Bubbleblabber’s Winter 2021-2022 Animated TV Preview
January 2022
Network: FOX
Season 33 Returns: January 2nd @ 9 pm ET/PT
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.
Network: FOX
Season Two Returns: January 2nd @ 930 pm ET/PT
THE GREAT NORTH is an animated comedy series follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as a single dad, BEEF (Nick Offerman), does his best to keep his bunch of kids close – especially his only daughter, JUDY (Jenny Slate), whose artistic dreams lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall. Rounding out the family are Judy’s older brother, WOLF (Will Forte), and his new wife, HONEYBEE (Dulcé Sloan), middle brother HAM (Paul Rust) and 10-year-old-going-on-50 little brother MOON (Aparna Nancherla). While their mother is not in the picture, Judy seeks guidance from her new boss, ALYSON (Megan Mullally), and her imaginary friend, ALANIS MORISSETTE (voicing as herself), who appears to her in the Northern Lights.
Season Two kicks off with a big musical episode, in which Judy reaches the monumental milestone of getting her braces removed. This season also features special holiday-themed episodes, celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Tobin-style.
The series, which already has been renewed and is currently in production on its third season, was created and written by BOB’S BURGERS writers and executive producers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, as well as writer Minty Lewis (“Regular Show”). The Molyneux sisters serve as executive producers and showrunners. BOB’S BURGERS creator Loren Bouchard also is an executive producer. THE GREAT NORTH is a 20th Television Animation production, and animation is produced through Bento Box Entertainment.
Network: FOX
Season 12 Returns: January 9th @ 9 pm ET/PT
BOB’S BURGERS returns to FOX for its 12th season this fall. The series follows BOB (H. Jon Benjamin) and his ever-quirky family who help him run the restaurant Bob’s Burgers.
In addition to its 2021 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, the series has been nominated in the same category every year since 2012, and won the award twice, in 2014 and 2017. In 2020, H. Jon Benjamin won the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production. Additionally, BOB’S BURGERS reached its milestone 200th episode last season.
Season 12 will feature its annual holiday-themed episodes, as well as all-new and returning guest voices, including Molly Shannon, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Megan Mullally, Stephanie Beatriz, Jenny Slate, Will Forte and Joe Lo Truglio.
BOB’S BURGERS is produced by 20th Television Animation. The series was created and is executive-produced by Loren Bouchard and was co-developed by Jim Dauterive. Nora Smith, Dan Fybel, Rich Rinaldi, Greg Thompson, Jon Schroeder, Steven Davis, Scott Jacobson, Holly Schlesinger, Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Kelvin Yu also serve as executive producers. Bouchard and Smith are showrunners for the upcoming season.
Network: FOX
Season 19 Returns: January 9th @ 930 pm ET/PT
Entering its 19th season, FAMILY GUY continues to entertain its die-hard fan base with razor-sharp humor, spot-on parodies, spectacular animation and orchestra-backed original music. Since its debut in 1999, the series has reached cult status among fans, and its breakout star, a talking baby, has become one of the greatest TV characters of all time. FAMILY GUY has racked up numerous awards, including an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such a distinction. Most recently, series creator and lead voice actor Seth MacFarlane (voices of “Peter Griffin,” “Stewie Griffin,” “Brian Griffin” and “Glenn Quagmire”) was nominated for the 2021 Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance and won the 2019 Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Cast member Alex Borstein (voice of “Lois Griffin”) won the 2018 Emmy Award in the category. MacFarlane also was nominated that year. He won the 2017 and 2016 Emmy Award in the category, and was nominated from 2013 to 2015.
Set to premiere with its 375th episode, FAMILY GUY continues to provide a humorous take on current events, with big name guest voices, including Mike Judge as “King of The Hill” character Hank Hill;Justin Hartley, Zachary Levi, Jay Pharoah, Chris Parnell, Patton Oswalt, Wendy Malick, Peter Macon, Elizabeth Gillies, Leslie Uggams and Kenny Loggins, as well as Sam Elliott as the new mayor of Quahog.
FAMILY GUY is a 20th Television Animation production. Seth MacFarlane is creator and executive producer. Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin serve as executive producers and showrunners, while Steve Callaghan, Tom Devanney, Danny Smith, Kara Vallow, Mark Hentemann and Patrick Meighan are executive producers.
Network: TBS
Season 17 Premieres: January 24th, 2022
“American Dad!” is Cable’s #3 comedy and centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, VA. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan’s blissfully unaware wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), has an unfaltering loyalty that makes her blind to his unabashed arrogance. His left-wing activist daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn’t let him off so easily – and knows just how to push her father’s buttons. Hayley’s brother is the geeky-yet-confident Steve (Scott Grimes), a kid who spends his time playing video games and obsessing about the opposite sex. The Smith cabinet is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (MacFarlane), a sassy, sarcastic and routinely inappropriate space alien, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German Olympic skier.
The animated comedy from 20th Television Animation was created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, and is executive produced by co-showrunner Brian Boyle along with MacFarlane and Weitzman.
"There are also other characters that come and go (also owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate media company)."
Huh. Is that just referring to other characters from the show itself, or is this implying that the new season is going to have cameos from other WBD IPs