The Simpsons wins 23rd season, will hit 500 shows
[HMG Celebrity News] – For reasons many among us will find hard to define Fox has just announced it’s renewed The Simpsons for its 23rd season, driving the tales of Bart and his folks to a record of 500 shows.
The network have been trying to boost the show’s ratings with an opening by the graffiti artist Banksy, a cameo appearance by Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and a Katy Perry duet with the Muppets. But the milestone of 500 shows is sure to help. Yet the show’s boss, Al Jean says he’s not even the one most excited by the news;
“The happiest of all is the Unicorn who pokes holes in all our DVD’s,” Al quipped to Vulture. “He’s getting extra hay out of this.”
Due to the extra time needed to produce an animated series, Fox orders the Simpsons two seasons at a time. This latest order will keep them on-air until Spring 2012, with the 500th show due in February of that year.
“We’ll actually have enough to go into a 24th season, even if Fox doesn’t officially order it.” says Al.
Only ‘Lassie’ and ‘Gunsmoke’ have ever made more than 500 shows, so the big reason for the Simpsons renewal has to be history. And merchandising, of course. And the ratings are already stronger.
If you count shows watched on DVR, the show scores about 8.5-million viewers a week — making it one of Fox’s big hits. As for future plans, Al was tight-lipped. But he hinted at a new Banksy gag later this season;
“We’re in the early stages of it, and if it happens it would surprise people a great deal,” he mused.
The next big event for the residents of Springfield is ‘The Simpsons Movie’ broadcast on Thanksgiving-night. But Al says Fox will probably cut it to suit modern tastes. In the DVD version Homer gives someone the finger, Bart exposes himself and Marge swears. But Al’s sure those gags will be dropped for TV.
He’s also confused by prudish new rules that ban certain views — like Homer’s butt;
“There was a time where we could show Homer’s ass. Then they said we couldn’t,” he says. “But I pointed out the repeats that showed it were airing at 6pm.”
And was Fox convinced by that logic? “Nope,” Al replies. “Banned. Completely.”
