Comedy Central Home Entertainment has today announced that the Chappelle’s Show Season 1: Uncensored DVD box set has become the #1 all-time selling TV show on DVD ever with over 2 million units sold, according to Videoscan and retail sources. It puts the two-disc collection of Dave Chappelle’s top-rated Comedy Central series ahead of previous record-holder, The Simpsons – The Complete First Season, which has sold 1.9 million units. The show is celebrating by releasing the second season DVD earlier than planned. Meanwhile, recent research has shown that TV Show DVDs are the fastest growing trend in the home video business, and if Fox manage to release all fifteen seasons of The Simpsons while the format is still popular, the company could take in an estimated $235 million on the sets alone. If that’s not reason enough for Fox to push out these discs faster, I don’t know what is.
Homer’s Knockout Blow For Cowell
On the eve of the airing of ‘Smart And Smarter’ in the UK, Pop/American Idol, and X-Factor judge Simon Cowell has spoken out to the media saying that being a guest star on The Simpsons was the most “intimidating” thing he had ever done. As British viewers prepare to watch their born and bred local star in animated form, Cowell says he was “very proud” to be part of the show. “It’s genuinely my favourite programme. When I got the telephone call I thought it was a wind-up but it was true,” he said. “It was the most intimidating thing I have ever done in my life. I only had one condition – make me handsome and make me young – as you can see that’s been achieved.” The episode airs on Sky One on Sunday at 6:30pm. Read More >>>
Simpsons Descend On Toronto
Don’t be surprised if you hear a lot of people saying “D’oh” and “Eat my shorts” this weekend in Toronto. Fans of the animated series The Simpsons are expected to descend on the city today to attend Simpsons Mania, a one-day event designed to celebrate the long-running animated show. Simpsons devotees will have a chance to meet people involved with the program and purchase Simpsons-related art. The most high-prolife guest at Simpsons Mania will be Nancy Cartwright. David Silverman, an animator and director on The Simpsons, will also appear at Simpsons Mania, along with Chris Turner, author of Planet Simpson. Simpsons Mania takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre today. Read More >>>
Season 5 DVD Box Art Revealed
Here it is. Further confirmation that The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season is just around the corner. The box art for the set has just been released and it’s sporting a shiny red cover this time around. I think it looks great! Reminder that this set is scheduled to release in the USA and Canada on December 21st. And for all those doubters, Amazon.com have amended their previous date which showed the disk to be available in January. We’ll continue to bring you details of the discs special features as they arrive, but all you can do for now is wait patiently.
Hank Azaria On The Show’s End
Hank Azaria, voice of hundreds of regular characters on The Simpsons today spoke to the Chicago Sun Times regarding his new series “Huff”. They took the time to ask him what his thoughts on Matt Groening’s comments that the next year(s) of The Simpsons may be the last. He responded: “It’s so funny, every year or two, Matt says something like that and everybody goes crazy and stirs things up. Several years ago, he said something like this and I must have received 30 calls from people asking me if it’s true. Matt is a tremendous part of ”The Simpsons.” He created it, he has remained involved, but he’s not the guy that makes that call. I’d be shocked if we didn’t do one more year — besides the one we’re working on now — and I’d think we might go three or four more years.” One thing’s for sure, every time Groening does announce a possible end, the media has a field day so why wouldn’t he want the free promotion?
Season 16: One Month To Go
The countdown begins today. In exactly one month, The Simpsons 16th Season will be kicking off, as usual with the annual Treehouse Of Horror special first up. Airing a week after Halloween on November 7th, Treehouse of Horror XV sees Lisa and Bart take on a Jack-the-Ripper style serial killer loose in Victorian London in an act titled “Four Beheadings and a Funeral.” Meanwhile, baby Maggie is shrunk down into a pill and swallowed by Mr. Burns. The family tries to rescue her a la “Fantasic Voyage,” but Homer gets trapped FOREVER inside his boss’ belly. And in the third act titled “The Ned Zone,” Ned Flanders gains the power to see people’s deaths. No doubt the next month will be filled with promotional information for the first couple of eps, so stay tuned and we’ll bring it to you.
Season 5 In Time For Christmas!
The Simpsons – The Complete Fifth Season has been announced by Fox and we’re here to tell you it’s absolutely true. Fox is going to get Season 5’s DVD set out in time for Christmas…roughly six months after the 4th Season’s release. The exact date is December 21st, so be prepared to plunge into the midst of last-minute gift-shoppers to get your hands on it! In addition to including every Simpsons episode from Season 5, you’ll find coolness such as deleted scenes, animatics, storyboards, sketches, Commericials, and intros by creator Matt Groening. And there’s more in the way of bonus material yet to be revealed! Just as soon as Fox makes the complete list of contents available, we’ll bring that right to you. Cover art isn’t yet available but we’ll keep you posted on that too.
Simpsons Hoax Drives Council Mad
Whittlesea council in Melbourne, Australia has been swamped by legions of Simpsons fans after a hoax spam email claimed the town had built a real-life replica of the cartoon family’s home. Since the email appeared on the net, complete with colourful inside and outside snaps, people have been trying to find it. The email suggested that the replica was in South Morang and apparently some Simpson fans have been spending hours driving around Whittlesea’s northern suburbs trying to find the double-storey house. In the TV series the family live at 742 Evergreen Tce, Springfield. South Morang has an Evergreen Drive. According to Whittlesea mayor, Lara Carli, council staff were a little bemused by the telephone calls and e-mail inquiries, yet remain sympathetic to the Simpsons fans who have to face the reality of an internet prank. According to the Herald Sun, an Evergreen Drive resident said while she hadn’t heard the rumours, she had noticed cars driving by.
Rodney Dangerfield Dies At 82
Rodney Dangerfield, the bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating one-liners brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies and made his lament “I don’t get no respect” a catchphrase, died Tuesday. He was 82. Dangerfield, who fell into a coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced August 25, suffered a small stroke after the operation and developed infectious and abdominal complications. But in the past week he had emerged from the coma, the publicist said.” When Rodney emerged, he kissed me, squeezed my hand and smiled for his doctors,” Dangerfield’s wife, Joan, said. Dangerfield appeared on The Simpsons in the 1996 episode Burns, Baby Burns as Mr. Burns’ long lost son Larry.
Movie To Decide Fate Of Series
The upcoming Simpsons movie will either “kill the show or completely reinvigorate it,” series creator Matt Groening says. While still in the earliest stages of production, a “Simpsons” movie is definitely on the way. “Everyone on the show this year seems really re-energized, and we’re starting to throw out ideas for the movie and I think that will either kill the show or completely re-invigorate it,” Groening says. “We’re trying to tell a story that we wouldn’t do on television and take advantage of a longer process and a more ambitious process for animation,” he says. Groening also speaks more of the show’s fate. “It’s not a machine, It’s a bunch of humans working really hard. It doesn’t get any easier because we’re still faced with the problem of having a history. We’re trying not to repeat ourselves and we’re also competing with people’s memories of their favorite episode.”
Groening Says No To Live Action
Talk about contradiction. Today’s report from BBC (a quality, trusted source) overrides anything you read in yesterday’s news post. “Matt Groening, the man behind ‘The Simpsons’ has revealed he’s turned down a proposal to make a feature length episode starring real actors. He reckons fans of the show would hate the idea, but he is pledging to make an animated Simpsons movie. Despite rumours that it’s coming to an end after sixteen years, Matt reckons as long as the creative talent is still flowing, ‘The Simpsons’ could be here to stay for a long time: “At this point I don’t think there’s any end in sight. I once said a few years ago that I thought I was closer to the end than the beginning, meaning that, we’d been on air for ten or twelve years at the time and I thought we’d be on another ten years.” “So I don’t want to give anybody the wrong idea. Of course the show will end eventually, but not for a long, long time.”
End Of Road For Simpsons?
Warning: Article from “The Sun” in the UK, who told us David Beckham was to appear on the show amongst other things. “Television’s most dysfunctional family are to be axed froms screens before they get too boring. The man behind Springfield’s favourite residents – The Simpsons – says it is becoming increasingly hard to develop new storylines. Matt Groening has signed a deal with the voices behind Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa and co taking them up to a 19th series in 2008. But he only hopes to do one more series after that in 2009. Matt, 50, told The Sun: “The Simpsons’ success has been unbelievable. “But the show gets harder and harder every year because we are trying to keep surprising the audience, and trying to surprise ourselves. “I’d love to get to 365 episodes, so there’s one for every day of the year with no repeats.” He said the final five series would see some of the more peripheral characters, such as Bart’s mate Milhouse, getting more prominent roles. “I think we’ll see more and more stories about the other characters of Springfield,” he said.