The Simpsons Season 33: Release Date, Cast And More
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There are over 700 episodes of The Simpsons and the show has already been renewed for a record-breaking 33rd and 34th season. It will probably still be going long after we've all shuffled off this mortal coil. Either that or, pending advancements in simulated-reality tech, we'll all end up reincarnated someday in a fun little animated town called Springfield (which is located in Oregon, in case you didn't know. Don't confuse this place with San Junipero, either).
While we wait for that distant day, here's everything — and I mean everything — we know about The Simpsons season 33, including details on the musical premiere, the obligatory "Treehouse of Horror" episode, and the character Apu's possible return.
The Simpsons Season 33 Release Date and Where You Can Watch It
Season 33 of The Simpsons will have 22 episodes and it will premiere in its usual time slot of 8 P.M. ET/7 P.M. CT on Sunday, September 26, 2021. You can watch The Simpsons on Fox. Cord-cutters and Simpsons fans everywhere will also be happy to know that since Disney now owns Fox, you can stream back episodes of the show on Disney+.
What is The Simpsons?
We've framed the heading of this section like a Jeopardy! answer, but if you don't know what The Simpsons is, there's a chance you might not know what Jeopardy! is, either. We won't condescend to you about that because there's a very slim chance that someone somewhere on Earth who's reading this right now might not know what The Simpsons is.
The real question is, who is that person? We'd like to know about them and how they made it this far not knowing what The Simpsons is. In summary, The Simpsons is, via Wikipedia (we had to check), "an adult animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life."
First broadcast in 1989, it's the longest-running American sitcom, animated series, and/or scripted primetime series. Like, ever. It has its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and its current Emmy Award count is 34, which means that it's averaging out to about one of those per season.
Some people say The Simpsons jumped the shark many years ago, but you know what? The theme park ride based on it outlived Jaws at Universal Studios Florida. So, there.
The Simpsons Season 33 Synopsis
The Simpsons is a half-hour sitcom and it's episodic in nature so there's not usually a season-long arc with it like there would be with an hour-long drama. However, in a Comic-Con@Home panel this July (via Polygon, see below), executive producer and frequent co-showrunner Matt Selman revealed that the season 33 premiere will be a musical episode with original songs. Various sources list the premiere's title as "The Star of Backstage" or "The Star of the Backstage," and it appears to have held the working title, "No Day But Yesterday."
The third episode in season 33, "Treehouse of Horror XXXII," will offer a new edition of the show's annual Halloween special, with five segments this time instead of three. One of those segments will parody Parasite, the South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho, which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2020.
Selman has also talked up a two-part November episode, "A Serious Flanders," which will be "an epic love letter to the show Fargo and the world of streaming television." The title is a punny reference to both Ned Flanders — the Christian *ding-dong-diddly* neighbor of the Simpsons family — and the distinctly Jewish Coen Brothers film, A Serious Man.
The character of Kwik-E Mart operator, Apu, once voiced by Hank Azaria (but no more), has been a source of controversy in recent years, due to concern over him perpetuating unhelpful Indian stereotypes. Despite Azaria backing out of the role and apologizing for it, Apu still might be slated to return in season 33. Groening has said, "We've got plans for Apu, but we have to see if we can make the stories work."
The Simpsons Season 33 Showrunners, Crew, and More
In addition to the aforementioned Groening and Selman, James L. Brooks and Al Jean have long served as executive producers of The Simpsons, with Jean often acting as sole showrunner or teaming with Selman as co-showrunner on a revolving, episode-by-episode basis.
The Comic-Con@Home panel introduces writer Carolyn Omine along with the "dream team" of animators, David Silverman, Mike Anderson, and Debbie Mahan. Writers and directors are different for every episode. For example, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick writes and Rob Oliver directs the premiere, while John Frink writes and Matthew Faughnan directs "Treehouse of Horror XXXII" (this, according to Jean's verified Twitter account, which includes a photo of one script's cover page).
We don't know the full credits for all 22 episodes yet because they're still being written.
The Simpsons Season 33 Cast
Yeardly Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, moderated the Comic-Con@Home panel, so it's a safe bet she's returning for season 33. Near as we can tell, the show's other principal voice cast members, all of whom have been on board with it for decades, are set to return as well. This includes Azaria, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Harry Shearer.Kristin Bell, star of Frozen and The Good Place, among other things, will guest-star in the premiere and provide Marge Simpson's singing voice. Justified star (and Fargo season 4 co-star) Timothy Olyphant, Succession star Brian Cox, and How I Met Your Mother star Cristin Milioti will lend their voices to that Fargo-themed episode, "A Serious Flanders."
The Simpsons Season 33 Trailer
There's no trailer for The Simpsons season 33 yet, but you can watch the one-hour Comic-Con@Home panel below.