David Mirkin wrote many "terrible endings" because the episode was very popular at the time. Harry Shearer voice acted for the different endings. Mirkin wanted to trick the people working on the episode and wanted to show it to the media. However, this was not able to happen. Many of the different endings were animated to show other characters shooting Mr. Burns. Some of these were shown in the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular". That episode showed Barney, Tito, Moe, Apu, and Santa's Little Helper shooting him. Another ending was made with Mr. Burns in the hospital to show that Smithers had shot him. In that ending, Lisa says he falls on the "S" and "W" sides of the sundial because they are the first letters of Smithers' first and last names.