Season 30 Information Thread

[Dark Homer]

Season 30 Information Thread

Ahoy-hoy and welcome to the Season 30 Information Thread, where we keep track of news and information about the 2018-2019 season of The Simpsons. Please keep in mind this information could change at any time.

Latest Updates

• 5/11: One more episode written by Megan Amram
• 5/5: Writer for "The Miseducation of Lisa Simpson"
• 4/30: New title, "The Miseducation of Lisa Simpson"

Upcoming Episodes

To discuss episodes that have already aired, please check out our Rate & Review archive.

YABF16 - Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion - May 12, 2019

• Writer: Megan Amram (Al Jean/Twitter)
• Season finale. (Al Jean/Twitter, Fox Flash)
• Synopsis: After Homer's work cuts children's healthcare benefits, Marge turns to buying healing crystals as a cheaper solution for Bart's ADD. Bart begins to succeed in school, prompting Marge to open her very own crystals empire and sell to the naive mothers at school. Guest Voice Cast: Illeana Douglas as New Age Clerk, Werner Herzog as Walter Hotenhoffer, Jenny Slate as Piper Paisley
• Jenny Slate lends her voice to the episode as Piper, owner of rival store Plop in Shelbyville and someone none too pleased for any competition. “It’s an all-out war over yoni eggs,” says Jean. “This is a a very strange product I wasn’t aware of, but it is sold.” In addition to Slate, Illeana Douglas and Werner Herzog serve as guest voices. Plus, there’s a solid callback to a memorable season 8 character. “There is a very brief scene with the coyote from ‘El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer,'” says Jean, “who returns and eats a roadrunner.” (Entertainment Weekly)

YABF13 - The Incredible Lightness of Being A Baby

• Writers: Tom Gammill & Max Pross (Al Jean/Twitter)
• Synopsis: Marge won't let Maggie play with her new baby crush because of his annoying mother, leading Maggie into a depressive spiral. Meanwhile, Mr. Burns tasks Homer with swindling Cletus out of his helium fortune. (The Futon Critic)

YABF17 - Thanksgiving of Horror

• Writer: Dan Vebber (Al Jean/Twitter)

YABF18 - Treehouse of Horror XXX

• Episode 666 (Al Jean/Twitter)
• Written by J. Stewart Burns. (Al Jean/Twitter)

YABF19 - The Winter of Our Monetized Content

• Written by Ryan Koh. (Al Jean/Twitter)

YABF20 - Gorillas on the Mast

• Written by Max Cohn. (Al Jean/Twitter)

YABF21 - Go Big or Go Homer

• Written by John Frink. (Al Jean/Twitter)

YABF22 - The Fat Blue Line

• Written by Bill Odenkirk. (Al Jean/Twitter)

ZABF01 - Bobby, It's Cold Outside (Al Jean/Twitter)

• Written by Jeff Westbrook and John Frink. (Al Jean/Twitter)

ZABF02 - Marge the Lumberjill (Al Jean/Twitter)

• Written by Ryan Koh. (Al Jean/Twitter)

ZABF03 - Livin' la Pura Vida

• Written by Brian Kelley. (Al Jean/Twitter)

ZABF04 - Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me

• Written by Tim Long and Miranda Thompson. (Al Jean/Twitter)

ZABF05 - Hail to the Teeth

• Written by Elisabeth Kiernan Averick. (Al Jean/Twitter)

ZABF06 - The Miseducation of Lisa Simpson

• Written by J. Stewart Burns. (Al Jean/Twitter)

Loose Ends

• A flashforward episode will air during fall. (Al Jean/Twitter)
• Jason Momoa guest starring. (Tim Long/Twitter)
• One more episode written by Megan Amram. (Al Jean/Twitter)

[Dark Homer]

Useful 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.
• The Futon Critic - Another source for press releases.
• Entertainment Weekly - Most exclusives show up here.
• The Springfield Shopper - A news blog from the maintainers of Wikisimpsons.

Many people who work on the show can be found on Twitter:

• Al Jean
• Matt Selman
• Chris Ledesma
• Megan Amram
• James L. Brooks
• Joel H. Cohen
• John Frink
• Stephanie Gillis
• Brian Kelley
• Jon Kern
• Rob LaZebnik
• Tim Long
• Jeff Martin
• David Mirkin
• Carolyn Omine
• Michael Price
• Mike Reiss
• Mike Scully
• David Silverman
• Yeardley Smith
• Jeff Westbrook

Please be courteous when contacting them!

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Simpsons Forever! for creating the template for this thread way back in 2006, and thanks to the following members for helping keep the previous threads updated with the latest information: 20thCenturyBox, 6F01, biffwestwood, Brad Lascelle, Blobulle, ComicBookGal, Dark Homer, Gran2, jbauer, LetsPlayNintendoITA, lionelhutz123, Matty, McClure, MDB, Nameless, OttoMann14, qwerasdf, SimpsonArgentina, simpsonsbart, Szyslak100, That Don Guy, WeaselStomper, Matty, that guy who pesters Al Jean on Twitter, and everyone else who contributes over the next year!

[That Don Guy]

Here are the Fox NFL doubleheader days for 2018:
September 9 (before Season 30 begins)
September 23 (before Season 30 begins; Fox will air the season premiere of 9-1-1 that night)
October 7
October 28 (pre-empted for World Series Game 5)
November 4
November 18
December 2
December 9
December 30 (which should be a repeat)

[MDB]

Plot from "Werking mom"
It seems like they give to much away so I'm gonna put this in spoilers:

 Marge starts selling tupperwares but can't sell any because she is too shy so Julio reccommendes her to dress up to gain confidense, she does it and sells a lot but everyone thinks she is a drag queen so in order to keep selling marge pretends to be a drag queen.
The sub-plot is a parody of Amélie, where Lisa does little things to make people happy  
guest star: RuPaul

November 18th, tentative date

Source

[Brad Lascelle]

That sounds like the premise of Flaming Moe except with Marge and Tupperware.
And that it comes off even more plausibly ridiculous.

The subplot sounds like it could be a lot of fun, at least.

[MDB]

Now that you mention it, Flaming Moe even has a "joke" where people think Marge is a drag queen

[That Don Guy]

That sounds like the premise of Flaming Moe except with Marge and Tupperware.

Don't you mean "Supperware" (from "Duffless")?

[MDB]

This year's satirizes Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the 3 Faces of Eve and Jurassic Park. Your call.

— Al Jean (@AlJean) 25 de mayo de 2018

[Smarch Weather!]

Fuck Werking Mom is going to be terrible, as expected by that dumb title.

[Brad Lascelle]

I expect next season to open rather weak outside of the Selman / Ridgeley episode.

The rest of the XABF run in particular seems ominous given what we know of Werking Mom's premise, a Cohen-scripted THOH, a Koh episode (who remains a spectacularly bad 0 for 2), a Castellaneta-Lacusta joint that will no doubt be over-indulgent with one of his characters, a Russia ep which portends something political or a travel ep (neither of which lead to good things) but I'm willing to at least give that one a chance given how Paths of Glory turned out and a typically weak LaZebnik effort that might involve Maggie getting a license or a marriage crisis over vehicle access.

[ataeaf]

XABF, @Brad Lascelle, the WABF run was the run from Dad Behavior to Singin’ in the Lane.

[Venomrabbit]

another Cohen THOH? yay

Thing is, the eve one, looking at the original's synopsis, doesn't seem too bad. I mean it seems like one of those older season concepts like The Bart Zone, one that doesn't need much of a body count. Just get Marge with Dr Nick as the psychiatrist and there we go. But given who's writing, it'll be that Marge (or Lisa) has another personality that kills people in a totally coincidental revenge-fic manner. And then another non-horror parody. The only one that I'm having a hard time thinking of how it can be screwed up is the body snatchers one... but given the bodycount obsession of later THOH eps they'll probably find a way.

[Welcome to Moe's]

You do such a great job here @Dark Homer, thanks for doing this and sourcing the episodes etc..

As always, we'll have to see what the episodes bring before we decide if it's going to be a strong season or not, it's hard to tell, I was wondering, does anyone know how long The Simpsons signed their last contract for with Fox? I did hear somewhere they there was so many seasons, whether they fulfill that or not I don't know and of course the Disney thing could have affected that but with this being season 30 I was kinda wondering with the show always being spoken about another series or not.

Season 32 seems a nice ending but as I've said so many times, as long as the team feel they've still got ideas and things to bring then that's when they should continue really, when it feels right for them.

I like how Al responds to people trying to complain about the show too, like the person who said it's unwatchable for their 7 year old and he explained what's in it and that it's their call. The show is what it is and it's aimed at the audience it is, so it's down to us if we feel it's suitable or not, they shouldn't have to keep catering to people like this, it's not even possible.

Looking forward to the season anyway, although I still need to catch up on some of season 29 yet as I'm a little behind lol

[Brad Lascelle]

As of right now, we're still only aware of the cast and crew being signed on to produce episodes through the end of the Season 30 (YABF) production order. That would take us through the end of Season 30 with a holdover of 8 episodes (if the season goes 22 eps) or 9 episodes (if the season goes 21 eps)... which would, presumably, air the next fall.

It is also clear that the intent from the studio, the creative team and FOX is to keep the show running longer beyond that. The last two contract extensions we got word of was in May 2015 for Seasons 27 and 28... although I'm fairly certain we had received word about VABF episodes being worked on prior to that date - and in November 2016 for Seasons 29 and 30. I wouldn't expect to hear back on another contract extension until this fall at the earliest.

[Welcome to Moe's]

I see, I do often see various things around but it confuses me sometimes as to what's what with it all, I know Fox have always wanted them to extend the show though with this whole Disney thing I'm not sure how that stands with them now, however there's no doubt quite a bit left anyway

Thanks for that Brad, I appreciate it

[BartBoy666]

Now that you mention it, Flaming Moe even has a "joke" where people think Marge is a drag queen

Wait, Marge isn't actually a drag queen?

[Purpleberries]

Plot from "Werking mom"
It seems like they give to much away so I'm gonna put this in spoilers:

 Marge starts selling tupperwares but can't sell any because she is too shy so Julio reccommendes her to dress up to gain confidense, she does it and sells a lot but everyone thinks she is a drag queen so in order to keep selling marge pretends to be a drag queen.
The sub-plot is a parody of Amélie, where Lisa does little things to make people happy  
guest star: RuPaul

November 18th, tentative date

Source

That sounds like shit. I was starting to see Omine as being one of the better writers on the team after her strong season 27 efforts but I guess I should've have never thought that she would keep up that level of quality.

[Brad Lascelle]

That sounds like shit. I was starting to see Omine as being one of the better writers on the team after her strong season 27 efforts but I guess I should've have never thought that she would keep up that level of quality.

She's just keeping up that track record of current Simpsons writers delivering their best HD era efforts under Selman and than regressing back into their perpetual state of mediocrity under Jean. It's a shame she stopped writing episodes with William Wright because he did a decent job of elevating her standard of quality without the Selman assist.

That said, I'll always support Omine's involvement with the show given her almost two decades worth of contributions to a writer's room largely deprived of female voices.

[MDB]

New script (by Rob LaZebnik) but I can't figure the name YABF09 "? My Sports"

.@TheSimpsons Today's very funny read by @Rlazebnik pic.twitter.com/uRq2I6I8YA

— Al Jean (@AlJean) 31 de mayo de 2018

[Financial Panther]

I think it’s “E My Sports.” Something about eSports.

[ataeaf]

Actually @MDB, @Financial Panther, I think it’s “E-My Sports,” with a hyphen.

It’s a pun on Eat My Shorts.

[Dark Homer]

A while ago I storyboarded a musical number in one of our upcoming episodes. I just found out that veteran Disney (and now Simpsons) animator Nik Ranieri (Lumiere, Hades, Ursula the Sea Witch, et al) is animating the sequence. Quite a thrill! @TheSimpsons

— Matthew Schofield (@Mr_Schofield) June 2, 2018

Ranieri (previous credits are King Leer and Flanders' Ladder) has an impressive demo reel of his Disney stuff: https://vimeo.com/70299721

Good get for the animation team

[ataeaf]

''tis the 30th season airs this December. Jane Lynch guests

— Al Jean (@AlJean) June 3, 2018

[ComicBookGal]

well this will be a curious one, is she guesting on herself this time. It seems that she'll be joining the multiple appearances club

[Nameless]

Harry Shearer is a guest on the UK talk show The Last Leg this coming Friday. Doubtful we'll hear anything about Season 30, but I'll report back if he does.

[wiley207]

another Cohen THOH? yay

Like I said, Al Jean must see Joel H. Cohen as the best writer on the current staff, as if he were this decade's John Swartzwelder or George Meyer or something. But at least Steven Dean Moore isn't directing...

[That Don Guy]

Fox confirms season 30 premiere is on 9/30

[LetsPlayNintendoITA]

@TheSimpsons Very funny read today; first Simpsons script by @nancycartwright

— Al Jean (@AlJean) 29 giugno 2018

[Beggs]

That's pretty cool.

[Brad Lascelle]

Think it's awesome that Nancy put a script idea together. She's more than earned it.
Hope it turns out more like Harry Shearer's Trust but Clarify and less like "just about every Dan Castellaneta-Deb Lacusta script to date".

Can we assume that YABF10 is a Selman ep 'cause Jean didn't tweet about it?