Late last year following the launch of its Disney+ streaming service, Disney promised that it would make The Simpsons available in its original 4:3 aspect ratio (for the first 20 or so seasons) at the request of fans. This is more than just an aesthetic issue -- the cropping has ruined a number of jokes from the earlier seasons by removing important visual context necessary to complete the humor.
There's a DIY Simpsons gift out there this holiday season called "The Dud". It's the sort of creation that gives its components meaning. It's the sort of thing a big product company might never think of because it's too simple, or not part of a never-ending profit model. This is the most interesting piece of Simpsons fandom in the world today.
The best - and complete - list of Simpsons Christmas Episodes was shared by the official Simpsons license-holding promo group. As such, we're about to get in the holiday mood, Disney+ style. That's not the only place The Simpsons exist in this cruel, unforgiving world, but it's currently the most likely place most SlashGear readers will have access - but either way, here they are!
Yes, you read that headline right: a fictional cartoon character has been inducted into a real-world Hall of Fame to honor historic Major League Baseball players. While it may sound silly, the honorary induction is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Simpsons episode where Homer played for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, leading the team to victory in the city championship. Titled "Homer at the Bat," the third-season episode originally aired back on February 20th, 1992.
This isn't deja vu, it's just happening again: FXX plans to have another The Simpsons every episode marathon starting around Thanksgiving and running into early December, the same thing it did back in 2014. The first "Every Episode Ever" marathon was a big hit following FX's acquisition of The Simpsons back catalog rights, and involved airing every episode of the series in order.
After 27 seasons, and nearly 600 episodes, it feels like The Simpsons has managed to cover every topic possible. In fact, South Park made an entire episode centered around the fact that The Simpsons had already done nearly every topic and joke, and that was way back in 2002. Needless to say, there's a Simpsons quote, picture or gif for almost any occasion.
It's some time since The Simpsons did something truly fresh and ground breaking, but now it's breaking that streak in a big way. An upcoming episode is set to feature a live segment with Homer Simpson, where he will answer questions from fans and comment on the day's news (in order to prove the questions weren't picked in advance). How is this possible? In a "first for animation," Fox says the performance will be a combination of real-time animation and motion capture technology.
Do you ever think of the perfect quote from a TV show or movie, and want to send your friends the corresponding image, to further drive home what you're saying? This is a common problem for me, as my friends and I often make various pop culture references when chatting. Well, if you happen to quote The Simpsons a lot, then today is your lucky day.
The Simpsons, the animated comedy that grew from having a small but loyal audience after its 1989 debut, to being the American television icon it is today, may finally have an end date. The show is widely considered to have peaked around season 10, and has been on a steady decline since then, albeit with the occasional highlight. Maybe that's just what happens after over 25 years on the air? Either way, every fan of the show has wondered at some point when The Simpsons will come to an end, and now one of the show's creators has given a timeframe.
Some bad news might have surfaced on The Simpsons front, but one of its upcoming couch gags is a bright spot among it all. There are some guest animators in play, as Bart laments, and they bring with them Rick and Morty who crash -- literally crash -- the Simpsons' family time television watching. It is somewhat long as far as couch gags go, and is wonderful all around...if you've a careful eye, you'll notice there's even a moment of acknowledgement for the Futurama fans out there.
Sad news for faithful fans of The Simpsons this week, as Harry Shearer, the voice for regular characters Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner, and many others, has announced he is leaving the show and will not appear in future seasons. The voice actor has been a big part of the The Simpsons' previous 26 seasons, and his departure means the show will lose some of its most memorable characters. Shearer made the announcement via Twitter, mentioning that had plans to pursue other projects.
Earlier this year, Minecraft players got a The Simpsons skin pack for Minecraft…if they were using an Xbox, that is. We did a mini review of sorts to give a look at the skin pack, and now those on the PlayStation 4 who have been waiting will also be able to get it. The DLC is set to drop this week, and if all goes as anticipated, we’ll be seeing it hit the PlayStation Store on April 28 (that’s tomorrow).