With the Comic-Con @ Home 2021 well underway, Saturday’s slate was highlighted by a fan-favorite at the event for many years. The Simpsons was back with a fun, light-hearted panel talking about their upcoming season, their 33rd. The special, titled “The Simpsons Season 33 and Beyond,” pulled out all the stops with sneak peaks, fun games, and a surprise guest.
The panel was loaded with talent as three writers- Matt Selman (The Simpsons Movie), Al Jean (The Critic), and Carolyn Omine (Get A Job)- and three animators- David Silverman (Extinct), Debbie Mahan (The Simpsons Movie), and Mike Anderson (The Simpsons Movie)- from the show joined. The entire event was moderated by Yeardly Smith (Maximum Overdrive), the voice of Lisa Simpson in the show.
The special began with Smith reading questions from fans for the panel to answer. These questions ranged from how the writing process went for the show to what the cast’s thoughts were on a final episode. These questions led to some great answers from the panel including Jean’s idea for the show to end with the first episode, creating a never-ending loop of The Simpsons. Fans also got to learn that Smith’s dream team up for Lisa Simpson would be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle).
At the halfway point, the conversation moved to season 33 which will air this fall on Fox. The panel was very open and upfront and relayed some fantastic news of what is to come. Selman began by saying that, “The premiere is the most musical episode we’ve ever done.” He also said that star Kristen Bell (The Good Place) will voice Marge when she sings, a nice change up to her usually gravelly voice. The panel also put up a sneak peak picture, drawn by Silverman, of the musical episode.
Other news that the cast hinted at included a two-part epic ode to the fantastic crime series, Fargo. The episodes will feature some famous guest stars known for work in crime series including Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood), Brain Cox (Succession), and Cristin Milioti (Made for Love). Selman jokingly added, “It’s like nothing we’ve ever done before and I really hope it makes sense.” The episodes will be a part of the new SimpFlix, a spoof streaming service where favorite Simpsons characters recreate other series. Some titles previewed were, “len 15” and “MoeZark.”
Finally, the crew ended the special with a fun game of pictionary, where three teams of an animator and a writer draw and guess characters from the show. The game allowed the animators to show off their quick drawing skills and the writers a chance to boast their knowledge of the show. The team of Mahan and Jean ended up winning.
When the game ended, a surprise guest arrived. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, dropped in for the last ten minutes. He joined in on the light, fun banter that the panel had been dealing the entire time. He also let a hilarious detail slip that his nickname as a child was “Matt Groin Injury!”
“The Simpsons Season 33 and Beyond” panel was a fun experience for all and gave fans plenty to talk about before the new season drops. New episodes of The Simpsons will air on Fox this fall. Stay tuned for more from Comic-Con @ Home, which is going on all this weekend.
Watch the Comic-Con @ Home panel for The Simpsons here.