Simpsons fans rejoice! It appears that a beloved character from years past, voiced by Danny DeVito, is returning to the show for the season premiere on September 29. This will mark the 36th season of the long-running animated series which began back in 1989, and has somehow managed to stand the test of time thanks to its ability to adapt throughout the years. Providing relevant social commentary on a weekly basis, audiences can’t help but tune in to find out what kind of trouble the residents of Springfield will find themselves in next.
Per NME, Danny DeVito will be returning to The Simpsons to voice the character of Herb Powell. Herb is Homer’s half-brother who first appeared in the season 2 episode “O Brother Where Art Thou,” and again in the Season 3 episode “Brother, Can You Spare Some Change.” He made his last appearance in Season 24, but that was a decade ago, and Herb hasn’t been seen since. Michael Price, writer and producer on The Simpsons, let the news slip on the Four Finger Discount podcast, saying that DeVito would be returning to play a character “that he has previously played on the show.” While he didn’t come right out and say it was Herb, it’s an easy guess, as that’s the only time the star has even appeared in the animated series.
Season 36 of The Simpsons is set to kick off this September with an episode titled “Bart’s Birthday,” and will feature a ton of other guest stars, including John Cena, Tom Hanks, Conan O’Brien, and Joel McHale. During the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, it was revealed that the season opener would focus on Bart as he “celebrates the most shocking birthday party of his entire life, one that might just change everyone in Springfield forever.”
How Much Longer Can The Simpsons Last?
As the longest-running animated series in television history, there’s no denying the cultural impact The Simpsons has had. Heck, made-up words from the show such as “Meh,” “Jeebus,” and “D’oh,” are now in the dictionary. If that’s not a testament to its impact, we don’t know what is. How much longer can it last, though? With Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and the rest of the Springfield crew staying forever the same age, you’d think that eventually the writers would run out of things to say.
Such is not the case according to co-showrunner Al Jean, who is hoping that the series will make it to at least 1,000 episodes. As of now, there are a total of 768 episodes, and in an interview with ScreenRant earlier this year, he said the show will easily reach 800. Beyond that? Jean says the future looks bright.
“With the help of our animators, we had a full slate of shows this year, which looked terrific. We did have to just take a break for four months because of the strike, which I’m glad we did, that was what we should have done. But I think the show is in fantastic shape. I’m biased, but I think that the current episodes are, whether I work on one, a lot or not, are great. And I think that the future is bright, it’s gonna go to 800, and I hope 1000.”
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Regardless of whether The Simpsons makes it to 1,000 episodes or not, everyone involved in its creation over the years can hold their head up high knowing that they’ve managed to penetrate pop culture, and leave us with something that will resonate long after it has its swan song. You can check out the return of Danny DeVito, and all the other guest appearances, when The Simpsons returns on September 29 on Fox.