The Simpsons

Exclusive Video Interview: Al Jean Executive Producer of The Simpsons

editor@buddytv.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:30:44 GMT

Worst. Interview. Ever. Okay, not really, at all. In fact, as someone who's grown up with The Simpsons and quotes the show regularly, interviewing Simpsons' Executive Produce Al Jean was something of a dream come true. Jean has been with The Simpsons since the very beginning, going from writer to show runner to Executive Producer, making him a virtual Simpsons' encyclopedia.

The day after The Simpsons' won their 25th Emmy, Jean and I chatted about the show's 20th season, if he thinks the never-aging characters grow, and his favorite episode, character and Simpsons catch phrase.

FOX Fall Schedule: 'Dollhouse' Renewed, 'So You Think You Can Dance' Season 6

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:16:05 GMT

Today FOX officially announced its schedule for the 2009-2010 TV season, and some of the changes are huge.?? Aside from the great news that Dollhouse will be coming back for a second season, the other big story is that So You Think You Can Dance, which premieres its fifth season this Thursday, will air in the Fall as well for an immediate sixth season.

The So You Think You Can Dance move is unusual, but helps to balance out the schedule since FOX has American Idol in the Spring.?? It also gives FOX the chance to do direct competition with Dancing with the Stars, a show that in recent seasons has taken several professional from former SYTYCD contestants.

More Fall Lineups:
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FOX Animation Season Finale Previews

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 17 May 2009 07:00:05 GMT

Cartoons on FOX are coming to an end, sort of. It's going to be one exciting season finale Sunday for three of the network's acclaimed animated series. The comedy begins at 8pm with The Simpsons, (then King of the Hill sneaks in with its series finale), followed by Family Guy and finally American Dad.

Tonight's episode of The Simpsons is titled "Coming to Homerica," an obvious parody of the 1988 Eddie Murphy film. Though the series is nearing the end of its 20th season, we won't be surprised if it would return for another run.

The Simpsons: Preview of Episode 20.9, "Lisa the Drama Queen"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:00:00 GMT

It has been more than a month and a half since we were treated to a new episode of The Simpsons, the last one aired on December 7. Finally, America's favorite animated family returns tonight on our screens with an episode called “Lisa the Drama Queen.”

On the episode, Lisa meets an equally academic and creative new friend Juliet (voiced by guest star Emily Blunt) and together they construct a fantasy world that takes them both a little too far from reality. Also on this episode, Grammy-nominated pop punk band Fall Out Boy performs a special version of the end credits theme.

TV's Most Unique Families

editor@buddytv.com — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:07 GMT

BuddyTV's running a special feature on all of the wonderfully unique families on TV. Within the feature, there's a chance to win a flat-screen TV as well as a couple of Showtime prize packages with DVD sets for Dexter season 2, Penn & Teller: BS! season 5, Californication season 1, The L Word season 5, and The Tudors season 1.

TV families always seem to be more interesting than our own. In fact, they're never normal. At one point or another, we'll all wished to be a part of some imaginary clan. Something deep inside draws us to the craziness, the tenderness or the drama. So we salute all these unique TV families.

'The Simpsons' Animates Famous Puzzle-master

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:00:21 GMT

Crossword puzzle designer Merl Reagle crosses over to Springfield, as an animated version of himself makes a cameo appearance on The Simpsons. A fan of the show, Reagle works as a full-time puzzle creator for newspapers across the nation. Along with New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz's yellow-skinned counterpart, Reagle's Simpson-ized character will be featured in the new episode, “Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words.”

Reagle graduated from Catalina High School and the University of Arizona, and worked as a copy editor for the Arizona Daily Star for three years. He later decided to take on puzzle-making as his profession, which has brought him much success. During an interview with the Caliente publication, he revealed just how he managed a spot on the hit Fox television show.

Producer Predicts Three More Seasons of 'The Simpsons'

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Homer Simpson and the rest of the residents of Springfield are expected to linger on our TV screens for at least another three seasons. Though FOX has yet to officially order the multiple-season deal, The Simpsons seems to have a good chance at getting picked up, according to the New York Post.

"The cast is signed for three more years, so I would now say it's about a 90 percent chance we'll come back for at least one of those three," executive producer Al Jean said. "I actually think it's better than a 50 percent chance we'll do three more years of this at least."

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XIX Airs Tomorrow Night

editor@buddytv.com — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The Simpsons will once again celebrate its yearly tradition of spooks, horror and travesty as it brings fans the Treehouse of Horror XIX. This year’s Halloween special, as reported previously, will be divided in three segments called "How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising," "Untitled Robot Parody" and "It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse.”

Read on for a preview of this season’s Treehouse of Horror.

Worst TV Politicians: #7 Mayor Joe Quimby, 'The Simpsons'

editor@buddytv.com — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:00:08 GMT

Just in time for the election, BuddyTV brings you our list of the 15 worst politicians from TV.

<<PREVIOUS | NEXT>>

Joe Quimby is the very definition of a corrupt politician. He gladly accepts all bribes, romps around the town of Springfield with his beauty queen mistress, and will sell out the town in a heartbeat if he'll benefit in every way. It helps that Homer is in charge of safety at the nuclear power plant, because severe brain damage due to exposure to radiation is the only reason the residents of Springfield would keep Quimby in office.

The Simpsons: FOX Releases Promo Image for "Treehouse Of Horror XIX"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Fans won't be getting a new episode of The Simpsons this Sunday but FOX has released a promotional photo to endorse its “Treehouse of Horror XIX” special just in time for Halloween. The episode, which is scheduled to air on Sunday, November 2, marks the 19th installment of the program's yearly tradition of Treehouse of Horror.

The Treehouse of Horror episodes, for those who are not familiar, generally do not obey the rest of The Simpsons' rules of realism. They are also a bit more violent than the show's average episode and contain several different trademarks, including the alien characters Kang and Kodos who have appeared in every episode. More often than not, the segments are created as a parody to well known films and TV shows.

'The Simpsons' Go Shakespearean

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Comedian Rick Miller recently adapted the Shakespeare classic Macbeth into a one-man production by casting characters from The Simpsons into the dark play about lethal ambition. Backed up by a simple stage, a few props and a slipcovered television as Express Night Put it, Miller created and performed the adaptation all by himself, using mostly Shakespeare's original words. He says they were fairly easy to adapt.

"'Macbeth' is a pretty simple, straightforward story," Miller said. "It's probably one of the shorter tragedies — it seems to fit very well with this one dysfunctional family doing another dysfunctional family."

'The Simpsons' Returns Tonight

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:00:00 GMT

After once again claiming U.S. television's highest honor for a prime-time cartoon on the recent Creative Arts Emmy Awards, extending the show's record winning streak, The Simpsons returns tonight with new episodes for its 20th season.

Read on to find out what's in store for tonight's season opener.

BuddyTV Fall 2008 Preview: The Simpsons/King of the Hill/Family Guy/American Dad

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:15 GMT

For exclusive on-set videos and hot features on the new TV season, check out BuddyTV's Fall 2008 Preview.

Network: FOX

Premiere: Sunday, September 28, 8-10pm

Premise: Once again, FOX leaves its Sunday nights alone, using its two-hour animation block to win over younger audiences. Wisely, the network has avoided scheduling any non-animated shows here, as they typically fail (see: The Loop, Unhitched, The Winner, The War at Home).

The Simpsons: Denis Leary, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Two Billionaires Among Next Season's Guests

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Known for its proclivity to incorporate a lot of pop culture elements into its episodes, Entertainment Weekly reports that a bunch of famous stars will grace The Simpsons' 20th season. For one, Rescue Me star comedian Denis Leary is set to guest on the October 5 episode of the animated comedy, where he will play himself.

Leary will supposedly lose his cool during a celebrity golf event and hurl his cellular phone in a quite typical fit of rage. Unfortunately for the Worchester, Massachusetts native, it is Bart Simpsons who finds his phone. The brat makes prank calls and ends up accepting a role for Leary for a film adaptation of Everybody Poops. Friday Night Lights and American Gangster producer Brian Grazer will also make a guest appearance.

The Simpsons: Season 20 Could Be in Jeopardy?

editor@buddytv.com — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Although FOX has already included The Simpsons in its fall lineup as part of its usual Sunday night timeslot, the 20th season of the award-winning animated series remains at risk seeing that no deal has been struck yet with the show's voice actors.

According to Variety, production on the show's 20th season has been on hold for months, which hints that the studio will most likely produce just 20 installments, rather than 22 episodes next season. Despite of this, sources close to both the voice actors and 20th Century Fox TV are optimistic that they're on the road to a new deal. On the other hand, if a deal is not reached anytime soon, the number of episodes in the upcoming season could further be reduced.

The Simpsons: Drew Carey Appears on Tonight's Season Finale

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:00:00 GMT

The Simpsons ends its 19th season run with an installment that puts the spotlight on the Simpsons family's middle child, Lisa. Though extremely intelligent and has a quintessentially good nature, she hasn't exactly been considered as a social butterfly unlike her self-described underachieve brother Bart. However, tonight's season ender will attempt to prove otherwise.

“All About Lisa,” the 20th episode of the 19th season, follows Lisa as she becomes the new assistant of Krusty the Clown. Unexpectedly however, she steals his spotlight and eventually gets her own show, leaving Krusty behind. She even wins Entertainer of the Year at the Springfield Media Awards but soon realizes that show business isn't the right place for her after all.

MOMent #2 - Maggie Picks Her Mom

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 11 May 2008 07:55:13 GMT

In honor of Mother's Day, BuddyTV has compiled this list of our 10 favorite motherly moments.

In the long history of The Simpsons, Mother's Day always reminds me of one special episode and one special moment. In the season 7 episode “Home Sweet Home-Diddily-Dum-Doodily,” Homer and Marge are deemed unfit parents and their kids are sent to foster care, living with the Flanderses. Though Bart and Lisa resist, Maggie quickly becomes emotionally attached to Ned and Maude.

'Simpsons' Voice Actor Lands New Movie Roles

editor@buddytv.com — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Actor Hank Azaria, known for lending his voice to several characters in FOX's The Simpsons, has landed starring roles in two upcoming flicks, Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian and Year One. Both movies are of the comedy genre.

The Night at the Museum sequel is being directed by Shawn Levy, whose resume includes the hit first installment as well as The Pink Panther, Just Married and Cheaper by the Dozen. Ben Stiller is returning to reprise his role as museum night watchman Larry Daley, while Amy Adams (The Office, Enchanted) will serve as the lead female character.

Strike Delays Talks for 'Simpsons' Film Sequel

editor@buddytv.com — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:00:00 GMT

More than half a year has passed since the big screen adaptation of The Simpsons came out and became a box office success, but the much-talked about sequel still has yet to hit the drawing board. At the root of the delay is the ongoing WGA strike.

“At the moment we have a little situation, a little labor dispute,” series director David Silverman told MTV recently. “It has put things on hold.”

Gordon Brown's 'Simpsons' Episode Needs Subtitles Says Animators

editor@buddytv.com — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown could make an appearance on FOX's long-running animated series, The Simpsons, but show animators said that they'd probably need to input subtitles in his episode to make sure U.S. audiences would be able to understand his Scottish accent.

"He's Scottish, I don't know if anyone would understand him, he would probably need subtitles," animator Dan Povenmire told Sky News Online.

'The Simpsons' Running Out of Episodes

editor@buddytv.com — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

FOX's long-running animated series is about to be stopped short on its tracks.

Due to the ongoing WGA strike, The Simpsons is in danger of not being able to complete its current season, as not enough episodes have been completed in order for the show to survive the strike.

Because each episode of The Simpsons takes a significant amount of time to make, show executives have been unable to create a backlog that will last them through the strike, which has caused several television shows – old or new, hit or miss – to shut down production.

The Simpsons: "That 90s Show" Spoilers

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Fans of FOX’s The Simpsons will have to wait until the end of this month to catch a brand-new episode of the long-running animated series. However, some details about the fresh installment have hit the web, which means that eager fans can opt to put themselves up for a little bit of spoilery.

Read on to know what happens in the new Simpsons entitled "That 90’s Show."

'The Simpsons Movie' Out on Blu-Ray and DVD Next Month

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:30:00 GMT

After raking in over $500 million at the worldwide box office, the nearly 20 years in the making Simpsons full-length motion picture will soon conquer home theaters with its release on DVD and high definition format next month.

The Simpsons Movie is scheduled to come out on both DVD and Blu-Ray Disc (BD) on separate launch dates for North America and the rest of the globe.

Man Behind Pirated 'Simpsons' Film Copy Fined by Magistrate

editor@buddytv.com — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, Jose Duarte, a Sydney man who was arrested in August for uploading a pirated copy of The Simpsons' feature film, was fined $888 by a magistrate for breaching copyright.

Duarte, 21, had uploaded The Simpsons Movie to the Internet after capturing it on his cell phone. Twentieth Century Fox worked with the Motion Picture Association and the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) in an international operation, and their search eventually led them to the home of Duarte.

No 'Simpsons' Cameo for Gordon Brown

editor@buddytv.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Those rooting for Prime Minister Gordon Brown to follow in Tony Blair's footsteps and make an appearance on The Simpsons will be disappointed to know that the 56-year-old British official has declined to do so.

"I think Tony Blair did that, I don't think that is for me," Brown told GMTV television, insisting also that he would not appear on any music talent competition or ballroom dancing shows.

The Simpsons: Springfield's Kwik-E-Mart Opens in Universal Studios

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Nothing sells The Simpsons better than an actual Kwik-E-Mart. Yes, Springfield's favorite convenience store is now open for business full time at Universal Studios. The Kwik-E-Mart was originally part of a marketing makeover of a dozen 7-Elevens in conjunction with the opening of The Simpsons Movie last summer.

The new Universal Studios Kwik-E-Mart, which formally opened last October 17 is the perfect one stop shop for all things Simpsons, especially Bart and Homer.