Tag: season 16

What’s coming up on ”The Simpsons.” Guest stars, a gay marriage, and a movie. Just as Homer sometimes fails to properly appreciate Marge’s buxom, blue-haired beauty, fans of The Simpsons tend to take the show for granted. The series, which begins its 16th season on Nov. 7 (with the annual ”Treehouse of Horror” Halloween-themed episode), has been so funny for so long that it can feel like an inexhaustible natural resource, like comedic tap water. But as a conversation with longtime Simpsons executive producer Al Jean reveals, maintaining the quality of the longest-running sitcom in television history isn’t easy. Here are six facts worth knowing about the new season — and beyond: Liam Neeson voices a priest who helps Bart and Homer consider converting to Catholicism (Homer likes the part with the wine); James Caan visits Bart’s treehouse after he converts it to a junior Playboy Mansion; and Lucy Liu plays a bureaucrat when Homer pretends to be married to Marge’s gravel-voiced sister Selma so she can adopt a Chinese baby. Read More >>>

Bart Simpson is acting like himself, which is to say naughty. And he sounds like himself, with that familiar mischievous lilt. But Bart’s voice is coming out of a petite blonde wearing a fluffy, bright-pink wrap. Dumpy Homer has morphed into a lanky fellow, and mom Marge’s towering purple hair is brown and tastefully cropped. The event was a “table read,” when the cast of “The Simpsons” gathered with a roomful of writers, producers and guests, using their imaginations to conjure up the animated family with the distinctive mustard hue. It was just one of the steps toward crafting an episode of the Fox series that begins its 16th season Sunday at 8 p.m. The run is remarkable for any show – but especially for one like this. Irreverent, witty and willing to take on anything from politics to religion to family values, “The Simpsons” has provided a rare bit of spice for the oatmeal-bland bowl of TV broadcasting. Read More >>>

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.

If you don’t want to know which Simpsons character is set to come out of the closet – stop reading now. And for those who thought it was Smithers – you’re wrong! According to reports in the US, the gay character will be Marge’s sister, Patty. A source on the show said: ‘Patty confesses to Marge that she is a lesbian and she has decided to marry her lesbian partner. Her girlfriend is someone Patty has known for a long time but has yet to be introduced to viewers. ‘But before the girls can wed, Springfield has to pass an ordinance allowing same-sex marriages. Marge throws herself into the campaign to change the law so her sister can marry – and pulls it off!’ At first, Homer finds it difficult to accept his sister-in-law is gay – but ends up walking her down the aisle.

Forget about taking your earnings to the racetrack, readaBet.com have just released betting odds for who they think the gay Simpsons character, to be revealled in the sixteenth season, will be. In as favourite is Mr Smithers at 5/2. This is hardly surprising considering his well known admiration for Mr Burns, but we consider it to be too obvious. Patty and Selma are joint second favourites, although given their love for Macguiver, it would be unfair to cite either of the sisters. Quoted at 10/1 are the beer guzzling characters – Moe, Carl and Lenny. Further down the list, Willy the groundsman can be found at 20/1, while Homer is least favourable along with Bumblebee Man at 66/1. For those looking for a couple of fun bets on this market, the advice is to go with Smithers and Willy. Read More >>>

At his home in Springfield’s gay neighborhood, Waylon Smithers is crying into his Malibu Stacy pillowcase. “Why did this have to happen to me?” he wails. “Sure, he may be conservative but I’ve done nothing but serve Mr. Burns, and now that has all been taken from me.” Smithers is referring to an outrageous outing campaign recently triggered by activist members of “The Simpsons” staff and the news media. It all started last week at the San Diego Comic Convention when producer Al Jean addressed thousands of comic and animation fans about the program’s upcoming 16th season, in which a character will come out of the closet. In the wake of these comments, there has been much speculation about which character is likely to come out. “Worst rumor ever,” said Comic Book Guy who, naturally, was at the convention. He admits to once trying to pass the “final frontier” by looking at a Web site he thought contained gay pornography. Read More >>>

Everyone’s favourite cartoon bad boy Bart Simpson has recorded a rap with a real life bad guy – 50 Cent. Nancy Cartwright, the actress who gives Bart a voice, has told BBC Newsround that the rap single will feature in the next Simpsons series. She says that 50 Cent was a huge fan of the Simpsons and a “pussycat”! She said his writing and rhythms were “brilliant” and the sound was “street”. The rap will be seen in the television show’s upcoming sixteenth season either later this year or early next year. It’s not known if there will be any plans to release the new tune as a single ala Do The Bartman, so you’ll have to keep watching to hear the unlikely duo’s wondrous work! Read More >>>

One of the veteran cartoon stars of The Simpsons is coming out of the closet. The betting on who it might be would seem to favor sniveling yes-man Waylon Smithers. For years he has harbored a secret crush on his boss, the evil nuclear tycoon Mr- Burns. But the show’s producers refused to tell fans at the sci-fi and comic book gathering Comic-Con International if he’s the one. In the episode, Springfield legalizes gay marriage, and Homer Simpson becomes a minister by registering online. Matt Groening, the show’s creator, joked that Homer is the one to come out as gay. Information leaked across the net has already told us that Patty Bouvier will be the one coming out next season. Groening said he still plans to make a feature-film version of “The Simpsons,” but probably won’t start work on it until the conclusion of the T-V series. The show is heading into its 16th season and still going strong.

Fox has released details of Season Sixteen’s big names to help draw fans back to the show. In addition to the four stars in the Super Bowl special mentioned earlier, TV and film stars Ray Romano, Kim Catrall, James Caan, and rapper 50 Cent have been lined up to star in the next season of The Simpsons. Romano will play Homer’s new best friend, Ray Magini, while Kim Catrall stars as Marge’s former high school pal. Journalist Chloe Talbot; rapper 50 Cent; architect Frank Gehry; and author Thomas Pynchon will star as themselves, and Joe Mantegna will reprise his role as Fat Tony. Season 16 is set to officially premiere on November 14, though as always the Treehouse Of Horror special is expected a week earlier, albeit 7 days after Halloween. More details will come leading up to the season.

We started this month by confirming that Fox had renewed The Simpsons until Seasons 16, but a week later, sources were telling us a 17th Season was also on the line. Until now it has been speculation, but Fox has revealled that the show has only been renewed until Season 16; taking it until May 2005. This however, does not rule out the possibility of any further Seasons. King Of The Hill has also been renewed until May 2004.

“The Simpsons renewal means the show will make it through a jaw-dropping 16th full season and roughly 360 episodes, allowing Homer and Co. to edge past “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” to claim the mantle of longest-running laffer in TV history. “Watch out, ‘Gunsmoke,’ you’re next,” quipped Al Jean, executive producer of The Simpsons. (“Gunsmoke” ran for a record 20 years.)” Read More >>>