The Simpson's showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman tells PEOPLE they were "thrilled" when Wyle, Katherine LaNasa and Taylor Dearden participated
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NEED TO KNOW
- The Simpsons reached a huge milestone with its 800th episode
- Showrunner Matt Selman caught up with PEOPLE about the historic achievement
- The episode featured guest appearances from Quinta Brunson, Kevin Bacon and the cast of The Pitt
The Simpsons celebrated its milestone 800th episode with a string of memorable cameos.
The 800th episode, which is titled "Irrational Treasure" and debuted on Sunday, Feb. 15, featured appearances from Quinta Brunson, Kevin Bacon, Questlove and the cast of HBO's The Pitt.
Stars from the HBO hit medical drama, Noah Wyle (Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch), Katherine LaNasa (Dana Evans) and Taylor Dearden (Dr. Melissa "Mel" King) all played veterinarians, who sprang into action to help Marge Simpson after the family dog, Santa's Little Helper, gnawed on her fallen Ambrosia salad and licked grapes (which are highly toxic to pups) off of the floor.
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The Pitt cast lend a hand and Wyle's character deliverd an emotional performance, not unlike the ones he delivers on the HBO series. "I think the writers were all watching The Pitt a year ago, season 1, when that show was landing and everyone was like, 'Oh my God, this is the streaming, darker, more real, crazier version of an emergency room show,'" showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman tells PEOPLE of The Simpsons crew. "And we were all just blown away by how good it was and how traumatic it was."
Selman says the "pet version seemed funny" so the show was "thrilled" when the actors were willing to participate.
"And I mean, obviously Noah clearly went all in and was willing to make goof on one of the saddest parts and the realist parts of the actual Pitt show in ambrosia salad version," he says. "I think they all seem pretty excited. And I think the dovetailing of season 2 is coming out now and people are loving it. And the show won a bunch of Golden Globes and Emmys, and Noah's career is in this amazing new place. Playing himself, a version of himself, on The Simpsons is what would go with that."
Elsewhere in the episode, Marge finds herself at odds with a dog nutritionist and trainer (played by Brunson, 36).
"Unless we have and I've forgotten, which is always possible, we've never really done a show about Marge's connection to the dog and Marge's journey of pet ownership," Selman says. "Feeling like, 'I'm the only one in this family who is being the tough parent with the pet, and everyone else is just completely accommodating the pet and letting it do whatever he wants and letting it drive the car.'" (Santa's Little Helper actually does drive the Simpson family's pink sedan in the episode.)
"Hopefully, families will watch that beginning section and feel like this is a universal, relatable dynamic," he adds. "But then at the end of the show, Marge gives this terrific speech about the emotional costs of having an animal, a dog, which is kind of a creature made of love and affection that you know someday is going to die."
As for who may make a guest appearance next, Selman says he isn't ruling out any future stars. When asked about Sabrina Carpenter, the pop superstar who just so happens to be the niece of voice actor Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson, he explains how the "Manchild" singer could fit into the universe.
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"I would like to do Sabrina Carpenter, who's super talented and has a great sense of humor and has great energy and is a delight, as a character, rather than, 'Dad, why won't you let me go to the Sabrina Carpenter concert? Oh my God, Sabrina Carpenter came to the school,'" Selman says. "It'd be more fun to have her play it. And honestly, she seems so cool. I bet she would rather play a character and be funny than just a celebrity version, animated version of herself."
For her part, the superstar singer previously said a cameo would be "so cool."
The Simpsons airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
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