Legendary actor John Lithgow is slated to return to The Simpsons in it’s 33rd season sometime in 2022. The instantly recognizable voice previously portrayed himself in the episode, “I’m Just a Girl Who Can’t Say D’oh”, however we don’t know if John is returning to voice himself again or if he will be voicing an entirely different character. In any event, the episode isn’t premiering for a little while and we have a few more episodes to wrap for the 2021 year.
This coming Sunday features a big guest star as well for The SImpsons. This time we’re getting a Smithers-centric episode airing Nov. 21 entitled “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire“, in which the Smithers character is given a more nuanced love interest voiced by Victor Garber. The podcast “Gayest Episode Ever” featured an episode, entitled “Smithers Has a Boyfriend“, which features a really neat interview with father-son writers Rob and Johnny Lazebnik on the evolution of Smithers’s portrayal as a gay character, The Simpsons’ march towards more nuanced representation of LGBTQ+ characters overall, and the two writers’ emphasis on getting the details right (like, knowing that you don’t “swipe” on Grindr).
The Simpsons returns this Sunday Night @ 8 pm ET/PT on FOX, check your local listings.
Synopsis:
The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, THE SIMPSONS exploded into popular culture in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. HOMER (Dan Castellaneta), MARGE (Julie Kavner), BART (Nancy Cartwright), LISA (Yeardley Smith) and MAGGIE are instantly identifiable television icons. Rounding out this cast of characters are many beloved Springfield residents, including tavern proprietor MOE SZYSLAK (Hank Azaria) and nuclear power plant owner MR. BURNS (Harry Shearer). The Emmy Award-, Annie Award- and Peabody Award-winning animated comedy will begin its 33rd season this year. The premiere episode will be a Broadway musical-inspired episode with all original songs. Kristen Bell makes a guest appearance as Marge’s singing voice. Additional upcoming guest voice stars this season include Rachel Bloom, Timothy Olyphant, Cristin Milioti and Brian Cox.
THE SIMPSONS is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Television Animation. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean and Matt Selman are the executive producers. The Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division develops and produces the licensed content for the series.