Moviefone Editorial

Tag: simpsons

  • ‘The Simpsons’ New Couch Gag Pays Homage to ‘Adventure Time’

    The Simpsons“The Simpsons” couch gag has become a pop culture icon of its own, and when the animated comedy returns for its 28th season Sunday (yeah, twenty eighth), the gag gets a little adventurous.

    The opening is an homage to “Adventure Time,” the Cartoon Network series about a dog named Jake and his human friend, Finn, in the magical land of Ooo. As executive producer Al Jean told TVLine, “That was the brain child of Mike Anderson, our supervising director. It’s a really beautiful, elaborate crossover.”
    In the “Simpsons” gag, Bart is Finn, with Homer as Jake the dog and Mr. Burns is the Ice King. Speaking of Mr. Burns, the filthy rich businessman is forced to put on a variety show. Amy Schumer guest stars as Burns’ mother.

    “We learn something that might have made him the man he is,” Jean told Entertainment Weekly. “We discover he was the equivalent of an Internet fail sensation in, like, 1917.”

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  • Excellent: Harry Shearer Will Return to ‘The Simpsons’ After All

    The American Cinematheque Presents "In Kovacsland: A Tribute To Ernie Kovacs"After a very public contract dispute, “The Simpsons” star Harry Shearer will be back for the show’s 27th season.

    Entertainment Weekly reports that Shearer has just inked a deal to revive his large, beloved cast of characters — including Mr. Burns, Smithers, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, and many more — for the next season, and beyond. The site writes:

    Shearer has signed the same contract as did the other five primary voice actors—Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Hank Azaria—keeping the show’s original cast fully intact, EW has learned. These deals, which run for four seasons (including a network option for seasons 29 and 30), are estimated at more than $300,000 per episode. Fox recently renewed The Simpsons for a 27th and 28th season, which will bring its episode tally to 625.

    Shearer caused a firestorm back in May when he announced on Twitter that he was leaving the long-running animated program. The actor had indicated that he would not return to the show because he was being kept from pursuing outside projects, though “Simpsons” producer Al Jean disputed that claim. According to an Entertainment Weekly report from the time, Shearer’s packed scheduled was the real culprit, with the actor allegedly refusing to record his dialogue in a timely manner.

    The plan had been to replace Shearer with other voice actors, rather than kill off his trove of characters, but Jean had indicated that he hoped the actor would reconsider and return to the show. EW reports that while negotiations with Shearer continued, production on season 27 of the show did indeed begin without the actor, though the show “already had seven holdover episodes from last season in the can, and those include Shearer’s voices.”

    “Shearer’s deal was completed in enough time to avoid [recasting the roles],” EW reports, “and his temporary absence behind the scenes will not be significantly felt on the new season.”

    We’re glad that Shearer finally agreed to return, and that “The Simpsons” will both look and sound the same when it returns this fall. Season 27 is set to premiere on September 27 on Fox.

    [via: Entertainment Weekly]

    Photo credit: Getty Images

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  • ‘The Simpsons’ Co-Creator Sam Simon Dies at 59

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    Sam Simon, a comedy writer and producer who co-developed groundbreaking animated sitcom “The Simpsons,” has died after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 59.

    Among his many career highlights, Simon “served as the showrunner on the sitcom ‘Taxi’ at the age of 23; wrote for and produced the comedies ‘Cheers’ and ‘The Drew Carey Show’; and created a Fox series for the legendary stand-up comic George Carlin in the mid-1990s,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He most recently worked as a consultant on Charlie Sheen series “Anger Management.”

    But Simon was best-known for helping shepherd the creation of “The Simpsons,” alongside Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. The trio worked together on “The Tracey Ullman Show,” on which Bart and co. first got their start, later giving the Simpsons family its own Fox series in 1989.

    “The Simpsons” is now the longest-running primetime series in television history. “Simon also is credited with assembling the show’s elite writing team that included Al Jean,George Meyer, John Swartzwelder, Mike Reiss, Jon Vitti and Conan O’Brien,” THR writes.

    But Simon eventually left the series — millions in hand — in 1993 to pursue other endeavors, becoming a dedicated philanthropist who eagerly gave away his fortune. He created dog rescue organization the Sam Simon Foundation, and was a frequent donor to PETA, Save the Children, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

    “He was a genius and a great humanitarian in ways public and private,” said “The Simpsons” executive producer Al Jean in a statement. “I personally owe him more than can be repaid, but I will do my best to help every animal I can in his memory.”

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

  • New Year’s Resolutions for TV Characters

    Sansa Stark at her wedding in Game of Thrones

    Sure, that sort of behavior makes for great drama and comedy, but it also makes for messy lives. If our favorite TV characters really want to clean up their acts, they’ll take our advice and adopt these custom-tailored New Year‘s resolutions.

    Sansa Stark (“Game of Thrones”): I will not accept any wedding invitations.

    Mindy Lahiri (“The Mindy Project”): I will remember that life is not a romantic comedy, and everything doesn’t turn out the way it does for Meg Ryan.

    Lisa Simpson (“The Simpsons”): After 25 years, I will finally pass the second grade.

    Don Draper (“Mad Men”): Maybe seeing Bert Cooper dancing down the hallway after his death is a sign that I shouldn’t drink so much.

    Saul Goodman (formerly of “Breaking Bad,” soon to be seen on “Better Call Saul”): I will find a better class of clientele. Maybe just white-collar criminals.

    The cast of “Scandal”: We will stop mixing work and our social lives.

    Frank and Claire Underwood (“House of Cards”): Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.

    Alicia Florrick (“The Good Wife”): Me, too.

    Fitz (“Scandal”): Oh, one more for me: no more presidential phone sex. You never know who’s listening…

    Jane Villanueva (“Jane the Virgin”): I’ll go through with the malpractice suit against the gynecologist whose epic blunder left me pregnant, even if she is the sister of hunky, wealthy Rafael. Or at least I’ll make Rafael cough up for daycare.

    Jonah (“Silicon Valley”): I will never get into a driverless, computer-controlled car again.

    The cast of “Orange Is the New Black”: Is it too late to get time off for good behavior?

    Paige (“The Americans”): I know my parents are weird and secretive, but I will not look too hard for the skeletons in their closet, since I might be super creeped out by what I find.

    Sheldon Cooper (“The Big Bang Theory”): I will interact more with lesser human beings, and I won’t always bring disinfectant wipes.

    Jules Cobb (“Cougar Town”): I’ll stop drinking so much red wine and switch to something less heavy-duty. Like white wine.

    Will Graham (“Hannibal”): I will try to get some sleep, though I’ll surely be troubled by nightmares.

    Jack Larsen (“Stalker”): Um, maybe I should stop being a stalker? Or at least appearing to be one?

    Sterling Archer (“Archer”): You know that whole “Miami Vice” thing we did throughout last season? I’ll forget it if you viewers will.

    John Thackery (“The Knick”). Imagine how much more brilliant and trailblazing a surgeon I could be if I weren’t high on liquid cocaine all the time. Maybe I could have invented transplant surgery in 1900 if I weren’t so busy probing the spaces between my toes for injectable veins.

    The extended Braverman clan (“Parenthood”): When we have our series finale at the end of January, we won’t make you cry… too much.

    The cast of “Parks and Recreation”: Neither will we… oh, who are we kidding? You’ll weep as hard as if Li’l Sebastian died all over again.

    Valerie Cherish (“The Comeback”): I’ll be back.

    Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham (“Downton Abbey”): I will consult with my family before embarking on any new business ventures, since I’m clearly hopeless at such things. Although that American fellow, Ponzi, seems like a successful money manager…

    Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (“Downton Abbey”): I shan’t be making any resolutions, as I do not require any self-improvement. Though I can think of others who do.