The Principal and the Pauper

"The Principal and the Pauper"
The Simpsons episode
Principal Skinner confessing that he is an impostor. The episode garnered controversy from fans and critics, with many citing it as the moment the series jumped the shark.
Episode no.	Season 9 Episode 2
Directed by	Steven Dean Moore
Written by	Ken Keeler
Production code	4F23
Original air date	September 28, 1997 (1997-09-28)
Guest appearance
Martin Sheen as the real Seymour Skinner[1]
Episode features
Couch gag	The Simpsons are dressed as astronauts and sit on the couch just as it blasts off into space.
Commentary	Bill Oakley Josh Weinstein Ken Keeler Steven Dean Moore
Episode chronology
← Previous "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" Next → "Lisa's Sax"
The Simpsons season 9
List of episodes

"The Principal and the Pauper" is the second episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 180th episode overall. It first aired on Fox in the United States on September 28, 1997. In the episode, Seymour Skinner begins to celebrate his twentieth anniversary as principal of Springfield Elementary School, when a man arrives claiming that Skinner has assumed his identity. Principal Skinner admits that his real name is Armin Tamzarian, and that he had thought the true Seymour Skinner, a friend from the Army, had died in the Vietnam War. Armin leaves Springfield, but is later persuaded to return as principal.

"The Principal and the Pauper" was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Steven Dean Moore. It guest-starred Martin Sheen as the real Seymour Skinner. Although it aired during the show's ninth season, it was a holdover from season eight.^[2]

Since its initial airing, the episode is often regarded as one of the most controversial episodes of the entire series. Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that Principal Skinner, a recurring character since the first episode who had undergone much character development, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by series creator Matt Groening, and by Skinner's voice actor Harry Shearer, and many regard it as the episode that ended the show's "Golden Age".