“He’s one of the most famous people in America, but nobody knows his face. Actor Dan Castellaneta is the voice of that lovable, well-meaning goof-off Homer Simpson. At 45, Castellaneta is the same age as Homer, but that’s where the similarities end. Castellaneta is a shy introvert, the kind of guy who could never muster the courage to return an item to the store. He was destined to be an art teacher; in fact, he was student teaching and occasionally entertained his students by slipping into funny voices.
News
OFF’s Visit To England
Finally, after more than 300 episodes the Simpsons are finally visiting England! They’ve been to Scotland before but have never made it south of the border until now. They’re going to meet JK Rowling but that’s about all we know. What else do you think they should do once they’re here! Should they meet the Queen, sing with Queen (the group that is) or play Twister with Nick Laws? Let us know your funniest ideas! Read More >>>
Ratings
FOX Wins Sweeps For The 1st Time Ever
“Fox Television on Wednesday claimed its first victory ever in the battle for young adult viewers in the crucial ratings sweeps season and vowed to bring back the reality hit centered on a working man posing as a millionaire that powered the upset. The network which began the year in last place in ratings said it had devised a way to reprise the blockbuster ‘Joe Millionaire,’ in which a group of women competed for the affections of a hunky construction worker posing as the heir to a $50 million fortune. Fox also gained considerable ratings mileage from the second edition of its talent contest show ‘American Idol,’ and from its long-running animated family sitcom ‘The Simpsons.'” Read More >>>
News
Rowling, McKellen Meet OFF
Daniel Radcliffe wanted it, but the producers managed to get the next best thing. JK Rowling is to make an appearance on The Simpsons. In the episode, the family travel to England to find a girl Grandpa had a wartime fling with. In London, they meet up with the Harry Potter author. Lisa turns out to be a Potter fan and questions the millionaire. Don Payne, executive producer of the cartoon, said: “The Simpsons bump into JK Rowling outside a bookshop and they talk all about Harry Potter. “We’re very excited about the episode and rest assured every British cliche will be trotted out to get a laugh.”
News
Ready, Set, D’oh!
“Los Angeles is a town wallpapered with tickets, but few tickets are as elusive as one to The Simpsons. Only 22 times each year the writers, voice cast and Matt Groening and Al Jean gather in a bungalow on the 20th Century Fox lot to read through that week’s script. Tickets are by invitation only, and today – episode #EABF20, titled The President Wore Pearls, which will not be seen until late in 2003 – I find myself sitting between a handful of British government ministers and Hank Azaria’s dog. A decade ago, the “read-throughs” were open only to a hallowed few. Today, there are no fewer than two dozen people in the room, and for a moment it looks like we might even run out of seats at the table. It is, to be sure, a very big table. But The Simpsons, to be sure, is a very big show.” Read More >>>
News
Man Enjoys Plenty Of D’oh!
“Twenty-six-year-old Travis McNall spent literally half his life surrounded by an imaginary family. Last Sunday was a milestone for McNall, who spent the night watching the 300th and 301st episodes of The Simpsons, the dysfunctional but fun animated family which has been beamed out to America by the Fox television network in one form or another since 1987, when they first appeared in short intermission films on The Tracey Ullman Show. McNall said his older brother told him one day that The Simpsons were going to have their own show, and after they sat down to watch an early episode in 1990, that was it.
News
Groening Cartoon Finalist
“The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and three syndicated newspaper artists are finalists for the National Cartoonists Society’s 57th Annual Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.
News
Lesbian Kiss Shocks Viewers
“The Simpsons is still making news these days but for all the wrong reasons. A raunchy scene in the cartoon classic stunned millions of viewers when it was broadcast in the United States this week. The episode shows a sizzling lesbian kiss as Homer’s schoolgirl daughter Lisa prepares for a spelling competition. In the episode titled “I’m Spelling As Fast As I Can”, the anxious youngster falls asleep as she lies in bed worrying about a bribe to throw the contest and get free entry into the college of her choice. She finds finds herself dreaming about the ‘seven sisters’ and as two toga-clad goddesses entice her to join them at their college, the heavenly pair move up close and share a tender full-on kiss.” Read More >>>
News
Shakespeare Meets Simpsons
“Double, double, toil and d’oh? Doughnuts and beer may go hand in hand in Springfield, but one performer will test whether Shakespeare and the Simpsons are as appropriate a match Wednesday night at 7:30 in the Bama Theatre. Rick Miller’s “MacHomer” will present a one-man show featuring an 85 percent “Macbeth” script with more than 50 different Simpson voices. University Programs performing arts director Leslie Hines lucked out when she snatched up a cancellation date and booked the Toronto-based actor/writer to perform in Tuscaloosa. “We haven’t sold out yet, but I hope we don’t break his six-year streak of sellout shows,” Hines said. “We suggest that everyone get there early. Miller’s “MacHomer: The Simpsons Do Macbeth” features Homer as Macbeth and Marge as Lady Macbeth. The Toronto Star praised the show, giving it five stars and calling it, “truly awesome. A one-man, comic tour de force. … This is Shakespeare done just the way he’d like it.” Read More >>>
News
Ten Most Sensual Episodes
“The reason I love The Simpsons? Not just the hilarity, not just the even-handed way they skewer everybody. What gets me is that alone of all the shows in the history of television, let alone animated programs, they’ve managed to present both an amazing amount of sexual habits and preferences, and a married couple who have never strayed. Homer and Marge have both been tempted in their time together, but their love is more than a match for such petty delights. It’s inspiring, it is, and it’s good to know that a balding fat man can elicit such joy in his bride. God knows Homer needs to be good at something… So here are my own Top Ten Episodes, along with a plentiful supply of quotes.” Read More >>>
News
A Great Run Honored
“Watching Fox honor the 300th episode of ‘The Simpsons’ Sunday night was like watching the American Film Institute honor Jack Nicholson in 1994 for lifetime achievement. Both celebrations were heartfelt, to an extent, but both also were heavy with the implication that careers were entering a twilight, that a prime had been passed, and that a look backward was better than a glance into the beyond.” Read More >>>
News
Tim Long’s D’oh-mestic Bliss
Simpsons co-executive producer and writer Tim Long will present “It’s the Simpsons’ World, We Just Live in it: Social Issues as Seen Through a Half-Hour Cartoon” tonight. The second of his two presentations is free and will be held at the University of Colorado Boulder campus, Math 100 auditorium at 7pm tonight.