Al Jean Speaks Simpsons

In a recent conference call, Al Jean spoke about what we can expect to see from both season 20 of The Simpsons and the show’s future in general. Jean spoke about the possible return of Plopper the Pig from The Simpsons Movie, writing for the character of Ned Flanders, another Simpsons movie which may be in the works, The Simpsons Ride and even the possibility of the Simpson kids ever growing up. Read our summary of the entire call below.

On Plopper, the Spider Pig

• Spider pig might be coming back! But he was definitely made for the movie. Plopper might show up in the show for a cameo.

On science fiction spoofs

• In March, Homer, while buying poison to kill some rats (they look like Ratatouille), leaves Maggie on a convent porch, turning the episode into a Da Vinci and National Treasure spoof. 3D Homer again? Perhaps.

On going into Season 20

• Yes, we do keep track of other shows and how long they’ve gone. After season 20, there will be more than 500 episodes in the can.

A Simpsons spin-off?

• Yes, there has been talk of it, but it would be very difficult to attempt to do both and still concentrate on the show. We like the big universe of the show as it exists.

On Ned Flanders

• We love to write for him because he’s so much fun. In an upcoming episode where the Simpson’s house gets foreclosed, Ned buys it and rents it back to them.

On another Simpsons movie

• Will there be a follow-up? Perhaps if there was a good script, but the first one took four years. My preference would be that it would air after the series itself has finished, of which there are no plans any time soon.

On other animated shows

• Other cartoons have followed the Simpsons - does Family Guy appeal to the lowest common denominator? How does The Simpsons rise above that?
• From the beginning, Sam Simon said we would write a show for adults, as smart and as connected with human emotion as possible. It’s the golden age for TV animation right now. We’re outrageous, but we’ve tried from the beginning to intelligently depict family challenges.

Are there “phases” of the show?

• Not really, we’ve won a ton of awards lately, but there are no eras, we just try to keep the show’s standard as high as possible.

Upcoming guest stars

• The Simpsons go to Ireland. Homer and Grandpa go to a bar and attempt to purchase it. Kenneth Branagh will have a cameo as the pub owner.

On the Simpsons ride

• Simpsons ride in Orlando and Hollywood exceeded expectations; longest wait time for any ride at Universal, lots of writers worked on those rides.

Will the Simpson kids ever grow up?

• Will the kids ever grow up? While the Simpson kids should have become teenagers long ago, in terms as the basic template for the show, no.

Source: Stewie's Playground