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You can't keep a good Simpsons matriarch down... or up in heaven for that matter.

The Simpsons recently ended its 36th season on Fox with a flash-forward episode revealing that Marge Simpson (voiced by Julie Kavner) has gone to her great reward — in this case an afterlife where she's married to Ringo Starr. Far from being thrilled for her eternal soul, fans freaked out about Marge's future fate. And their fury forced executive producer, Matt Selman, to go on the record reminding everyone that death is an elastic concept in the show's animated universe.

"The Simpsons doesn’t even have canon," Selman told Variety on Thursday. "Since the The Simpsons future episodes are all speculative fantasies, they’re all different every time. Marge will probably never be dead ever again. The only place Marge is dead is in one future episode that aired six weeks ago."

The Simpsons gather...

Several years ago, Lionsgate Home Entertainment revived the defunct Vestron Video label for the Vestron Video Collector’s Series of Blu-ray releases, and over the years that series has turned out to be pretty impressive. The list of Vestron Blu-rays includes Chopping Mall, Blood Diner, the Waxwork movies, Return of the Living Dead ///, The Gate, the Wishmaster films, the Warlock films, Slaughter High, Class of 1999, Beyond Re-Animator, Dagon, Maximum Overdrive, Shivers, Little Monsters, The Wraith, Dementia 13, Steel Dawn, Candyman: Day of the Dead, Dream a Little Dream, Extreme Prejudice, Earth Girls Are Easy, the Dentist movies, the Silent Night, Deadly Night sequels, and more. The thirty-fourth release from the revived Vestron is a Blu-ray of the 1991 horror comedy Ghoulies Go to College – and it’s available for pre-order exclusively through the Lionsgate Limited website! The Blu-ray is selling for the price of $24.99 and will be released on July 15th.

What Is The Longest-Running Scripted Primetime Series In The US? (Photo Credit – Hotstar)

When I think about long-running primetime scripted shows, NCIS and Law & Order often come to mind. But there’s a show that blows them all away: The Simpsons (via TV Insider). Clocking in at an incredible 36 years and still going strong, it holds the record for the longest-running scripted primetime series in the U.S.

The Simpsons felt like it was always part of my weekly TV routine. Sure, its later seasons have gotten mixed reviews, but it’s been heavily entertaining and often downright hilarious across nearly four decades.

The Simpsons: Where It All Began

What struck me most was how this dysfunctional Springfield family shaped popular culture. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie were literal mirrors reflecting America’s quirks, flaws, and absurdities. After 36 seasons and 790 episodes (at the time of writing), the show’s satirical edge remained sharp,...

As The Simpsonshas been on the air since the 1980s, the Matt Groening-created show's starring cast members have has their voices become synonymous with their characters. However, as there have been some characters getting recast on the show, some fans might be wondering if that might happen with one of the show's main cast members.

The Simpsons has now managed to get through Season 36 with the same voice cast members voicing the family from the very start: Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), and Yeardley Smith (Lisa). The same can be said for the show's other main cast members, each of whom voices a slew of beloved side characters: Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria.

In a new interview Cracked, showrunner Matt Selman was asked about the possibility of the show's main characters continuing on past their current actors voicing them. He admitted that it would be...

The core cast of "The Simpsons" includes Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith (who gets the best episodes), Julie Kavner, Hank Azaria, Maggie Roswell, Pamela Hayden, Russi Taylor, and Harry Shearer. Marcia Wallace was also part of the cast until her death in 2013, playing Bart Simpson's cantankerous teacher Mrs. Krabappel. Albert Brooks frequently guest-starred in the show's early years. There was some controversy in recent years about how several Black characters on "The Simpsons" were played by white actors, so Kevin Michael Richardson now plays Dr. Hibbert (previously voiced by Shearer), and Alex Désert now plays Carl (previously voiced by Azaria). 

Each member of the core cast, however, plays multiple roles throughout "The Simpsons," including single lines from background characters. Yes, this list will include every single role that "Simpsons" actors play, no matter how small. The numbers are culled from various sourced, mostly fan-run wikis, and analyzed through...

"The Simpsons" debuted shortly before Christmas in 1989, which means anyone under the age of 35 has never known a world without it. "The Simpsons" wasn't just a hit, but a cultural fulcrum point. Matt Groening's cynical worldview, filtered through an animated takedown of traditional American sitcoms, came to define the prevailing attitudes of the nation in the 1990s. We were over-educated, embittered by the excesses of the Reagan years, and ready to see television mutate into something punky and deconstructionist. "The Simpsons" was at the heart of that. 

And then, even as the 1990s ended, "The Simpsons" never dipped in quality, turning out a full decade of invaluable TV comedy. While public attitudes shifted in the early 2000s ("shock" humor and post-9/11 despair came to define the era), "The Simpsons" persisted. The makers of the show found they could simply keep on working for as long as audiences were interested.

As hard as it is to believe, the writers of The Simpsons didn’t plan out the storylines for all 36 plus seasons of the show back in the late ‘80s. While that hasn’t really been an issue for a half-hour cartoon that’s perpetually frozen in time, one of the show’s early flash-forward episodes now contains a continuity error that may or may not have been caused by a wizard.

“Lisa’s Wedding” from Season Six began with a renaissance fair fortune teller showing Lisa a vision of her future, which includes a fiancé named Hugh. Sadly, the episode ends with the two breaking up just before the ceremony, because it turns out that this particular psychic specializes in relationships “where you get jerked around.”

When Patty and Selma arrive at the futuristic wedding, we get a brief glimpse of an elderly Ned and Maude Flanders:

Which doesn’t make sense.

From April 4 to May 23, 2001, Comedy Central ran eight episodes of a 30-minute sitcom called "That's My Bush!," a sendup of the then-active George W. Bush administration. The premise of the show was as broad as possible. George W. Bush (Timothy Bottoms) was in the White House, but his life was more akin to that of an old-fashioned, 1980s-era workplace sitcom than that of a sitting president. There was a noisy, obnoxious laugh track paired with bright, even TV lighting, making the show look deliberately old-fashioned and artificial. Kurt Fuller played the buttoned-down killjoy Karl Rove, while Carrie Quinn Dolin played Laura Bush.

More than being a spoof of the Bush administration, however (and there was plenty to spoof), "That's My Bush!" was a satire of all-American sitcoms. Show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker (of "South Park" fame) merely used the White House as a backdrop to mock dated sitcom...

The Simpsons has recast plenty of characters over the years, but there are some that have been retired instead. Thanks to the animated nature of The Simpsons, many residents of Springfield haven't aged in the show's thirty-six seasons on the air. This has helped keep The Simspons relevant for generations, gives it some of its most potent enduring qualities, and has allowed the same voice actors to play the show's most consistent characters for decades. However, there are some situations where recastings are inevitable.

Pamela Hayden's departure from The Simpsons means that fixtures of the show like Milhouse Van Houten will need to be recast going forward. This could allow the character to still be in the show. However, other characters were formally retired from the series in light of tragic passing and changing cultural perspectives. There doesn't seem to be a firm rule determining which characters are recast and which are retired,...

If you haven’t watched a new episode of The Simpsons in the last 10 seasons, you might find the current state of a certain character a little sad-diddly-ding-dong-depressing.

With the possible exception only of one Hans Moleman, there isn’t a single surviving Simpsons character from the inaugural cast who has had a more heartbreaking 35 years than Ned Flanders. Between the tragic t-shirt-cannon killing of his kids’ mother Maude to the offscreen death of his second wife Edna Krabappel, Flanders has loved and lost repeatedly while raising Rod and Todd to be conservative and Christ-fearing men largely on his own. Despite his godliness and his good-neighborly behavior, the Simpsons universe has not been kind to the Leftorium proprietor, and the rare, permanent canon adjustments have all been a one-way ticket to Bereavementburgh when poor Neddy deserves to be in Cidertown.

Simpsons fans who have skipped the last dozen-or-so seasons...

Milhouses voice actor Pamela Hayden is retiring, but The Simpsons has proven it can recast this iconic character instead of dropping him from the show entirely. Hayden, who also voices other beloved characters like Rod Flanders and Jimbo Jones, has announced shes retiring from voice acting at age 70. Shes appeared in around 695 episodes of the classic animated series, and now, after 35 years, shes ready to hang it up. Haydens retirement from The Simpsons marks the end of an era.

Now, the producers of The Simpsons are presented with a choice. They can either retire the character of Milhouse or cast a new voice actor to play him. Hayden has shined in plenty of great Milhouse-centric episodes over the years, and turned an ancillary character into one of The Simpsons most cherished icons. Its a classic dilemma: Hayden is so inextricably tied to the role, but shes made him so revered...

After 35 years and nearly 700 episodes, one of the core cast members of The Simpsons is leaving. Earlier this week, Pamela Hayden, who voices Milhouse, Jimbo Jones, Rod, (sometimes) Todd and dozens of other characters, announced her retirement from the show, saying, “The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons? Not easily. It’s been an honor and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty and groundbreaking show.”

Her final performance will be this Sunday, but before she leaves Springfield for good, I caught her on her way out of town to talk about her earliest memories from The Simpsons, Milhouse’s irrepressible optimism and whether or not he and Lisa belong together.

It was such a surprise to hear that you’re leaving The Simpsons, how did you come to the decision to leave?

It was a fabulous run.

The Simpsons is about to lose one of its longest-running voice actors. Pamela Hayden, who voices Milhouse Van Houten, Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Sarah Wiggum, Janey Powell, and more, has announced that she has retired from The Simpsons after 35 years. Everything is not coming up Milhouse.

“People come up to me and they quote Milhouse lines,” said Hayden in a video announcing her retirement. “People are always saying what a nerd he is. But one thing that I love about Milhouse is he’s always getting knocked down, but he keeps getting up. I love the little guy.” Hayden continued, “The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons?……not easily. It’s been an honor and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show, and to give voice to Milhouse and Jimbo Jones,...

After 35 years, The Simpsons is losing one of its most beloved cast members. The Simpsons' primary cast of characters has grown since the main characters Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie debuted in a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. One particular fan-favorite was Milhouse Van Houten, Bart's best friend, who debuted in a Butterfinger commercial before becoming part of the main series. Milhouse has often been framed as the square friend to Bart's cool guy, and some of the series' best lines have come courtesy of him and his voice actor, Pamela Hayden. But all great things must come to an end.

Pamela Hayden is officially set to retire from The Simpsons (via Deadline). While Hayden is best known for voicing Milhouse Van Houten, she has contributed to many other iconic voices in the series. These include bullying Jimbo Jones, Ned Flander's son Rod, and many other minor supporting characters.

All good things must eventually come to an end. Even though "The Simpsons," which is now in its 36th season that included a fake finale, isn't ending, a key cast member of the show who has been there for 35 years is saying goodbye. Pamela Hayden, the voice behind characters such as Milhouse, Jimbo Jones, and many others, has announced her retirement from the classic animated series. Her final appearance airs in a matter of days. The show will then have to soldier on without her.

Hayden's final appearance will be in this week's episode "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes." The announcement was made with a tribute video (which you can check out below). It features Hayden sharing her love for Milhouse in particular, as well as some of the other characters she's voiced on "The Simpsons" over the years. According to Deadline, Fox is going to...

The following contains mild spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 5, "Treehouse of Horror Xxxv," now streaming on HuluA recurring guest actor on The Simpsons' has become crucial to the show, and his role in the show's Venom parody proves it. While most of Springfield is voiced by the show's cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, and Hank Azaria, other actors like Maggie Roswell have brought their own consistent vibes to the show. This is on top of the impressive legacy of deceased actors like Phil Hartman, Marcia Wallace and Russi Taylor, who brought an indeniable character to Springfield and the Simpsons family tree.

A frequent guest star in recent seasons of the show has become a crucial figure within the show's ecosystem, playing a number of minor roles while taking over some long-standing ones in the process. This actor is central to season 36's "Treehouse of Horror Xxxv,...

After 35 years, Teen Witch star Robyn Lively‘s biggest fan might just be her little sister.

Marking the cult teen fantasy comedy’s milestone anniversary, the actress recalled how sister Blake Lively “would fan-girl over me” when Teen Witch premiered in 1989, and she continues to be a “massive” fan of the Dorian Walker-helmed film.

“It’s a family favorite, but not among my immediate family,” Robyn told Jezebel. “My kids love it, but it’s different. For my younger siblings… Blake was — and is — a massive Teen Witch fan. Like, she would fan-girl over me.”

In true stan fashion, Blake and husband Ryan Reynolds even recreated the film’s ‘Final Hour’ dance sequence for their 2012 wedding.

Teen Witch stars Robyn as high school nerd Louise Miller (Zelda Rubinstein), who learns from psychic Madame Serena that she possesses magical abilities, which kick in when she turns 16. With her newfound powers,...

Season Eight of Rick and Morty hasn’t even premiered yet, but word just came that the show has been renewed through through Season 12. Hopefully new episodes of Rick and Morty will come as some comfort to those of us navigating the Mad Max-esque wasteland of 2029.

All of which is to say, Rick and Morty is clearly here to stay. In addition to the TV series, there’s also the anime spin-off, several video game tie-ins and at least one comic book in which Mr. Meeseeks is a hard-boiled private detective for some reason.

News of Rick and Morty’s prolongation dropped in the same week that there’s been a lot of chatter about the end of another beloved animated show: The Simpsons. As we’ve discussed, the 36th season premiere boldly riffed on what a potential Simpsons series finale might look like, prompting further discussions about how,...

Another classic character from The Simpsons was recently killed off in the Season 36 episode, "The Yellow Lotus." As a spoof of HBO's The White Lotus, the episode needed to kill off a Simpsons character, so the show's producers chose someone who hadn't been seen on the animated series in nearly three decades.

The episode brings back Nick Callahan, a realtor who was first introduced in the Season 9 episode, "Realty Bites," in 1997. Though memorable for fans of classic Simpsons, the character is very minor, as he hasn't made any additional appearances in the 27 years since the episode aired. In "The Yellow Lotus," Nick finally returned to the series just to get killed off in the same episode. Speaking about the character's fate in an interview with Screen Rant, producer and writer Al Jean explains why Nick was the one who was chosen.

Related 'It's Just a Joke': The Simpsons Showrunner Explains...

Taxi, a beloved sitcom that aired from 1978-1982, featured a talented main cast including Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd. The show also included memorable guest stars like Tom Hanks and Ruth Gordon, all of whom contributed to its success. Deceased cast members like J. Alan Thomas, Jeff Conaway, and Marcia Wallace are deeply missed, but their impactful roles live on in Taxi's legacy.

The beloved sitcom Taxi aired its first episode over 45 years ago, back in 1978, and in the years since, a few cast members have passed away, including J. Alan Thomas. The series, which would run for five seasons and conclude in 1982, centered around a group of New York City taxi cab drivers and their obnoxious dispatcher. Several of the main cast became huge stars, including Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Marilu Henner. An acclaimed series, Taxi won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series for its first three seasons.

The Simpsons could have benefited from making some guest characters like Herb Powell into recurring characters on the show. Characters like Jessica Lovejoy and Princess Penelope had potential as recurring figures, enhancing plotlines and relationships. Missed opportunities with characters like Ray Patterson and Taffy that could have brought new layers and humor to the show.

The Simpsons has featured plenty of guest stars over the years, but these cameo roles should have become more reoccurring figures in the series. The Simpsons famously has relied on a tight-knit cast for the past thirty-six seasons, with many of the show's characters played by just a handful of performers. The Simpsons' deep bench of guest stars typically only appears for an episode. However, there are some guest actors who've become prominent recurring members of the show, such as Kelsey Grammer's Sideshow Bob and Marcia Wallace's Edna Krabappel.

However, there are some...

Hollywood is in mourning after the death of comedy icon Bob Newhart, who passed away on Thursday aged 94. Friends and colleagues of the multi-award-winning comedian have now taken to social media to pay tribute to Newhart, including directors Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, and several members of The Big Bang Theory cast and crew.

Apatow, who helmed the documentary Bob and Don: A Love Story alongside Michael Bonfiglio about the life-long friendship of Bob Newhart and fellow comedic icon Don Rickles, referred to Newhart as his hero.

Bob Newhart was the kindest most hilarious man. He asked me to make a documentary about his friendship with Don Rickles. I was so lucky to get to spend that time with my hero. His brilliant comedy and gentle spirit made everyone he encountered so happy.

The Bob Newhart Show Comedy Where to Watch

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There’s a generation who know him as Sheldon’s idol Professor Proton in an Emmy-winning turn on “The Big Bang Theory.” Another generation remembers him as Buddy’s adoptive dad in the film “Elf” (2003). Yet another generation grew to love him as writer-turned-innkeeper Dick Loudon, who’s surrounded by eccentric Vermonters on the sitcom “Newhart” (1982-1990). But before all those memorable characters, Bob Newhart won over audiences as psychologist Dr. Robert “Bob” Hartley on “The Bob Newhart Show,” which premiered 50 years ago on September 16, 1972.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Emmy-nominated comedy, plus the 93rd birthday of the TV Academy Hall of Fame inductee, by touring our photo gallery ranking the 25 best episodes.

Set in Chicago, Bob splits time between his home life with his loving but sometimes flippant wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) and their neighbor and friend Howard Borden (Bill Daily), an airline navigator (later co-pilot) who drops in unannounced A Lot.

Actor and comedy legend Bob Newhart has passed away. Widely considered to be among the funniest on-screen personalities in television history, Newhart was 94 years old.

Per THR, Newhart died at his Los Angeles home on Thursday morning. According to his publicist, Jerry Digney, Newhart's passing came after the entertainer had been dealing with a series of short illnesses. Given how Newhart spent decades in show business, there are fans across the world who will undoubtedly be saddened by the news of his passing.

Newhart is especially well known for his hit television comedy series, The Bob Newhart Show, which featured the actor in the starring role from 1972 until 1978. During its run, the series became established as one of the most popular sitcoms to have ever aired on television. Newhart played Bob Hartley, a clinical psychologist, joined by a cast of co-stars that included Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Bonerz, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily,...

Bob Newhart, an Emmy winner and nine-time nominee who helped launch the recorded comedy craze with two smash stand-up albums before starring in the revered TV shows The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, died today at his Los Angeles home. He was 94.

His longtime publicist Jerry Digney said Newhart died after a series of short illnesses.

Newhart broke out in 1960 with a pair of No. 1 comedy albums — despite never having done stand-up before. The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and stayed on that chart for more than two years. The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! arrived about 10 months later and also hit No. 1. The former won Grammys for Album of the Year, Comedy Album of the Year and Best New Artist and featured a slow-spoken still-cited monologue with Newhart as Abe Lincoln.

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

“I worked as an accountant for 2½ years,...

Bob Newhart, the beloved stand-up performer whose droll, deadpan humor showcased on two critically acclaimed CBS sitcoms vaulted him into the ranks of history’s greatest comedians, died Thursday morning. He was 94.

The Chicago legend, who won Grammy Awards for album of the year and best new artist for his 1960 breakthrough record, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, died at his Los Angeles home after a series of short illnesses, his longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, announced.

The former accountant famously went without an Emmy Award until 2013, when he finally was given one for guest-starring as Arthur Jeffries (alias Professor Proton, former host of a children’s science show) on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory.

In 1972, Mtm Enterprises cast the modest comic as clinical psychologist Bob Hartley, who practiced in the real-life Newhart’s favorite burg, Chicago. The Bob Newhart Show would become one of the most popular sitcoms of all time,...

Matt Groening's animated series "The Simpsons" hasn't been good since season [fill in the blank]. 

That seems to be a common discussion within "Simpsons" circles, anyway. There seems to be a general, unrecorded consensus that the glory days of "The Simpsons" are behind it, and that the show has been spinning its wheels since those glory days. There is no consensus, however, when those glory days were exactly. Some older "Simpsons" fans feel that the series peaked somewhere around season five or six. Other, younger viewers feel that the show was just fine up until the release of "The Simpsons Movie" in 2007. Just like "Saturday Night Live," however, the present always seems to be the worst time for the show. 

The fact of the matter is that "The Simpsons" has been running consistently since 1989, having made 768 episodes over 35 seasons. It is a cultural presence that once spearheaded the very tone of all popular culture,...

"I will not waste chalk." This is the first phrase eternal troublemaker Bart Simpson wrote on an animated blackboard in the opening credits of the second-ever episode of "The Simpsons." That was in January 1990, and though the seminal cartoon sitcom's "chalkboard gags" (as they'd soon be known) have ebbed and flowed in frequency over the years, it's safe to say that Bart has, by now, written thousands of words on that same old dusty board.

The typical, classic "Simpsons" chalkboard gag is written in Bart's voice –- unapologetic and ornery, as if he's blowing a giant raspberry in the face of authority. In the decades since the visual joke caught on, though, the chalkboard gags have become more meta and at times offered knowing winks at the state of the world that clearly come directly from the show's writers' room. In "The Simpsons Movie," for example, Bart writes "I will not illegally download this movie.

The Simpsons wrapped up its 35th season with fewer episodes due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With the animated sitcom preparing for its 36th outing, co-showrunner Matt Selman says there are no plans to recast its main characters.

When asked if the creative team ever considered recasting The Simpsons family due to the voice actors' age, Selman told Cartoon Base, "I do not." The actors, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith, who bring Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa to life, respectively, have remained unchanged since the show debuted as a series of shorts on the Tracey Ullman Show in 1987.

Related Bart Simpson's 10 Best Moe Prank Calls, Ranked The Simpsons has plenty of long-running gags and one of the best is the iconic prank calls between Bart and the bartender Moe. Cartoon Base's Full Exclusive Q&a with 'The Simpsons' showrunner Matt Selman.Question 1 -...

Edna Krabappel's death on The Simpsons was handled with subtlety, honoring her character's impact on the series. The show's decision to retire Edna after Marcia Wallace's passing was a respectful tribute to the actress and her role. While Edna's departure was emotional, The Simpsons has also seen other significant characters killed off in different ways over the years.

Edna Krabaappel's death on The Simpsons was handled in a subtle way which reflected the real-life loss the show suffered. The Simpsons introduced endless characters outside of the titular family to populate the town of Springfield, with Bart's 4th Grade teacher Edna Krabappel, being one of the most memorable. She was introduced in the second episode of the series as Bart's teacher and remained a fixture on the show going forward. She was often seen as an unmotivated educator, but "Bart Gets An F" showed a softer side as she saw Bart really trying in school.

Pour one out for Larry "The Barfly" Dalrymple. It's not often that The Simpsons permanently kills off a longtime character unless there's greater motivation behind that change, like with the death of voice actress Marcia Wallace bringing about the end of fourth-grade teacher Edna Krabappel or a salary dispute with Maggie Roswell leading to the tragic fate of Ned Flanders' first wife, Maude Flanders. However, poor Larry, who has hung around the Matt Groening animated series since the pilot in 1989, died in his first spotlight episode, last week's "Cremains of the Day," which finally gave some context as to who he was beyond just another customer at Moe's Tavern. According to co-executive producer Tim Long, who spoke with TMZ about the episode, the move was meant to hit hard with longtime fans who have grown attached to the residents of Springfield, big and small.

The Simpsons took viewers by surprise by killing off silent barfly Larry in a recent episode. Producer Tim Long apologizes for the death, but does admit that he's relieved to see so many people affected by it. Larry's death in season 35 marks a significant moment in the show's history and could impact future episodes if his absence is felt.

The Simpsons executive producer Tim Long addresses the surprisingly emotional departure of a longtime Springfield resident in season 35's "Cremains of the Day." In the fifteenth episode of the currently airing season, the shock death of Moe's Tavern regular Larry Dalrymple leads Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and his friends to set out on a journey to fulfill their acquaintance's last wish. Despite being brought together by the tragedy, some shocking truths about their late friend lead to the group falling out as sinister third parties come across their well-intentioned trip.

The Simpsons...

Larry Dalrymple, the unassuming barfly and staple of Moe’s Tavern on The Simpsons, was killed off on Sunday’s episode. Barely ever uttering a word – and certainly never having a catchphrase – Larry was a minor player on The Simpsons but no doubt a familiar face, as much of a presence in the tavern as the owner himself.

Larry’s last appearance on The Simpsons was season 35’s “Cremains of the Day”, while his first was all the way back on the debut episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.” Yes, that’s how long Larry has been part of the show. According to one Simpsons wiki, he appeared in more than 100 episodes. That’s not a huge number in the scheme of things – The Simpsons is well over 750 at this point – but that you can picture him (probably on his barstool) really says something about the minor impact he had.

CBS sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show" was a staple for American TV audiences of the '70s, thanks in large part to clever writing and Newhart's much-loved performance as psychologist and comedic straight man Bob Hartley. The show ran for six seasons from 1972 to 1978, but it had a surprisingly long pop cultural afterlife. Characters from "The Bob Newhart Show" have popped up in everything from "Murphy Brown" to "St. Elsewhere" to "Alf," though their most famous reappearance came in the jokey "Newhart" finale in 1990. In it, Newhart wakes up in bed next to his wife from the previous series and discovers that this entire sitcom was all an elaborate dream. "The Bob Newhart Show," it turned out, was his real world.

When it wasn't being resurrected for increasingly meta crossovers, "The Bob Newhart Show" was a pretty straightforward sitcom about the life of a mental health clinician and the assortment...

With its 11 Best Animated Program wins and 24 Emmy victories elsewhere, “The Simpsons” certainly isn’t hurting for attention from the TV academy. Nevertheless, the clear consensus among Gold Derby users is that it’s time for the Fox staple to triumph in the top animation category once more. Its dozenth animated program win would specifically be for its 33rd annual “Treehouse of Horror” episode, which would only be the fourth one ever nominated there. At this point, the series’ Halloween specials have brought it no competitive Emmys at all, but that will finally change if our odds prove correct.

The newest special, “Treehouse of Horror Xxxiii,” aired one day before Halloween 2022 and, as usual, consists of three unrelated segments. It is the first without an opening scene and the second (after Season 27’s) to have been directly preceded by a non-“Treehouse of Horror” Halloween episode (“Not It”). For the first time in 20 years,...

750 classic The Simpsons characters return to Springfield in the 750th episode's opening sequence. The long-running animated sitcom concluded season 34 with the 750th episode, "Homer's Adventures Through the Windshield Glass," on May 21, where a traumatic accident leads to Homer (Dan Castellaneta) reflecting on his relationships. While The Simpsons season 34 has reached its end, the show will continue, as it was renewed for seasons 35 and 36 in January.

With The Simpsons' 750th episode, longtime fans were treated to a unique take on the show's iconic opening sequence that celebrated a number of the faces who've passed through the town throughout the decades. The opening sequence featured 750 characters from previous episodes, from classic early one-off characters like the cruel babysitter bandit Lucille Botzcowski (Penny Marshall), to newer characters like Kerry Washington's Springfield Elementary teacher Ms. Peyton. The intro can be seen below, via John F Kensil:

On Tonight’s #TheSimpsons 750th episode They...

In the world of The Simpsons, cartoonish injuries can be sustained and healed in the course of a single episode. But despite the elastic rules of the Fox animated series, death remains a very real concern. Characters have confronted the specter of death in their own lives, with characters like Moe and Homer getting entire episodes focused around darker thoughts. And while much of the established cast has bounced back from plenty of punishment, there have been a handful who didn't.

Over the course of 34 seasons and counting, there have been some significant demises that have all affected the show in some capacity. Whenever the show kills a named character, it often has a great emotional impact equal to any live-action TV death. Here are all the important characters on The Simpsons who've died over the course of the show -- and which ones ended up quietly coming back after they passed.

We all remember the time in our childhood when our parents/guardians sat us down and explained to us one of the hard truths of life: voice actors don't live forever. And we cried, and started pleading with them, asking "what about Bugs Bunny? He's had a consistent voice for over a hundred years!" To which they replied, "no he hasn't." And with tears in our eyes, we ran to our rooms, saving our caretakers from having to confront their own mortality.

When the voice actor of an iconic character passes away, the question of how to proceed with that character inevitably arises. For some, like Edna Krabappel of "The Simpsons," the character was respectfully retired after voice actor Marcia Wallace died. But for other characters, especially ones that have existed for decades and decades, a replacement must be found. This was the case with Minnie Mouse, whose longtime voice actor,...

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David Davis, the Emmy-winning writer and producer whose heyday in the 1970s included invaluable work on the enduring network sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi, has died. He was 86.

Davis died Friday in Los Angeles, his daughter Samantha Davis-Friedman told The Hollywood Reporter.

Survivors include his wife, actress Julie Kavner, best known as the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons. Davis recommended her for the part of Brenda Morgenstern, Valerie Harper‘s insecure sister on Rhoda — it was her first paying job as an actress — and they were together since 1976.

Rhoda “gave me my life, it gave me my career, it gave me the love of my life, David Davis,” Kavner said in a 2009 interview.

A member of the Mtm Enterprises production company founded by Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore, Davis started out on Mtm’s inaugural series,...

There’s a generation who know him as Sheldon’s idol Professor Proton in an Emmy-winning turn on “The Big Bang Theory.” Another generation remembers him as Buddy’s adoptive dad in the film “Elf” (2003). Yet another generation grew to love him as writer-turned-innkeeper Dick Loudon, who’s surrounded by eccentric Vermonters on the sitcom “Newhart” (1982-1990). But before all those memorable characters, Bob Newhart won over audiences as psychologist Dr. Robert “Bob” Hartley on “The Bob Newhart Show,” which premiered 50 years ago on September 16, 1972.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Emmy-nominated comedy, plus the 93rd birthday of the TV Academy Hall of Fame inductee, by touring our photo gallery ranking the 25 best episodes.

SEE50 Greatest Male TV Stars Ever, Ranked

Set in Chicago, Bob splits time between his home life with his loving but sometimes flippant wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) and their neighbor and friend Howard Borden (Bill Daily...

Actress Kerry Washington is set to voice the part of Rayshelle Peyton, Bart Simpson’s fourth-grade teacher on the long-running animated sitcom ‘The Simpsons’. Washingtons’ alter ego is a replacement for Mrs. Krabappel, who was voiced by the late Marcia Wallace until her death in 2013, reports femalefirst.co.uk. The ‘Scandal’ star told Entertainment Weekly: “She’s a […]...

Bart Simpson may never actually age throughout the entire 30-plus season run of "The Simpsons" (and counting!), but that doesn't mean he or the show overall are immune to change. In one of the more significant additions to the incredibly long-running animated comedy series, the creators have finally found a permanent replacement for the beloved supporting character, Mrs. Krabappel. Sadly, the voice actor behind the domineering schoolteacher and bane of Bart's existence, Marcia Wallace, passed away in 2013 and the creative team decided to retire the character outright (after a fond farewell during season 25).

Now, today brings the news (via Entertainment Weekly) that the...

The post The Simpsons Casts Kerry Washington as Bart's New Teacher, Replacing Mrs. Krabappel appeared first on /Film.

One of the great camp classics of 1970s television is getting a drag makeover.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” producer World of Wonder is mounting “Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch,” in which the original stars of the iconic TV series “The Brady Bunch” will recreate a beloved episode of the show alongside several “Drag Race” alumni. The special, produced in partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Plus, will debut on the streamer on June 30, just in time for the end of Pride Month.

The episode in question — “Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up?” from Season 2 — fits the drag theme perfectly: After receiving a birthday party invitation accidentally addressed to her older sister Marcia, Jan decides that the only way she can make herself stand-out from her two blonde-haired sisters is to buy an ill-fitting brown, curly wig.

From the original “Brady Bunch” series, Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland...

ABC’s American Idol scored a 1.0 in the adults 18-49 demographic and netted 6.51 million viewers on Sunday night, down a tenth from last week’s Season 19 premiere but enough to top primetime in the demo. The network also aired an episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos, which climbed two tenths in the demo, and The Rookie, which dipped.

ABC won the night overall in the 18-49 demo.

CBS won the night overall in viewers with an all-originals lineup led by 60 Minutes, which held steady in the demo and earned the night’s largest audience. The Equalizer took a two-tenths hit from last week’s strong time-slot premiere, while NCIS: Los Angeles also dipped. NCIS: New Orleans held steady.

After Fox’s Sunday night lineup was derailed last week due to NASCAR weather delays, things were back on track starting with the debut of Cherries Wild...

This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 12

The Simpsons Season 32, episode 12, “Diary Queen,” may be the sweetest offering of the series. It’s not only sentimental and self-esteem-positive, it’s downright edumacational. At least for Bart, who certainly learns a lesson. Thankfully, as the episode explains by example, he probably won’t retain it.

“What’s the matter, Bart? I figure you’d be used to failing by now,” Edna Krabappel once consoled the spiky haired kid who seemed so determined to get through school without schooling. Marcia Wallace, who played the Springfield Elementary teacher, died unexpectedly in October 2013. Edna’s death was first acknowledged in “Four Regrettings and a Funeral,” from season 25, when Bart wrote “We’ll really miss you Mrs. K” on the chalkboard. He only wrote it once. Her death was punishment enough. Both the character and the voice actor were instrumental in the chemistry of The Simpsons,...

On Sunday night’s episode of The Simpsons titled “Diary Queen”, the audience gets treated to a visit from a familiar face — and voice that became iconic in the long-running Fox animated series.

In the episode, Bart stumbles upon the diary of Edna Krabappel, who was voiced by the late, great Marcia Wallace, who won an Emmy for the role in 1992. For more than 175 episodes, she was known as Bart’s teacher as well as Ned Flanders’ second wife. The result is a very heartfelt tribute to the actress who died unexpectedly in 2013 at the age of 70.

The Simpsons always remembered the character and the actress who voiced Bart’s teacher and Ned Flanders’ second wife. Shortly after she died, we saw Bart write “We’ll really miss you Mrs. K” on the chalkboard in the opening credits. In addition, an episode in March 2014 featured Ned Flanders reminiscing about his late wife.

When Marcia Wallace died unexpectedly in 2013, “The Simpsons” producers were caught by surprise. It was decided that Wallace’s character, Bart’s teacher (and Ned Flanders’ second wife) Edna Krabappel, would also pass away. But executive producer Al Jean said it always bugged him that Wallace and Mrs. Krabappel didn’t get a proper send-off. Until now.

On Sunday’s installment of “The Simpsons,” titled “Diary Queen” (the show’s 696th episode), Bart discovers Mrs. Krabappel’s diary and discovers how much she really believed in him — and it inspires him. The episode features Wallace’s voice, taken from previous episodes.

According to executive producer Al Jean, he used two lines from Wallace, previously used on the show, to fit it into the storyline. “The Simpsons” cleared the use with Wallace’s estate, which was compensated for her appearance. Wallace is credited with the guest appearance on the episode as well.

On “Saturday Night Live,” sketch characters arrive, connect with the audience (or not), and hit occasional sustained peaks of popularity, becoming laugh-riot fixtures and old friends. For a while, starting in the ’90s, the highest honor you could bestow upon an “SNL” character was for him or her to be given their own spin-off movie. That era faded, but that was probably a good thing, since most of those movies were notoriously tepid, hit-or-miss affairs.

Now, though, you see original comedies that, in spirit at least, could be “SNL” sketch spin-offs. “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” was one. “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” is another. Only this one isn’t bad. As Barb and Star, a couple of ludicrously fuddy-duddy fortysomething best friends from Soft Rock, Nebraska, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo don’t wear out their welcome, and the movie, while it has more chuckles than belly laughs,...

Dawn Wells, who starred as “good girl” Mary Ann in popular 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died Wednesday of causes related to Covid-19 in Los Angeles. She was 82.

Pig-tailed and attired in her ubiquitous dungarees or gingham dress, which is on display at the Hollywood Museum, the Mary Ann character was the girl-next-door to Tina Louise’s suggestive evening dress-clad Ginger, who was often subjected to leering comments from the male stars they were shipwrecked with on a tropical island after becoming stranded during a “three-hour tour.”

Louise, the last remaining member of the crew, said in a statement, “I was sad to learn of Dawn’s passing, I will always remember her kindness to me. We shared in creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time. I hope that people will remember her the way that I do – always with a smile on her face.

Creators of series hope that theirs will be the next big “hit” and will be the show to keep us glued to our sets for years to come. However, long-running series often face the problem of the actor of a popular character wanting to leave. Do they replace that actor? Do they write the character off and if so, how? Kill them off? Have them move away? These decisions are further complicated when the actor dies, and the writers are tasked with deciding the fate of that character, while at the same time mourning a colleague and friend.

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Sometimes an actor becomes sick, and the writers know to be prepared for the event, such as with Larry Hagman (second version of “Dallas”), who fought cancer valiantly to the end, and his iconic character was sent out with a “bang.” But there are...