the TV addict » The Simpsons

First Look: THE SIMPSONS Celebrates 500 Episodes (feat. WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange)

theTVaddict — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:02:04 +0000

In their rush to leak the news that controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be joining THE SIMPSONS in their landmark 500th adventure that sees America’s favorite family forced to live off-the-grid community after the denizens of Springfield evict them in a secret town hall meeting, Entertainment Weekly neglected one very important thing: Photographic evidence from the February 19th episode! Your first look of which we’ve handily posted after the jump.

THE SIMPSONS airs Sundays at 8PM on FOX (Global TV in Canada) and features the voice talents of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille and more. Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv

THE SIMPSONS First Look: Armie Hammer Gets Animated

theTVaddict — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:32:01 +0000

Did you “like” The Social Network? Well, then you’re not going to want to miss the upcoming January 15th episode of THE SIMPSONS that sends up last year’s Sorkin-penned smash when Lisa is forced to answer for the chaos that descends upon Springfield after her own lack of friends inspires her to create “SpringFace.” More first look photos of which — including a guest appearance by the Winklevoss Twins (Voiced by The Social Network’s Armie Hammer) — can be found after the jump.

THE SIMPSONS airs Sunday at 8PM on January 15th on Fox (Global TV in Canada)

First Look: THE SIMPSONS Gets a Visit From “The Walking Dead”

theTVaddict — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:07:16 +0000

Already miss THE WALKING DEAD? Well, we’ve got some good news because Sunday’s brand new episode of THE SIMPSONS features a crossover over sorts. Okay, not really! That said, the next best thing to a living corpse does guest star in the form of Joan Rivers, who lends her voice to the iconic animated series when Krusty hires a new agent in “The Ten-Per-Cent Solution” and here with your first look is theTVaddict.com.

First Look: GLEE’s Jane Lynch Gets Simpsonized

theTVaddict — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:16:17 +0000

On Sunday November 6th, Jane Lynch will follow in her fellow GLEE cast mates footsteps by lending her voice to an all-new episode of THE SIMPSONS entitled “Replaceable You.” Less exciting, at least where Homer is concerned is that Lynch didn’t exactly leave her infamous Sue Sylvester alter-ego behind when it came to playing his overeager new assistant Roz. Or at least that’s what a soon-to-be-unemployed Nuclear Safety Inspector will discover when Roz’s true motives come to light. All together now, 3… 2… 1… “D’oh!”

THE SIMPSONS! HOMELAND! ABC! THE WALKING DEAD! The TV Addict Week in Rewind

theTVaddict — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:21:38 +0000

Worst Casting Decision: LAW & ORDER: SVU will add Gilbert Gottfried in a recurring role. Because an annoying character is what the long-running franchise needs as it struggles against newbie REVENGE. And speaking of REVENGE.

Best Halloween Treat: Move over Thursday night, forget Monday, thanks to the heartfelt hilarity that is THE MIDDLE, SUBURGATORY, MODERN FAMILY and HAPPY ENDINGS, Wednesdays on ABC — capped off with the increasingly addictive Emily VanCamp sudser that is REVENGE — has officially become our favorite night of television bar none.

Oddest Announcement: Butter-loving chef Paula Dean told Jay Leno she’ll be launching a clothing line. Wonder if it’ll be sold at K-Mart or in the deep-fried section of the local Piggly Wiggly?

Most Diluted Franchise: Much as we love THE SIMPSONS, the annual Treehouse of Horror is really stretching the definition of “horror” by spoofing Avatar.

Biggest Diva: Could someone please tell Maksim Chmerkov that he’s not one of the stars in the title of DANCING WITH THE STARS?

Best Halloween Treat (Runner Up): AMC renewed THE WALKING DEAD for a third season.

Network That Has Just Stopped Trying: Really, A&E? MONSTER IN-LAWS? You make us sad.

Most Depressing News: While JERSEY SHORE will continue to live forever, MTV pulled the plug on THE BURIED LIFE, a show in which four friends tried to help strangers fulfill their dreams. Maybe it would have stood a chance had they helped more people fulfill their dreams of becoming overly-exposed drunks with propensities toward violence?

Fad We’re Pretty Much Over: Following in the footsteps of MSNBC, Fox, CNN and practically every network but Comedy Central, CBS will prove just how desperate it is for Saturday-night ratings by airing the latest GOP debate in primetime on November 12.

The “Pays to Have Friends in High Places!” Award Goes To… : Greg Grunberg and J.J. Abrams, who — having already worked together on ALIAS and FELICITY — will yet again team up on an as-yet-unnamed project.

Biggest Head Scratcher: The only thing more confounding than the mystery surrounding Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody’s true allegiances after returning home following eight years gone missing in Iraq is how on earth it took us so long to jump on the HOMELAND bandwagon. Seriously. Showtime FTW!

Dumbest Move: Rather than send Cochran — clearly the weakest link on either tribe — to meet his maker on Redemption Island, SURVIVOR’s Ozzy opted to face competition-crusher Christine.

Worst Role Model: In asking for a torrent link to TOP CHEF, Lady Gaga outted herself as a viewer of illegally-obtained shows. Here’s hoping this becomes an issue during any future court case involving her music being pirated.

Biggest Disappointment: FX Network will continue to enable Charlie Sheen’s insanely unstable lifestyle by announcing a deal to become the home of his new series based on the popular Jack Nicholson/Adam Sandler movie ANGER MANAGEMENT. American horror story indeed.

Most Annoying News: Much-buzzed-about NBC series AWAKE — about a man living in two alternate realities — shut down production to, says showrunner Howard Gordon, figure out how to turn the intriguing concept into a regular series. This, after having filmed six episodes. Dudes, shouldn’t that be — and call us crazy here — the very first thing figured out before a single frame is shot?

No D’Oh For You! Harry Shearer Pens an Open Letter Blasting Fox for Failing to Share in THE SIMPSONS’ Profits

theTVaddict — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:08:25 +0000

If for no other reason than we’re really quite proud of ourselves for coming up with “No D’Oh For You” headline, well, coupled with the fact that Fox had already given the voice cast a deadline of 12PM to accept their latest offer, we thought now might be as good a time as any to share an open letter from veteran voice actor Harry Shearer (Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, among others) who has taken it upon himself to publicly release a statement that further explains his position with regards to the current stalemate between Fox and cast of THE SIMPSONS. See what he had to say for yourself, after the jump.

For many years now, the cast of THE SIMPSONS has been trying to get Fox to agree that, like so many other people who’ve contributed significantly to the show’s success, we be allowed a tiny share of the billions of dollars in profits the show has earned. Fox has consistently refused to even consider the matter. Instead, it’s paid us salaries that, while ridiculous by any normal standard, pale in comparison to what the show’s profit participants have been taking home.

Now, as the show enters its 23rd season, we are engaged in what will probably be our last contract negotiation with Fox. As you may have heard, the network has taken the position that The Simpsons no longer makes enough money and that unless we in the cast accept a 45% pay cut, they are not going to bring the show back for a 24th season.

Obviously, there are a lot more important things going on in the world right now, in the streets of New York and elsewhere. But given how many people seem to care about what happens to our show – and how much misinformation has been flying around – I thought it might make sense for at least one member of the cast to speak out directly. I should note that I am speaking only for myself, and not for any of the other actors on the show.

Fox wants to cut our salaries in half because it says it can’t afford to continue making the show under what it calls the existing business model. Fox hasn’t explained what kind of new business model it has formulated to keep the show on the air, but clearly the less money they have to pay us in salary, the more they’re able to afford to continue broadcasting the show. And to this I say, fine – if pay cuts are what it will take to keep the show on the air, then cut my pay. In fact, to make it as easy as possible for Fox to keep new episodes of The Simpsons coming, I’m willing to let them cut my salary not just 45% but more than 70% – down to half of what they said they would be willing to pay us. All I would ask in return is that I be allowed a small share of the eventual profits.

My representatives broached this idea to Fox yesterday, asking the network how low a salary number I would have to accept to make a profit participation feasible. My representatives were told there was no such number. There were, the Fox people said, simply no circumstances under which the network would consider allowing me or any of the actors to share in the show’s success.

As a member of the Simpsons cast for 23 years, I think it’s fair to say that we’ve had a great run and no one should feel sorry for any of us. But given how much joy the show has given so many people over the years – and given how many billions of dollars in profits News Corp. has earned and will earn from it – I find it hard to believe that this is Fox’s final word on the subject. At least I certainly hope it isn’t, because the alternative is to cancel the show or fire me for having the gall to try to save the show by helping Fox with its new business model. Neither would be a fair result – either to those of us who have committed so many years to the show or to its loyal fans who make our effort worthwhile.

THE SIMPSONS Salary Dispute: Whose Side Are You On?

theTVaddict — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:29:43 +0000

This just in: Friday is no longer just a ubiquitous YouTube video gone viral, it’s also a deadline.

According to The Wrap, Fox has given THE SIMPSONS’ six primary voice actors until Friday at noon to decide whether they’ll accept a salary cut of nearly 50 percent or risk turning this season into the series’ last. And while the question remains as to whether the cast — all of whom have a notorious history of rocky contract renegotiations dating back to disputes in both 1998 and 2004 — will eventually cave to Fox’s demands, the bigger question, at least from our perspective, is who do we root for?

On the one hand, despite being forced to join the show’s producers in agreeing to what on the surface seems like a massively unfair pay cut, it’s incredibly hard to sympathize with actors Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, among others), Julie Kavner (Marge, her sisters, among others), Nancy Cartwright (Bart, among others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Apu Nahasapeemapetilo, among others), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, among others) who when all is said and done would still manage to walk away with a whopping $250,000 per episode for a series that doesn’t just attract a mere a fraction of the audience it once did, but is a money loser for the Network. On the other hand, the incredibly talented voice actors are not only responsible for netting Producer 20th Century Fox billions upon billions of dollars over the course of its 23 seasons on the air, but will continue to do so in perpetuity thanks to a seemingly never-ending stream of ancillary revenues courtesy of merchandising, digital downloads and syndication fees for years to come.

Fox News! Harry Potter! A Simpsons Divorce! We Preview THE SIMPSONS Season 23 with EP Al Jean

theTVaddict — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:12:11 +0000

After an astounding 22 seasons and counting, fans of THE SIMPSONS will be happy to know that the show isn’t in any danger of running out of ideas anytime soon. Or at least that’s what we took away from our recent one-on-one with showrunner Al Jean who promised lots of laughs thanks to stories that touch on Fox News, the Harry Potter phenomena and more. See for yourself after the jump.

Your TV Tech Fix: 7 TV Related Games Worth Playing – Part 1

Matt Whitlock — Sat, 28 May 2011 13:59:50 +0000

When it comes to adapting popular TV and movies into video games, developers have a poor track record of producing quality results. Nonetheless, it’s far safer (meaning easier) for developers to get budget based on a license than try to introduce an original IP, so the gaming industry continues to march forward turning great movie and TV franchises into must-avoid, lifeless interactive experiences.

That doesn’t mean all TV based games are bad. Occasionally a game developer defies the odds and produces something that doesn’t reek of uninspired, phone-it-in game design. In part 1, we’ll look at 3 games based on popular TV shows (at one point or another) worth playing.

Bart vs. The Space Mutants – 1991

Although not the debut game with THE SIMPSONS characters, an honor that belongs to the classically awesome four person arcade brawler, Bart vs. The Space Mutants was the first Simpson’s game playable on home consoles. Although available on a smorgasbord of early gaming devices (ZX Spectrum, anyone?), the version I fondly remember playing was Acclaim’s release on the original Nintendo.

While later entries in the Bart vs. games played a little better (Bart vs. the World was particularly good), it was Bart’s showdown with the Space Mutants that was the most fun to play. Sure, it was insanely difficult, but did a much better job of creatively tying in with the source material.

CSI: Dark Motives – 2004

CBS‘ mega-hit series CSI: needs no introduction, capturing huge ratings and a serious fan following over the shows history… and several variations of the show based in different cities with different crews. In video game form, all published by Ubisoft thus far (with few exceptions for handheld ports), it hasn’t had anywhere near the same level of success as the TV shows.

The CSI: games put you in the role of crime scene investigator as you work with various members of the Vegas crew to track down the truth. Each game typically features five individual cases that usually tie together at the end.

I’ll be honest that I haven’t played every entry in the series (there are 9 games so far), but of the four or five I’ve played through, CSI: Dark Motives (the 2nd in the franchise) has been the only one I’d really recommend playing. The cases were relatively interesting, the actual voices of all the series’ talent on board, and with far less hand-holding than the first one. You’ll need to be a CSI: fan to really enjoy it, but if you are, you’ll have fun.

DUCK TALES – 1989

Even if you were never a fan of Scrooge and his nephews, you’d be hard pressed not to enjoy DUCK TALES as a video game. Developed and published by Capcom in 1989, the first DUCK TALES video game is actually widely regarded as one of the top video games released for the NES. It’s offers incredibly tight control, innovative game mechanics (thanks to Scrooge’s cane), and a soundtrack from a now legendary video game music composer.

DUCK TALES is hardly relevant as a franchise these days, but even today the game still plays well. It’s incredibly easy (don’t expect it to take more than a few hours to get through it), but like many of the early Disney games for the NES, it’s crammed full of creative platforming and fun gameplay.

To be continued in Part 2. Stay tuned!

Satisfy your inner geek while fueling your TV addiction… TV Tech Fix is a column by Matt Whitlock, editor of the TechLore.com Consumer Electronics Community (plus several other gadget-focused community websites), and lover of both technology and TV. In this column, he’ll cover a wide variety of tech topics aimed squarely at the TV addicts of the world – from tips and tricks to help you better your TV experience, to gear recommendations, to the impact technology is having on the TV shows we love.

Want more TV Tech Fix? Click here to see past entries.

First Look: THE SIMPSONS Wedding Shocker!

theTVaddict — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 23:54:14 +0000

Over the course of twenty-two seasons, the Simpsons have seen it all. Make that, almost all. For as it turns out, despite adventures that have taken them as far as Australia and Peru, one cultural mecca has alluded America’s favourite family… until now. Entitled “The Real Housewives of Fat Tony,” the May 1st episode of THE SIMPSONS will see Homer and Marge head to… wait for it… the Jersey Shore, when Selma finds herself swept off her feet by Fat Tony after a whirlwind courtship. And here, with your first took at the happy couple — in addition to a handful of local Jersey icons — is theTVaddict.com.