Mrs. Krabappel Will Be Retired After Marcia Wallace’s Death, ‘Simpsons’ Producer Says

Mrs. Edna Krabappel, the chain-smoking fourth grade teacher with a derisive laugh on “The Simpsons,” will be retired after more than two decades on the show, Executive Producer Al Jean said in a statement on Saturday.
The move follows the news that Marcia Wallace, the comedienne who gave voice to the character, died Friday at the age of 70. "I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace," Jean said in a statement. "She was beloved by all at 'The Simpsons' and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character." Also read: Marcia Wallace Dead at 70 Mrs. Krabappel has been a fixture on the Fox sitcom since the second episode of the first season in 1990. Divorced and congenitally disaffected, she would endure a series of romantic and professional misadventures, including getting fired for being drunk on the job and having a relationship with the wholesome Ned Flanders.   In the lead-up to the show's 25th season, Jean teased that an iconic character would be killed off, telling reporters that the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character, which Wallace did in 1992. However, he said he was not referring to Mrs. Krabappel. "Marcia's passing is unrelated and again, a terrible loss for all who had the pleasure of knowing her," Jean said. In addition to "The Simpsons," Wallace spent six seasons playing Bob Newhart's daffy receptionist on "The Bob Newhart Show."