World of Springfield

The World of Springfield is a series of Simpsons action figures which ran between January 2000 and September 2004 and was released by Playmates Toys.
The collectable action figure series is called World of Springfield because the goal of the line was to build a miniature Springfield through a series of interactive action figures and play sets. It eventually encompassed over 200 different figures/characters from the series, 40 interactive play sets (toy re-creations of interior settings and town location settings within Springfield), and 3 non-interactive diorama town settings.
== Background ==
The success of all "mass-market" action figure lines based on TV or movie characters are timed to the initial release of the project (as part of its promotional and marketing messages) taking advantage of the promotions, P.R. and advertising awareness and the figures themselves also as advertising and promotional vehicles. Most movie/TV tie-in action figures are successful for the brief period of the theatrical release, the video/DVD release and the possibility of a successful sequel but rarely for any longer period and typically, the release pattern for the action figure is no more than a few dozen figures, and some play sets to serve as background dioramas for the figures, with sales dropping off a few months after the last film is released. The Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars movie line is, of course, the gold standard with figures in the same scale and in the marketplace since 1978. The closest TV equivalent might be the Star Trek line though non-contiguous and not technically from one TV series (coincidentally also from Playmates Toys).
While the Simpsons merchandising and licensing had continued unabated since the series premiere in 1989, when the characters were first represented as action figures, they only had a brief Mattel run in Summer 1990 with only 7 figures (Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Nelson Muntz and Bartman) and the Sofa & Boob Tube play set.
== Why was the line successful? ==
Of course, it starts with the mass market appeal of The Simpsons, encompassing everyone from young kids who loved the slapstick aspects to adults of all ages who appreciated that the jokes and situations that worked on multi-levels of our intellect (from the kid in us to the Mensa in us), even teenagers. Like any classic TV series, fans remember and quote the lines, so Playmates Toys managed to capture that appeal with its interactive play sets. Each figure came with its own "coded" chip on the base of that character's foot (generally the foot but not always), so that when contacted with the "trigger" tab on each play set, it would complete the circuit, so by then pressing the button closest to that figure, you would hear a playback of 1-6 phrases for the character.
What made it unique was that the playback was from the actual show and the actual voice actor, so for example, by placing the Homer Simpson figure on an appropriate play set would trigger the playback of an audio clip of a quote as performed by Dan Castellaneta as he performed them in the original episode.
An additional value was that each play set held unique quotes and voice clip performances for a variety of characters, so for example, that placing the Marge Simpson figure or the Bart Simpson figure would trigger different quotes and voice clips per character. One limitation was that not every character worked with every play set, either for story logic reasons (character might not appear at that setting), release logistics (figures released after a play set was available much earlier) or presumably for cost reasons (as each voice clip had to be approved and licensed).
A real-world situation also cannot be over-looked; that these were released during the era of the internet/dot.com boom and general health of the U.S. economy. While the figures were priced at the lower end of action figure retail pricing (from $5.99 USD to eventually $7.99 USD each), the play sets generally ranged from $20 USD to $25 USD at the end of 2004, but there were special releases that ranged into the $60 USD range. Even at minimal retail, 200+ figures and 40 play sets meant a financial commitment. In addition, there were a dozen exclusives and mail-in figures that required extra work to obtain the figures, often via an online auction. It was, however, during these early years of the series coinciding with the healthy economy that added extra impetus and momentum that carried the line a few extra years.
== Fan Interaction ==
The World of Springfield line set a new standard of company/fan interaction in its relationship between Playmates Toys and the collectors, specifically based at the Simpsons Collector Sector (CS) website and forums. Starting in mid-2001, with contacts from board moderator Michael Crawford, Playmates executives (first Jeff Trojan and later Pat Linden) reached out to the collectors in a mutually beneficial relationship; when fans get input into the line, the company gets free market research. Playmates Toys answered a monthly Q&A from collectors, and regularly gave exclusive details about upcoming products to the CS website directly. Collectors had opportunities to affect the line's future on a few occasions.
The first incident occurred in summer 2001 after a controversy surrounding the release of the ToyFare exclusive Pin Pal Mr. Burns figure. Fans complained about the unfair way ToyFare handled these offers, and Playmates responded; first by having ToyFare make later offers available online, and later by ending WoS offers from ToyFare entirely. Conversely, fan enthusiasm helped revive products that had been cancelled at one point, including the deluxe Main Street play set with the Old Jewish Man and Jeremy Freedman, and the Moe's Tavern play set with Duffman.
Collectors were also often asked to give suggestions on what figures and play sets they wanted to see, and polls were generated. The results of these polls had an impact on future lineups, with collectors getting many of the figures they had requested.
This interaction hit a peak in 2003 when the Simpsons Collector Sector hosted a panel discussion at the San Diego Comic Con that July. A representative from Playmates Toys was the featured guest and engaged in Q&A with attendees and handed out free figures to all of the attendees as well.
Fans continued to have a voice through the end of the line, although larger issues (voice contracts, censor disagreements, etc) sometimes prevented collectors from getting everything they wanted from the line. This model of interaction has been followed by many other toy companies since.
== End and Revival ==
The line ended in September 2004 after the Springfield Town Square with Jebediah Springfield play set was released due to a number of factors, most importantly slow sales. There were a number of factors, in turn, that contributed to the declining sales, including "collectors fatigue", the release pattern of figures, the sheer size of the line being difficult for newcomers, the slowing economy, the changing toy retail situation, and even Playmates Toys relationship with 20th Century Fox.
For a complete detailed history of the WoS line, check out Michael Crawford's 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World of Springfield!' and the archives at the Simpsons Collector Sector for an even more in-depth history.
However, shortly after the end of WoS, McFarlane Toys, known for their sports line of action figures, decided to revive Simpsons collecting and start a new line of figures. The first set to be released was the "Ironic Punishment" set based on "The Devil and Homer Simpson" segment of Treehouse of Horror IV featuring Homer being "tortured" by one of the devil's minions by forcing all of the donuts in the world down his throat. It was soon followed by a "Family Couch Gag" set based on the couch gag. So far, the new line has been accepted very well by Simpsons collectors and plans for an official line of figures will be coming soon.
== Entire List of Figures and Playsets ==
=== Wave One ===
Release date: January 2000
*Homer Simpson
*Bart Simpson
*Lisa Simpson
*Grampa Simpson
*Charles Montgomery Burns
*Krusty the Clown
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=== Wave One Playsets ===
Release date: February 2000
*The Simpsons House Living Room with Marge & Maggie Simpson
*Springfield Nuclear Power Plant with Radioactive Homer
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=== Wave Two ===
Release date: August 2000
*Pin Pal Homer
*Barney Gumble
*Ned Flanders
*Waylon Smithers
*Chief Clancy Wiggum
*Sunday Best Bart
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=== Wave Two Playsets ===
Release date: August 2000
*Kwik-E-Mart with Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
*Springfield Elementary School with Principal Seymour Skinner
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=== Wave Three ===
Release date: January 2001
*Sunday Best Homer
*Nelson Muntz
*Moe Szyslak
*Kamp Krusty Bart
*Milhouse Van Houten
*Otto Mann
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=== Wave Three Playsets ===
Release date: January 2001
*Springfield Town Hall with Mayor Joseph Quimby
*Krustylu Studios with Sideshow Robert Terwilliger
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=== Wave Four ===
Release date: April 2001
*Lenny Leonard
*Ralph Wiggum
*Patty Bouvier
*Groundskeeper Willie
*Casual Homer
*Itchy and Scratchy
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=== Wave Four Playsets ===
Release date: April 2001
*The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop with Comic Book Guy
*Barney's Bowlarama with Pin Pal Apu
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=== Wave Five ===
Release date: July 2001 (Note: This is the only series to not release a playset.)
*Kent Brockman
*Captain Horatio McCalister
*Bartman
*Martin Prince
*Sideshow Mel
*Bumblebee Man
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=== Wave Six ===
Release date: September 2001
*Dr. Julius Hibbert
*Snake Jailbird
*Bleeding Gums Murphy
*Carl Carlson
*Mascot Homer
*Professor John Frink
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=== Wave Six Playsets ===
Release date: September 2001
*First Church of Springfield with Reverend Timothy Lovejoy
*Noise Land Video Arcade with Jimbo Jones
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=== Wave Seven ===
Release date: December 2001
*Dolph Starbeam
*Cletus Spuckler
*Mrs. Edna Krabappel
*Officer Lou
*Hans Moleman
*Officer Marge
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=== Wave Seven Playsets ===
Release date: December 2001
*The Simpsons House Kitchen with Muumuu Homer
*Krusty Burger with Squeaky Voiced Teen
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=== Wave Eight ===
Release date: March 2002
*Kearney Zzyzwicz
*Sherri & Terri Mackleberry
*Ragin' Willie
*Üter Zörker
*Superintendent Gary Chalmers
*Daredevil Bart
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=== Wave Eight Playsets ===
Release date: March 2002
*Springfield Department of Motor Vehicles with Selma Bouvier
*Springfield Elementary School Cafeteria with Lunchlady Doris Freedman
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=== Wave Nine ===
Release date: June 2002
*Rod & Todd Flanders
*Busted Krusty
*Sunday Best Grampa
*Prison Robert Terwilliger
*Disco Stu
*Sunday Best Lisa
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=== Wave Nine Playsets ===
Release date: June 2002
*Springfield Police Station with Officer Eddie
*Springfield Retirement Castle with Jasper Beardly
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=== Wave Ten ===
Release date: October 2002
*Stonecutter Homer
*Wendell Borton
*Sunday Best Marge & Maggie
*Scout Leader Flanders
*Dr. Marvin Monroe
*Resort Smithers
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=== Wave Ten Playsets ===
Release date: October 2002
*Burns Manor with Pajamas Burns
*Springfield General Hospital with Dr. Nick Riviera
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=== Wave Eleven ===
Release date: December 2002
*Larry Burns
*Plow King Barney
*Blue Haired Lawyer
*Kirk Van Houten
*Gil Gunderson
*Rainier Wolfcastle
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=== Wave Eleven Playset ===
Release date: December 2002
*Springfield County Court House with Judge Roy Snyder (Note: From Wave 11 to 16, only one playset was released, unlike the first ten series.)
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=== Wave Twelve ===
Release date: April 2003
*Number One
*Database
*Mr. Dewey Largo
*Don Vittorio
*Luann Van Houten
*Mr. Plow Homer
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=== Wave Twelve Playset ===
Release date: April 2003
*Bart's Treehouse with Military Bart
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=== Wave Thirteen ===
Release date: July 2003
*Helen Lovejoy
*Freddy Quimby
*Tuxedo Krusty
*Legs Legman 
*Princess Kashmir
*Dr. Stephen Hawking
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=== Wave Thirteen Playset ===
Release date: July 2003
*Herman's Military Antiques with Herman Hermann
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=== Wave Fourteen ===
Release date: October 2003
*Luigi Risotto
*Louie Walters
*Sarcastic Man
*Kilted Willie
*Miss Elizabeth Hoover
*Ms. Lucille Botzcowski
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=== Wave Fourteen Playset ===
Release date: October 2003
*Aztec Theater with McBain
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=== Wave Fifteen ===
Release date: January 2004
*Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon
*The Octuplets
*Handsome Moe
*Deep Space Homer
*Brandine Spuckler
*"Worst Episode Ever" Comic Book Guy
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=== Wave Fifteen Playset ===
Release date: January 2004
*Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Lunchroom with Frank Grimes
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=== Wave Sixteen ===
Release date: June 2004
*Brain Freeze Bart
*Agnes Skinner
*Evil Homer
*Artie Ziff
*Doug
*Benjamin and Gary
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=== Wave Sixteen Playset ===
Release date: September 2004
*Springfield Town Square with Jebediah Springfield
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=== ToyFare Exclusives ===
*Glow In The Dark Radioactive Homer (Release date: October 2000)
*Pin Pal Burns (Release date: July 2001)
*Boxing Homer (Release date: October 2001)
*Convention Comic Book Guy (Release date: December 2001)
*Pin Pal Moe (Release date: December 2001)
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=== Toys-R-Us Exclusives ===
*Treehouse of Horror One: Springfield Cemetery with Devil Flanders, Fly Bart, Vampire Burns and Ape Homer (Release date: September 2000)
*Treehouse of Horror Two: Alien Spaceship with Alien Ship Homer, Kang and Kodos (Release date: September 2001)
*Treehouse of Horror Three: Ironic Punishment with Freddy Krueger Willie, Witch Marge, Hugo Simpson and Donuthead Homer (Release date: August 2002)
*Treehouse of Horror Four: The Collector's Lair with Stretch Dude Bart, Lucy Lawless, Clobber Girl Lisa and The Collector Comic Book Guy (Release date: September 2003)
*Bowling Alley with Bowling Marge and Jacques (Release date: August 2002)
*The Simpsons House Rumpus Room with Original Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie (Release date: October 2003)
*The Simpsons Family Christmas with Christmas Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie on Santa's Little Helper (Release date: November 2001)
*Main Street with Crazy Old Man and Jeremy Freedman (Release date: September 2002)
*Mobile Home with Colonel Homer and Lurleen Lumpkin (Release date: April 2002)
*New Year's Eve Springfield Town Square with New Year Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie (Release date: November 2002)
*Be Sharps Centennial with Dr. Dolittle Wiggum (Release date: September 2003)
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=== EB Games Exclusives ===
*Lunar Base with Rainier Wolfcastle as Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy Milhouse (Release date: September 2001)
*KBBL Radio Station with Bill and Marty (Release date: October 2002)
*The Next Century with Future Burns, Future and Bobo Smithers (Release date: October 2003)
*High School Prom with Young Homer and Marge (Release date: April 2002)
*Moe's Tavern with Duffman (Release date: January 2003)
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=== Mail-Aways ===
*Be Sharps Homer (Release date: Late 2002)
*Be Sharps Apu (Release date: Early 2003)
*Be Sharps Skinner (Release date: May 2003)
*Be Sharps Barney (Release date: Late 2003)
*Stonecutter Moe (Release date: Late 2003)
*Stonecutter Lenny (Release date: Early 2004)
*Llewellyn Sinclair (Voiced by Jon Lovitz) (Release date: October 2002)
*Cooder (Voiced by Jim Varney) (Release date: October 2002)
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=== Celebrity Wave One ===
Release date: February 2002
*Troy McClure (Voiced by Phil Hartman)
*Herbert Powell (Voiced by Danny DeVito)
*Fat Tony (Voiced by Joe Mantegna)
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=== Celebrity Wave Two ===
Release date: June 2002
*Lionel Hutz (Voiced by Phil Hartman)
*Brad Goodman (Voiced by Albert Brooks)
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=== Celebrity Wave Three ===
Release date: October 2002
*Hank Scorpio (Voiced by Albert Brooks)
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=== Dioramas ===
Release date: July 2003
*Simpsons House Diorama with Homer, Marge and Maggie Simpson
*Kwik-E-Mart Diorama with Grampa Simpson and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
*Krustylu Studios Diorama with Krusty the Clown and Milhouse Van Houten
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=== Re-Releases ===
Release date: April 2003
*Moe Szyslak
*Charles Montgomery Burns
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== Vehicles ==
Technically not part of World of Springfield (although there is a debate among the fans), these vehicles were made by Playmates Toys in June 2001 and August 2002, and are sometimes considered part of the line by fans. The vehicles weren't actually able to hold any figures from the line, but they could, however, speak by moving the small characters to the right or the left or by pressing the car's hood (this would create a conversation between the characters rather than just one character talking). Upon doing so, each character would have special lines taken from episodes from the series, much like the figures.
*Family Car with Simpsons Family (Release date: June 2001)
*School Bus with Martin Prince, Milhouse Van Houten, Ralph Wiggum, Bart Simpson and Otto Mann (Release date: August 2002)
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== KayBee Toys Exclusive ==
Again, technically not considered part of the World of Springfield line (although there is debate about that among collectors), Playmates Toys released a series of figures exclusive to Kay Bee Toys based on the "When Bongos Collide" story line from Bongo Comics in August 2002. It featured Simpsons characters transformed into superheroes. The initial three-pack of figures included Homer Simpson as the Ingestible Bulk, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon as Captain Kwik, and Edna Krabappel as Vampiredna. Two more three-packs were planned (featuring Marge as the Entangler, Lisa as the Jazzler, Maggie as BrainBaby, Grampa as Oldblood member Coma, Skinner as The Stickler and Willie as the Plaid Piper), but the line was cancelled as soon as it hit retail.
== Cancelled Figures and Play sets ==
Like in most toy lines, items are planned for release that for a number of reasons (cost issues, low retailer interest, etc) never end up being produced and/or released. Many items were cancelled from the World of Springfield line; a complete list is available in the Simpsons Collector Sector's Release Guide.
=== Figures ===
*Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky (Voiced by Jackie Mason; was originally planned for Wave Two of the Celebrity line, but was cancelled for unknown reasons)
*Lyle Lanley (Voiced by Phil Hartman; was originally part of the Celebrity Wave Three lineup, but in April 2002, Playmates Toys added an official list of WoS releases that replaced Lyle Lanley with Cooder, thus being removed from the official list. The reason why is unknown)
*Molloy (Was originally part of Wave Twelve, but was replaced by Number One for unknown reasons)
*Stonecutter Wiggum (Was originally going to be the third figure in the mail-away Stonecutters series of figures, but has been cancelled due to reasons unknown)
*"When Bongos Collide" 2nd 3-pack w/ The Entangler, The Jazzler and BrainBaby (Was originally going to be released alongside the first 3-pack, but was cancelled along with the 3rd 3-pack by Fox when the first 3-pack hit retail due to unknown reasons)
*"When Bongos Collide" 3rd 3-pack w/ Oldblood member Coma, The Stickler and the Plaid Piper (Was originally going to be released alongside the first and second 3-packs, but was cancelled along with the 2nd 3-pack by Fox when the first 3-pack hit retail due to unknown reasons)
*Raven Bart and Alien Maggie (Were originally going to be part of the Toys-R-Us exclusive Treehouse of Horror Three Ironic Punishment playset, but when Playmates Toys added an official list of WoS releases, they were replaced by Hugo Simpson II and Freddy Krueger Willie, respectively. The reason why is unknown)
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=== Playsets ===
*Flanders Rumpus Room with Maude Flanders (Was originally going to be the playset of Wave Eighteen, but when the end of the WoS line was announced, it was cancelled)
*Springfield Elementary School Playground with Janey Powell (Was originally going to be the playset of Wave Seventeen, but when the end of the WoS line was announced, it was cancelled)
*Stonecutters Lodge with Stonecutter Carl (Planned to be released around the time the Stonecutters mail-away promotion was in session, this play set would've been a Toys-R-Us exclusive that came with a Stonecutter Carl Carlson figure. But, due to the end of WoS and the slow sales of the Be Sharps Centennial playset with Dr. Dolittle Wiggum, it was cancelled)
*300th Episode Special: The Loft with Skateboarding Homer, Pajama Bart, "Indian Burn" Lisa and Casual Skinner (Was originally planned to promote the 300th episode (which is actually "The Strong Arms of the Ma" due to continuity errors), but was cancelled due to unknown reasons)
*Oval Office with President Lisa, Old Homer, Old Marge, Grownup Bart and Maggie Simpson, Jr (This was the most rumored WoS playset based on an episode occurring every four years; Was first officially teased at SDCC 2003 and was planned to be a Toys-R-Us exclusive, but was cancelled due to slow sales of previous exclusives)
*Treehouse of Horror Five: House of Pain with Walrus Homer, Panther Marge, Spider Bart, Owl Lisa and Anteater Maggie (This particular playset went through many different changes. At first, it was going to be themed after the "Bad Dream House" segment of THOH I, with the Evil House as the setting, and it would've came with the Simpson family chasing each other around with knives. Then, it was decided to keep the setting, but replacing the family with various characters from various THOHs, which then would've included Jack in the Box Homer, Raven Bart, Alien Maggie, Vampire Krusty, Werewolf Flanders, the House of Evil Shopkeeper and the wacky Snowball II. Eventually, much later in the process, it was finally decided to use the "Island of Dr. Hibbert" theme from THOH XIII and use the House of Pain setting along with the Simpson family as animals, which became the final design for this set. However, this set was cancelled for unknown reasons)
*Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Workroom with Mindy Simmons and Homer Simpson (Was originally planned as part of the Celebrity line, but when that line ended, it was cancelled)
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WoSUnreleasedTHOH5OriginalPlan.jpg|One of the original plans for the THOH 5 playset
=== Waves ===
*Wave Seventeen: Ninja Bart, Richard & Lewis Clark, Arnie Pye, Bigfoot Homer, Flying Hellfish, Grampa and Cecil Terwilliger (Voiced by David Hyde Pierce) (Was originally going to be Wave Seventeen of WoS, and each figure were going to have one mini-figure of a character packed in, but when the end of WoS was announced, this series was cancelled)
*Wave Eighteen: Lindsey Naegle, Tuxedo Kang & Kodos, Uncle Moe, Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon and Akira (Voiced by George Takei) (Was originally going to be Wave Eighteen of WoS, but when the end of WoS was announced, this series was cancelled)
*Celebrity Wave Four: Artie Ziff (Voiced by Jon Lovitz), Mindy Simmons (Voiced by Michelle Pfeiffer) and Number One (Voiced by Patrick Stewart) (Was originally planned to be the 4th series of the Celebrity line, but Playmates Toys stated that Number One will be incorporated into the regular 12th series and that Artie Ziff will be incorporated into the regular 16th series. There was no word on Mindy Simmons here, however, since she was originally planned, but was cancelled when the WoS line ended)
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WoSUnreleasedWave18.jpg
=== Dioramas ===
* Wave Two: Springfield Elementary School with Lisa and Bart Simpson, and Barney's Bowlarama w/ Lenny Leonard and Carl Carlson (Was originally going to be part of the 2nd Series of dioramas, but was cancelled along with Series Three, Four and Five after sales of the 1st series of dioramas were slow)
WoSUnreleasedDiorama2ElementaryBartLisa.jpg
WoSUnreleasedDiorama2BowlaramaLennyCarl.jpg
* Wave Three: Springfield Town Hall with Kent Brockman and Mayor Quimby, and Moe's Tavern with Moe Szyslak and Barney Gumble (Was originally going to be part of the 3rd series of dioramas, but was cancelled along with Series Two, Four and Five after sales of the 1st series of dioramas were slow)
WoSUnreleasedDiorama3TownHallKentQuimby.jpg
WoSUnreleasedDiorama3MoesTavernBarneyMoe.jpg
* Wave Four: Flanders House with Ned, Rod and Todd Flanders, and The Frying Dutchman with Captain McCallister and Jeremy Freedman (Was originally going to be part of the 4th series of dioramas, but was cancelled along with Series Two, Three and Five after sales of the 1st series of dioramas were slow)
WoSUnreleasedDiorama4FlandersHouseNedRodTodd.jpg
WoSUnreleasedDiorama4FryingDutchmanHoratioMcCallisterSVT.jpg
* Wave Five: Springfield Nuclear Power Plant with Montgomery Burns and Waylon Smithers, and Springfield Police Station with Chief Wiggum and Officer Lou (Was originally going to be part of the 5th series of dioramas, but was cancelled along with Series Two, Three and Four after sales of the 1st series of dioramas were slow)
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WoSUnreleasedDiorama5PoliceStationWiggumLou.jpg
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