Harry Shearer Returns to The Simpsons
After a stressful two month period in which Harry Shearer, the voice of many characters on The Simpsons (including Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, etc.), didn't seem too keen on returning to the long-running animated sitcom, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Shearer will be rejoining the rest of The Simpsons cast through the series' two guaranteed seasons.
Shearer's contract, like the rest of the principal cast's, is for four seasons at more than $300,000 per episode, with Fox possessing the option for the final two seasons if The Simpsons gets renewed for two more seasons beyond the current guarantee. The Simpsons' official Twitter tweeted their excitement over the news below.
We are extremely pleased to announce that all principal cast members of #TheSimpsons have now been signed. Woo Hoo! pic.twitter.com/pRHW8WJ2oY
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) July 7, 2015
It was a contentious two months for the show's fans, and while executives were adamant about re-casting the characters had Shearer not returned, it's good to know that this minor bump in the road has come to a happy conclusion. Now if only they can re-discover the charm that made them such an icon...
[via Entertainment Weekly]
Why The Simpsons is Not As Good As It Used to Be
In season 13, the episode "Gump Roast" has a clip show that ends in NRBQ performing "They'll Never Stop The Simpsons," a parody of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Along with summarizing the crazier stories over the years like Homer's marijuana use or when Homer thought Bart was gay, it made fun of their current lack of stories with an image of Homer jumping a shark along with joke lyrics like "Have no fears we've got stories for years!" and for the longest time I believed it. While the later seasons were never "classic" territory, there are still plenty of examples I use to show how good it is like "Pray Anything," "The Fight Before Christmas," "500 Keys," and "The Day the Earth Stood Cool." I am one of the few people out there that wanted it to go on forever.
But after watching the latest train wreck of a season, and after learning that the showrunners plan to legally separate Homer and Marge for the upcoming 27th (!) season, I'm giving up. Regardless of whether or not this is meant for a single episode, separating Marge and Homer or playing with the idea in order to get fans talking feels more like grasping at straws than ever before. And with the way The Simpsons is currently written, this can only turn out badly.
This old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be.
Bart Simpson is Getting Killed Off This Season
After 25 years, Sideshow Bob is finally getting his revenge against Bart Simpson in the next season of The Simpsons. During a panel at this past weekend's ATX Festival in Austin, TX, The Simpsons producers revealed that Sideshow Bob will achieve his goal of killing Bart during this year's annual Treehouse of Horror episode. Of course, as is the nature of the Treehouse of Horror episodes, the death won't be permanent.
The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean explains why the team finally relented to Sideshow Bob's wishes by using classic Looney Tunes characters Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner as an analogy by stating, "I hated frustration comedy so we’ll scratch that itch." It appears that the true "horror" for the vignette will not stem from Bart's death, but from Bob's realization that he has nothing to live for following the accomplishment of his life's goal.
The producers were coy on the ongoing Harry Shearer situation, providing no update on whether Shearer would be replaced or brought back on board. For a show that's been running somewhat stagnant for several seasons now, an announcement such as Bart's death was meant to draw headlines, even if the move is only temporary. Still, what will it take to help elevate The Simpsons back to the top of primetime animated comedies? Only time can tell.
[via Entertainment Weekly]
The Simpsons Loses Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, etc.)
Following the news that The Simpsons will be renewed for two more seasons, long-time Simpsons vet Harry Shearer has turned to Twitter to announce his departure from the show. Reports indicate Shearer was the only hold-out from the main cast due to his interests outside of voicing many iconic characters. The actor tweeted his announcement late last night:
from James L. Brooks' lawyer: "show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.". (1/2)
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015
This because I wanted what we've always had: the freedom to do other work. Of course, I wish him the very best. (2/2)
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015
Thanks, Simpsons fans, for your support.
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015
The many characters Shearer voiced, including Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Waylon Smithers, Reverend Lovejoy, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny Leonard, Otto Mann, Rainier Wolfcastle, and many others will reportedly be re-cast. However, CNN Money reports the rumors may be a bit premature and that Shearer and The Simpsons producers are still currently negotiating a new deal, despite the aforementioned Twitter announcement.
This is a huge blow to the storied series and dedicated Simpsons fans. However, TV show holdouts are nothing new, and re-tooled contracts tend to pull through in the 11th hour. However, if this truly is Shearer's departure from the show, we wish him nothing but the best.
[via USA Today]
The Simpsons Renewed for Two More Seasons
It's been awhile since I've actively watched The Simpsons, a product of growing increasingly busy, disinterest in actual TV, and the dwindling level of quality that's been unfortunately associated with the show in recent years. Nevertheless, The Simpsons is a cultural staple, and while its run is slowly winding down, to think of a generation of TV without The Simpsons is near unfathomable.
The inevitable has been delayed a few more years as Fox has renewed The Simpsons for two more seasons, with the run ending at 28 seasons and 625 episodes. /Film points out that the series will be just shy of breaking Gunsmoke's record of longest running scripted prime-time TV episodes at 635, so there's incentive for Fox and The Simpsons to press on past this new order.
Whether you quote The Simpsons everyday or can't tell the difference between Patty and Selma, it's hard to ignore the significance The Simpsons has had on Americana over the past four decades. Whether it can sustain enough energy or momentum to carry it into 2020 will have to be seen in time. One thing's clear: we need more official Simpsons mash-ups.
[via /Film]
The Top 25 Episodes of The Simpsons [12-1]
When the first official episode of The Simpsons, "Bart the Genius" aired on Fox on this day 25 years ago, it changed my life quite a bit. Through strife, laughter, and love, this series has done so much for me over the years. To honor the series' 25th Anniversary, I've listed my favorite 25 episodes of the series.
Picking up where I left off with the first half, there are just far too many episodes I want to talk about and so little time. It was near impossible to boil it down to 25 (and this half especially) but with a few hours of work I did just that. Enjoy!
Honorable Mentions: Treehouse of Horror V, Thank God, It's Doomsday, A Star is Burns, Gump Roast, Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment, Marge vs. The Monorail, Lemon of Troy, And Maggie Makes Three, I Married Marge, Marge Be Not Proud, Flaming Moe's, The Mansion Family, Brick Like Me, 'Round Springfield, 22 Short Films About Springfield, Homer the Whopper, Stark Raving Dad, Lisa the Beauty Queen, Homer's Phobia
The Top 25 Episodes of The Simpsons [25-13]
On January 14th, 1990, the first official episode of The Simpsons, "Bart the Genius," aired on the Fox network. Who knew that 25 years later, we'd still be getting brand new episodes every Sunday? While most folks see the show as an ailing series in steady decline (I won't lie, it was rough around Season 18), I've been hanging on for those 25 years. See, The Simpsons is a very, very special show to me. It started five months after I was born (the show and I are the same age), it was my first word (a garbled mix of Homer and Bart, sounding like "Hort"), and a little piece of me is going to break when it finally ends.
In honor of this monumental anniversary for my favorite TV series, I've perused my DVD sets and VHS tapes and formed a list of my Top 25 episodes. I've set no rules for myself (so unfortunately there's a lot of love for season six), and tried my hardest to fully utilize my experience as a Simpsons junkie. I've broken up this list into two parts, with the second half located here.
[Video] The Simpsons Reimagined in Other Cartoon Styles
The Simpsons' annual "Treehouse of Horror" special allows the creators to have fun with everybody's favorite yellow-skinned cartoon family. This year, the big tease was having the current Simpsons family meeting their past incarnations as they were originally drawn on The Tracy Ullman Show. However, the big surprise was the introduction of The Simpsons' incarnations in different cartoon styles. As a big fan of comics, I'm used to the idea of the Multiverse in which various incarnations of characters exist, and seeing The Simpsons play with this concept was a fun one.
Watch the clip below and see if you can guess all of the shows/films The Simpsons references!
[youtube id="ZNGVaN8FPYw"]