Season 23 Information Thread

[Simpsons Forever!]

Season 23 Information Thread

Recent Updates:
May 10 - Two new episode titles
May 4 - New Season 24 episode with guest stars

Regards to 6F01, biffwestwood, SimpsonArgentina, Oh, that's rasperry!, qwerasdf, That Don Guy, Gran2, McClure, Dark Homer, lionelhutz123, OttoMann14, Blobulle, jbauer, WeaselStomper, MDB, and everyone else who contributes over the next year, helping to keep this thread topped up with the latest information.

The information below is as accurate as when last updated, but could change at any time, so make sure you check this post regularly and we’ll keep it updated with all the latest news concerning the 23rd Season.

Already Aired So Far
Click on an episode's name for a description and its Rate & Review thread.
September 25, 2011 - The Falcon and the D'ohman (NABF16)
October 2, 2011 - Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts (NABF17)
October 30, 2011 - Treehouse of Horror XXII (NABF19)
November 6, 2011 - Replaceable You (NABF21)
November 13, 2011 - The Food Wife (NABF20)
November 20, 2011 - The Book Job (NABF22)
November 27, 2011 - The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants (PABF01)
December 4, 2011 - The Ten-Per-Cent Solution (PABF02)
December 11, 2011 - Holidays of Future Passed (NABF18)
January 8, 2012 - Politically Inept with Homer Simpson (PABF03)
January 15, 2012 - The D'oh-cial Network (PABF04)
January 29, 2012 - Moe Goes From Rages to Riches (PABF05)
February 12, 2012 - The Daughter Also Rises (PABF06)
February 19, 2012 - At Long Last Leave (PABF07) *500th episode*
March 4, 2012 - Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart (PABF09)
March 11, 2012 - How I Wet Your Mother (PABF08)
March 18, 2012 - Them, Robot (PABF10)
April 15, 2012 - Beware My Cheating Bart (PABF11)
April 29, 2012 - A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again (PABF12)
May 6, 2012 - The Spy Who Learned Me (PABF13)


Upcoming Episodes with Confirmed Airdates

Ned 'N' Edna's Blend Agenda - May 13, 2012
When the town of Springfield discovers that Ned (Harry Shearer) and Edna (guest voice Marcia Wallace) have secretly gotten hitched, Marge offers to throw them a congratulatory reception. However, bringing everyone together makes them all realize that no marriage is perfect. Meanwhile, Edna tries to help Ned’s children become more socially acceptable by changing some of the rules.

PABF14 - Lisa Goes Gaga (season finale) - May 20, 2012

• Lady Gaga makes a pit stop in Springfield after learning that it’s teeming with low self-esteem, and winds up trying to cheer up a dejected Lisa through the power of speech, song, and a flash mob. [...]America will be treated to a full-on animated extravaGaganza, complete with a Gaga Express train powered by a giant flame-shooting bustier, ample wardrobe changes, and a kiss with… Marge! “I play a little bit of a slut,” quips Gaga. “The apple doesn’t fall far from my artistic tree.” (Entertainment Weekly)
• Lisa tries to reverse her status as one of the least popular girls in school by ghostwriting positive things about herself on the school blog. When her plan backfires, her social ranking plummets to a new low – until a psychic force tells Lady Gaga (guest-starring as herself) that Lisa needs her help. With Gaga’s assistance, Lisa and the entire town of Springfield realize that being yourself is better than being like anyone else. (TV by the Numbers)

Confirmed Guest Stars (without episodes yet)

• Karl Pilkington (BBC)
• Anika Noni Rose (Twitter)
• Patton Oswalt (Twitter)

Loose Ends

• Season 23 is Al Jean's eleventh consecutive season as Executive Producer. Combined with his two years as EP for seasons 3 & 4, he has executive produced half of the episodes of the show.
• As with the IABF production code being missed out thanks to I's similiarity to one, the OABF production code has also been skipped due to o's resemblance to zero.
• There will be plenty more overly long couch gags. (Comic Con)
• "Maggie Simpson may finally get a shot at stardom befitting her age and size." (James L. Brooks)

Next Season

• "We have a story for Halloween next year, 2012, (PABF17) where we're gonna do a Back to the Future-type story with the way Homer met Marge, so then Jon Lovitz would re-appear playing [Artie Ziff], whom Marge ends up with in this alternate future scenario." (YouTube)
• More on the Halloween episode: "'It deals with in no particular order, The Mayan calendar's prophecy of the end of the world, black holes, Paranormal Activity and what would've happened if Homer and Marge hadn't gotten [married],' Jean said." (Bloody Disgusting)
• Steve Carell plays Dan Gillick, an accountant for Fat Tony "who may go from crunching numbers to crunching skulls when he’s put in charge of the mob by Fat Tony while the big boss serves jury duty." (Entertainment Weekly) The episode is titled "Penny Wise-Guys."
• The Fox ‘toon has tapped Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein — the stars of IFC’s Portland-influenced comedy series — to lend their voices to an episode set to air next fall (during the show’s 24th season). The duo will play part of a “cool” family that moves from Portland to Springfield and becomes the Simpsons’ new neighbors. Homer desperately tries to befriend them, but Marge is skeptical that being cool isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The episode is called “The Day the Earth Stayed Cool.” (AV Club)
• "In fact, I’m [Michael Price] writing an episode for next season that, in part, explores the life of Roger Myers, Jr. – the man at the helm of the “Itchy & Scratchy” empire – and his struggle with trying to live up to the memory of his father, who created Itchy & Scratchy (stole them, actually)." (Fruitless Pursuits)
• "Way down the line we’ve got a very touching story involving Homer and the family dog that reduced a room full of jaded comedy writers to tears" (Fruitless Pursuits)
• "One episode he’s currently penning will see Itchy & Scratchy Land close down, which leads to Homer and Bart obtaining a small steam-engine train from the amusement park and restoring it to run in their back yard. This attracts the attention of fellow model-train enthusiasts like Rev. Lovejoy and Comic Book Guy, who at first just want to help out, but then end up taking over." (Channel Guide)
• "Gone Abie Gone" - Jennifer Tilly will make a cameo appearance in an episode as herself, popping up in an instructional DVD that Lisa watches to brush up on her card skills. (It turns out that Homer doesn’t trust banks and has stashed Lisa’s college fund in an online poker site.) (Entertainment Weekly)
• Moonshine River - Writer Tim Long: "[Bart goes] on a romantic pilgrimage and visit the girls that he dated and try to figure out how the hell he screwed things up with each of them… I don’t want to give away too much, but he realizes that maybe there’s something wrong with him after all." Early in the episode, ex-girlfriends from the last decade such as Gina (Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 15), Darcy (Natalie Portman, season 18), Jenny (Anne Hathaway, season 20), and Nikki (Sarah Silverman, season 21) pop up briefly. But when Bart learns that Mary Spuckler (Zooey Deschanel) has relocated to New York, he decides that she’s the one that got away and embarks on a mission to track her down. (As Mary, New Girl’s Deschanel winds up singing an original country ode to Bart.)
• Episode titles with no other information: A Tree Grows in Springfield, Adventures in Baby-Getting, The Changing of the Guardian, A Test Before Trying

Around The World
For information on upcoming episodes airing across the globe, please see the following threads:
UK Channel 4 and Sky One Discussion Thread
Aussie/Zealander Lounge (contains off topic discussion)

For a more detailed list of upcoming episodes see the snpp.com guides, usually updated weekly:
Europe
Australia

Resources
The Copyright Office Catalog - Titles of upcoming episodes will show up here when they are copyrighted.
Fox Flash - Fox's official resource for press releases and promotional images.

Warning: Bad Media Sources!
Because of consistently false information that these sources have provided in the past, please do not take information from IMDB, TV.com, The Sun/The Star (UK), or Wikipedia seriously. Likewise, fake episode titles/plots and other false information posted will be ignored by the thread starter and the moderators in charge of maintaining this post. Thanks in advance.

Or, if you are still catching up with the previous season, see:
Season 22 Information Thread

[Blobulle]

Already?

[Real Melvin]

Echoing our gratitude to Homer Alone and Fox Executive for really pulling through on this one

[Agent Polar]

Settle petal kettle.

[The Governor]

Kiefer Sutherland will voice a character very similar to his 24 crusader. "It's Jack Bauer now — no longer working," previews Jean. "So he goes to Springfield because too many people are trying to kill him. He befriends the Simpsons, but then one of the guys who wants to kill him sees him on YouTube after he foils a robbery at Moe's Tavern." (Source)

This one better be good. Trying to parody/satire "A History of Violence" and failing would be an insult to that movie.

[Jesse Pinkman]

even though we know nothing about it, i can't help but anticipate the 500th episode, and how they'll celebrate it.

the christmas episode sounds kinda promising to me also

[The Governor]

"After 500 episodes, the best is yet to come!"

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

We've got some interesting episode plots/titles here. Anyone actually think season 23 will be the end?

[Jesse Pinkman]

"After 500 episodes, the best is yet to come!"

didn't they actually say that (or something like that) at the end of Once Upon a Time in Springfield?

yep, the 'best', if the 'best' is episodes like Bob Next Door, Greatest Story Ever d'ohed, and various other 'quality' episodes

[biffwestwood]

We've got some interesting episode plots/titles here. Anyone actually think season 23 will be the end?

I have a feeling we will get news on the voice actors demanding pay raises in late 2011/early 2012 and the amount they demand (or the negotiated compromise they accept) will determine whether season 23 will be the last.

I am 100% sure that the voice actors will not accept pay cuts for additional seasons due to the three previous times in '98, '04, and '08 that they demanded pay raises. But in case they did, that would signify that they won't be happy with their pay and they will just do a half-assed job on whatever seasons it has been renewed for and instantly quit after they are finished with those episodes.

On a side note, I am predicting "Replaceable You" will be the season 23 premier due to Jane Lynch guest starring and I believe FOX will do that "Glee casting hype" all over again.

[Mc_Lovin667]

I felt the Bob Next Door was a quality episode, just a bit cartoony and absurd. One of the better Sideshow Bob episodes recently. The Christmas Episode sounds pretty interesting though....

[Comicshow MolemanBob]

Do you think we will get a Sideshow Bob episode this season? and if so do you think it will parody a movie ("Face Off", "Cape Feare") or a plot created by the writers ("Funeral for A Fiend" and "Brother From Another Series")

[The Governor]

We've got some interesting episode plots/titles here. Anyone actually think season 23 will be the end?

One can hope.

[Dave Shutton]

holy shit! Tim & Eric?! that is going to be interesting, i wish they would let them write an episode....would be really bizarre

[Comicshow MolemanBob]

It was also mentioned in the Season 22 episode info thread about a plot without an episode (Maggie going missing or something like that) Does anyone know if this is going to be a plot point in a season 23 episode?

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

It was also mentioned in the Season 22 episode info thread about a plot without an episode (Maggie going missing or something like that) Does anyone know if this is going to be a plot point in a season 23 episode?

Unless it's a minor aspect of one of the 3 episodes we have left this season I'd say it has to be.

Also, Bob-centered episodes have been every odd numbered season since season 17. It's probably a safe bet we'll have one this season, especially if it actually is the last season.

[Agent Polar]

The Maggie plot is probably part of 500 Keys.

Going by what Mr. Homer has said.

[biffwestwood]

Unless it's a minor aspect of one of the 3 episodes we have left this season I'd say it has to be.

Also, Bob-centered episodes have been every odd numbered season since season 17. It's probably a safe bet we'll have one this season, especially if it actually is the last season.

Also, Jonah Hill and Stan Lee were supposed to guest star in season 22 episodes but they haven't in any episodes that aired and there is no word on either one guest starring in the 3 remaining episodes.

I believe Stan Lee was going to guest star in "Angry Dad: The Movie" due to it being the most logical choice of episode this season. I am unable to speculate on Jonah Hill's second role.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Both might've had their scenes cut. Too bad if true, Angry Dad: The Movie could've used Stan Lee.

[Marge-Fan]

I think 23 season will be not last. Al Jean said in an interview that they have ideas till 25 season, remember? And I' sure Fox will not miss the chance to earn more money.

I actually looking forward for episode "Replaceable you", it seems very good to me. Also I think Christmas episode will be very funny.
Season 22 is so lame and I really really hope season 23 would be not so...

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

If Season 23 is not the last season, I'm guessing we'll be seeing this show go past Season 25 (Al Jean will suddenly come up with more ideas from out of the blue.).

*shudders*

[The Wiggs]

"Kiefer Sutherland will voice a character very similar to his 24 crusader. "It's Jack Bauer now — no longer working," previews Jean. "So he goes to Springfield because too many people are trying to kill him. He befriends the Simpsons, but then one of the guys who wants to kill him sees him on YouTube after he foils a robbery at Moe's Tavern."

This sounds fantastic. Maybe it's just because I was, and am, a big 24 fan, but I'm really pumped for this one. Hopefully they do this one right.

[Marge-Fan]

The Wiggs
If this episode will be just like "24 minutes" - I would be happy!

[Jesse Pinkman]

when i got into the simpsons a few years ago, i kept thinking 'man, i hope they make new episodes of this show when i am in college, so i can watch it sundays. in college!' that would be cool.'

now, if the show lasts longer than 23, the show WILL be on when i am in college. crazy. i didn't think it would last this long, and at the rate things are going i could see a 24th and 25th season. i really could. crazy how things like this work out

[The Wiggs]

The Wiggs
If this episode will be just like "24 minutes" - I would be happy!

Ya, that's the level of quality that I'm hoping for. This ones got some real potential to be good.

[Jesse Pinkman]

I felt the Bob Next Door was a quality episode, just a bit cartoony and absurd.

that's pretty much why i disliked it- i felt it was too cartoony. i know you can use the 'it IS a cartoon, so it doesn't always have to be realistic' excuse, but still. watch the first 8 seasons, and if you see 'just a cartoon series of an animated family and their neighbors and friends', you're not seeing everything they tried to make the series

[bradbradford]

Uhhhh....jonah hill did guest star on the show this season. He played that older bully that bart hangs out with thats still pulling pranks.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Nerd Alert! Pranks and Greens was Season 21

[bradbradford]

^darn! You have out nerded me! Seems weird then that he was ever scheduled to appear in back to back seasons.

[Fox Executive]

I actually think most of the plots we've got so far sound pretty decent. Homer becoming a TV pundit has been done by Peter on Family Guy already, but simply the name 'Gut Check' is enough to make me ignore that fact.
Oh, and another thing. Technically, the show has only been renewed through 493 episodes, but I have no doubt Fox will make the announcement soon. Or maybe they won't, because it's so obvious that the show will be renewed...