The Simpsons: Christmas 2 DVD is now available in North American stores, retailing for a recommended price of $14.98 US and $16.98 in Canada. The set which was announced some months ago is a followup to the disc released at the same time last year, and includes the episodes Homer Vs. Dignity, Skinner’s Sense Of Snow, Dude, Where’s My Ranch? and ‘Tis The Fifteenth Season. For ’Tis The 15th Season you can watch certain segments in animatic or storyboard format. Hopefully this release will keep you entertained until Season 5 arrives next month.
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The Simpsons Hit Channel 4
Channel 4 have dug deep to bag the rights to screen ‘The Simpsons’ which starts this Friday. There was a ferocious bidding war but Channel 4 beat both the BBC and 5 in a deal worth an estimated £700,000 per episode. Creator Matt Groening says they needed the cash after the actors went on strike demanding more pay and landed £4m a year contracts each for four years. Series twelve features guest appearances from The Who, Ed Norton, Drew Barrymore, Michael Keaton, Joshua Jackson and Serena and Venus Williams. Matt says there’s a good reason they like to pepper the shows with big star names: “You know the real reason for doing that is not for ratings or attention, it’s because it just amuses us and the writer want to meet various guest stars. When certain people show up the writers all crowd into the recording studio and get really excited.” Friday is a themed night with two new episodes from series twelve, a documentary called the ‘Ultimate Guide to The Simpsons’ and a comedy quiz.
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The Simpsons Library Of Wisdom
Perennial today announced the launch of a new Simpsons book series. The Simpsons Library of Wisdom, which will be introduced in November 2004 with two inaugural volumes, THE BART BOOK and THE HOMER BOOK. With the publication of these books Perennial will have more than 5 million Simpsons books in print. “This is an incredible milestone — reaching five million copies,” says Susan Weinberg, Senior VP of HarperCollins. “The books embody all the wonderful qualities you’ve come to expect from the award-winning television show. The Simpson Library of Wisdom is another gem in this treasured publishing program.” The books in this new series will explore the human condition and the meaning of life through the eyes of the show’s characters much like Bart’s Guide To Life. Read the full press release on these sets here.
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Homer Hits RadioTimes Cover
British magazine Radio Times will herald the upcoming American election with an exclusive magazine tie-in edition with The Simpsons and Fox. This week’s cover will feature an illustration of Homer Simpson sitting in the White House and include the character’s own manifesto for a better America. It will also feature an exclusive interview with the creator, Matt Groening. The issue comes after a poll by the magazine revealed that the majority of readers would like to see Homer Simpson in the Oval office ahead of any other familiar television character. Read More >>>
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Vote Homer For President
Doughnut-guzzling, beer-quaffing Homer Simpson may not be the model father but he has won the hearts of British TV fans who want the nuclear power plant worker to be the next U.S. President. Former president George Bush notoriously said American families should be “closer to the Waltons than the Simpsons” but Homer was overwhelming favourite in a Radio Times magazine poll on which U.S. TV character should take over at the White House. As Americans ponder tax and security pledges from President George W. Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry ahead of the November 2 poll, television fans have been considering Homer slogans such as “No big government, just big waist sizes”. In a manifesto compiled for the magazine by The Simpsons’ writing staff, the bumbling animated TV hero also pledges: “I promise there will be fewer nuclear disasters with me as your mayor than with me as your nuclear safety inspector.” Read More >>>
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Scooby Dooby D’oh!
The Simpsons have lost their place in the Guinness World Records book as the cartoon comedy series with the most episodes – to Scooby-Doo and his ghostbusting gang. The fearful hound, together with his friends Velma, Shaggy, Fred and Daphne has featured in a total of 350 episodes since the cartoon first aired in 1969. Homer and the rest of Springfield’s finest have appeared in 335. Richard Kilgarriff, of British-based Boomerang TV, which will screen the latest episode, Scooby-Doo Hallowe’en, on Sunday, said: ‘It’s a great honour to have taken Homer’s crown.” Scooby-Doo’s other cartoon rivals are lagging even further behind. Tom and Jerry managed to notch up only 209 episodes, ahead of The Flintstones with 166 and Mickey Mouse with 120. Read More >>>
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Christina Aguilera To Guest Star
“Pop singer Christina Aguilera is set to make an appearance on The Simpsons, according to The Sun today. The newspaper claims that Aguilera stars as a “showbiz wannabe” when Lisa Simpson auditions for a Pop Idol-style talent show. Viewers can expect to see Aguilera’s appearance on the show later on in the sixteenth season.” We’d like to hear something more official than “according to The Sun” at the moment due to their general unreliability over the last year or two but we’ll keep you posted if any details regarding an episode of this description comes about.
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Season Five DVD Press Release
Fox has issued an official press release regarding the release of The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season on DVD. All the details we’ve been told already are there, such as the release date and price, but there was speculation on whether every episode would include commentaries. The press release clears this up, with commentary for every episode listed under special features. Fans will also be happy to know that various deleted scenes have made their way onto each disc, as well as animation showcases, storyboards, animatics, and “A Look Back With James L. Brooks” featurette. TVShowsOnDVD have posted the press release in full.
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Simpson Satire Defines Generation
The Simpsons cartoon is not just a satire of its time, but also a ground-breaker for pop culture, says the Canadian author of a new book about of the show. Chris Turner, the Calgary writer of Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation, was in London yesterday for a preview of his book launch today in Toronto. “I think it goes both ways . . . ,” Turner said after his talk to a lunch-time crowd at the University of Western Ontario’s Spoke lounge. “It’s a satire of its time. The praise for its realism is accurate to my mind. In a slightly exaggerated form, it’s an interesting document of its time. “But that ironic, skeptical, smart-ass point of view, that it was the prime purveyor of, had a huge influence on the culture.” Turner showed clips of Last Exit to Springfield — his favourite episode — and read selections from his book, including one that traced the show’s style to Lenny Bruce. Read More >>>
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Season 4 DVD Wins Awards
The complete fourth season of “The Simpsons” on DVD was named Best 1990s Series and Best Animated Series at the first-ever TV DVD Awards, presented last night in Century City, California. The awards were launched by Video Store Magazine, in cooperation with The Hollywood Reporter and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, to honor the top TV DVD releases of the past year. Nominees were selected by a panel of film critics and DVD writers from a field of more than 150 entries submitted by studios and independent suppliers that offer TV DVD product. All TV DVD titles released in the United States between Sept. 1, 2003, and Aug. 31, 2004, were eligible. The irreverent Fox comedy was the only two-time winner at the awards, established by Video Store Magazine to recognize achievements in the DVD release of TV series. The boxed set, hailed for its colorful menus and wide assortment of extra features, was released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
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Long Live Bart!
When Nancy Cartwright speaks, you can hear a tiny trace of Bart Simpson slipping through. And when she laughs, there’s little doubt about it. It’s the same mischievous chuckle as that of everyone’s favourite 10-year-old troublemaker — and right now Cartwright is chuckling heartily. I’ve just asked her if she would teach me how to talk like Bart. It seemed like a skill she might be willing to pass along. “Not only can’t I, but if I could, I wouldn’t,” she says. “Are you crazy? I value my job way too much to go telling all the secrets to you guys up north.” But what if she were run down by a Chrysler like Snowball the cat? Or abducted by aliens, as the Simpsons were in the Hungry are the Damned episode? What would happen to The Simpsons? “It would be cancelled,” she replies. If she goes, so does the show. “I have no doubt about that. They have never found anybody who can do any of the characters that I do. I don’t think I can be replaced. I could, but the public would hate it.” Read More >>>
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Channel 4 Simpsons Launch Plans
UK: Channel 4 have today confirmed that cult cartoon The Simpsons will make its network premiere on Bonfire Night, November 5. The themed night of programming will begin at 9pm with two new episodes from season 12, ‘A Tale of Two Springfields’ and ‘Tree House of Horror XI’. At 10pm, a documentary called The Ultimate Guide To The Simpsons will chart the success of the show, with contributions from Eddie Izzard, Green Wing star Tamsin Greig and Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carte, as well as the cast and crew. At 11pm, Jamie Theakston will host The Simpsons’ Quiz Show, a comedy panel show with Ralph Little, Sara Cox, Iain Lee, Richard Bacon, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Nick Frost – all diehard Simpsons fans who are tested on their knowledge of the show using some of the funniest clips from the past 15 years. From November 8, C4 will air older episodes of the show each weeknight at 6pm, while the terrestrial premieres of season 12 episodes will be seen Fridays at 9pm.