The Simpsons Pays Tribute To Joan Rivers In Season Premiere

SPOILER ALERT: Story contains details of a character death.

The Simpsons included a blink-and-you'll-miss it tribute to late comedian Joan Rivers in its season premiere.

The first episode of the 26th season saw a Simpson-ized version of Rivers pictured in a group shot of people in "Jewish Heaven", where Krusty the Clown envisions his father to be during the episode.

If I'm not mistaken, that's Joan Rivers in the VIP section of Jewish heaven on @TheSimpsons. pic.twitter.com/vuT2j7IduA

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) September 29, 2014

In a fleeting cameo, the late comedian is shown seated in the "VIP section" that the shot pans over.

Eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot the tribute, as it appears on the screen for a mere few seconds.

Executive producer Al Jean tweeted a heads-up to fans to spot the freeze-frame of Rivers before the episode went to air last night.

Jean also explained in a recent interview why they chose to pay tribute to the comedian, following her death earlier this month.

"She did the show three years ago and it was really sweet", Jean told USA Today.

"I had met her and told her how when my parents went to Vegas in the '70s, all they could talk about was seeing her act and how funny she was... About a week after she passed away, I thought that it wouldn't be hard for us to just put her in, because she had done the show and we had the design."

Joan had leant her voice to the Fox show a few years back, as Krusty the Clown's agent and former lover during a 2011 episode.