was not uncommon for wrestlers to take unprotected chair shots to the head, concussion protocols were lax and it wasn't uncommon for wrestlers to take no time off from a concussion. ABC News reports that Benoit himself had told friends that he had suffered "more concussions than he could count." This sloppy protection from concussions is what Benoit's family believes to be the reason for him snapping.

Chris Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, turned over his son's brain to Julian Bailes of the Sports Legacy Institute. Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University, studied Chris Benoit's brain and found that at the time of his death, Benoit had the brain of an 80-year-old suffering from severe Alzheimer's disease. Damage was found in all four lobes of the brain and deep into the brain stem. Bailes told ABC News, "It was extensive throughout Chris' brain. This is something you should never see in a 40-year-old."

Bailes said that while he can't know for sure that this brain damage is the reason Benoit did what he did, he does believe it is the leading cause.

Benoit murdered his wife and child

Over the weekend of June 22nd 2007, Chris Benoit uncharacteristically missed a WWE event, though nobody could have ever imagined that a simple no show would become one of the darkest days in wrestling history.

Late at night on the Friday, Chris Benoit killed his wife Nancy in an upstairs bedroom in their house. Nancy's limbs were bound and her injuries showed that Benoit had pressed his knee into her back while pulling at a cord around her neck, strangling her to death.

The next morning, Benoit drugged his son 7-year-old son Daniel with Xanax, leaving him unconscious, and then Benoit brutally suffocated him.

Benoit left a copy of the bible by each body, which Sandra Toffoloni considered strange on "Talk Is Jericho," as they weren't very religious.

On that Saturday, Benoit talked on the phone to his good friend Chavo Guerrero and told him that Nancy and Daniel were suffering from food poisoning. On "Talk is Jericho," Chavo said something sounded off with Benoit, especially with the way he said goodbye, saying, "Chavo, I love you."

Nancy and Daniel would have both been dead by the time Benoit made that call.

Chris Benoit died of suicide

On June 24th 2007, Chris Benoit died by suicide, creating a noose from the end of a weight machine cord to hang himself. Benoit was found by the police hanging from the pulley cable.

On "Talk Is Jericho," Sandra Toffoloni gave further details of just what Benoit was doing over that horrible weekend. Sandra said that Benoit's computer search history shows he has researched the quickest and easiest way to break a neck. On "Dark Side Of The Ring" it was also revealed Benoit had googled a bible story about the prophet Elijah and, quite morbidly, the resurrecting of a dead boy.

When nobody from WWE had heard from Benoit in over 24 hours, Chavo Guerrero showed the messages he got from Benoit to WWE management, WWE then called the Fayetteville police who discovered the three bodies at the house.

Michael Benoit told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Cageside Seats) that Chris Benoit had left a handwritten suicide note saying, "I'm preparing to leave this Earth."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Credits: WrestlingInc.

"The Simpsons": Homer Was Originally Going To Krusty The Clown

There was originally supposed to be a twist on The Simpsons: Krusty the Clown was meant to be Homer Simpson in disguise, but that's not what happened in the end. All 30 seasons of TV's longest-running scripted primetime animated series will be available on Disney+ at launch. This means generations of Simpsons fans can experience one of the greatest TV shows ever from the very beginning - and they'll see just how much The Simpsons has changed since its awkward first season.

Of course, Krusty (voiced by Dan Castellaneta, who is also the voice of Homer) is one of The Simpsons' greatest characters and he's arguably the town of Springfield's biggest celebrity. Krusty hosts The Krusty the Clown Show, the favorite weekday program of Springfield's children. Krusty's show is the home of Itchy & Scratchy cartoons and, as Krusty once bragged, "It's the tightest three hours and ten minutes on TV". Krusty is also Bart Simpson's personal hero; Bart's pure-hearted worship of Krusty defies the realities and many failings of the narcissistic clown. Krusty never seems to remember all the things Bart has done for him like re-ignite his career with Krusty's Komeback Special, serving as his assistant, the "I Didn't Do It! Boy", and reuniting Krusty with his estranged father, Rabbi Krustofsky (Jackie Mason).

The Simpsons' Homer/Krusty Twist Explained

Krusty's first appearance was in The Simpsons short "The Krusty the Clown Show", which aired on The Tracy Ullman Show. Bart attends a taping of Krusty's show but he suspects the clown host isn't the real deal; Simpson yanks off his nose and it's revealed Krusty is an imposter - before a smash cut shows Homer and Marge watching the debacle on TV. But originally, Matt Groening planned for Bart to discover that Homer was Krusty before it was changed. As Groening told EW:

”The original idea behind Krusty the Clown was that he was Homer in disguise, but Homer still couldn’t get any respect from his son, who worshiped Krusty. If you look at Krusty, it’s just Homer with extended hair and a tuft on his head.

This explains the obvious physical resemblance between Homer and Krusty. Groening also said that it was too complicated a story to do during The Simpsons' tumultuous beginnings so they (wisely) dropped the idea and kept Homer and Krusty as separate characters. The Simpsons later did a hilarious spin on Homer being Krusty in season 6 episode, "Homie the Clown", where Homer enrolled in Krusty's Clown College but then the two identical harlequins ended up as targets of Springfield's Mafia because of Krusty's $48 debt to the mob.

The Simpsons Did Something Much Better With Krusty

Dropping the Homer-as-Krusty plot allowed Krusty to become a fan-favorite recurring character. The famous clown went on to become one of The Simpsons' best supporting cast members who has been featured in many great episodes. Moreso, Krusty fulfills an invaluable function in the series by encapsulating every negative stereotype about celebrities, thanks to Krusty's improbable 61 years in show business. This includes Krusty's penchant for slapping his image on any substandard product to support his lavish lifestyle of eating dodo eggs and lighting his cigars with $100 bills.

Krusty's venal nature has also been mined for laughs: In "Bart the Fink", the Clown once faked his death because of his IRS debts and posed as "Rory B. Bellows" until Bart and Lisa goaded him back to bring Krusty because he couldn't stand the idea of not being admired for being famous. When his outdated (and racist) comedy bombs in "The Last Temptation of Krust", Krusty stages a comeback by "telling it like it is", only to immediately sell out when he's offered the chance to be the spokes-clown for the Canyonero. While Homer secretly being Krusty would have been an interesting twist, it can't compare to the dividends reaped by Krusty's many hysterical adventures on The Simpsons over the decades.

Credits: Screenrants

Mikey's Murphy's Law/Milo Murphy's Law | Pitch Pilot | Disney Channel

Similar to the original pitch of Phineas and Ferb, the pilot of Mikey Murphy's Law (labeled "Mikey's Law") was a storyboard pitch of what would eventually become the first episode of Milo Murphy's Law, "Going the Extra Milo". It was leaked on April 26, 2024, alongside several other pilots from other Disney Television Animated shows.

The plot is relatively the same as that of "Going the Extra Milo" (barring a few lines that went unused, as well as Milo being named Mikey back then), but includes a couple of design changes. Most notably, Zack used to look completely different. Zack was initially of Caucasian ethnicity with a small, round nose, angular cheeks, and two wavy, angular plucks of hair from a widow's peak, as opposed to the spiky, slicked hairstyle he'd have in the actual series. Interestingly, this design appears to be later used for the final design of Kevin Grant-Gomez, one of the main characters for Dan Povenmire's later show, Hamster & Gretel. Bradley's design was also notably different, having a shorter, wider head, curly hair and big, half-round glasses, looking notably similar to Carl of Phineas and Ferb.