Bart urged Homer to keep the dog after it sprang into his arms.
When he originally refused to accept the puppy, Homer referred to him as a ‘loser’ and a ‘pathetic’ character.
The dog moaned and licked Homer’s face as he prepared to say anything new, but he backed down and added, ‘He’s…a Simpson.’
However, this romantic moment wasn’t always going to happen, as showrunner Al Jean just shared an image of the original screenplay.
Happy @Simpsons day! One more page of first draft first episode w notes. New episode tonight! pic.twitter.com/uW6O8uOjTV
— Al Jean (@AlJean) December 17, 2023
‘One more page of first draft first episode w notes,’ he explained.
The last phrase, as shown in the image, wasn’t in the original text and was actually added in with a pen as a notation on the scene.
The remark was initially planned with Homer claiming that the dog was ‘exactly like [him],’ before being modified to the far more famous line.
Santa’s Little Helper has since appeared frequently on The Simpsons, having fathered litters of puppies, passed obedience school, had bloat surgery, replaced Duffman as the Duff Beer mascot, and been trained as a police dog at Springfield’s Animal Police Academy.
The Simpsons is available to stream on Disney Plus in the UK.