Excellent! Harry Shearer returning to 'The Simpsons'
The voice of Mr. Burns, Smithers and a ton of other Springfield regulars signs a new deal that will keep him on the show for at least four more seasons.
If you've been concerned about the fate of such iconic "Simpsons" characters as Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner and Dr. Julius Hibbert, you can stop worrying. Harry Shearer will continue to voice them all.
Shearer, the actor, writer and comedian who provides the voices for some of the most recognizable characters on the long-running animated sitcom, has signed a new contract for at least the next four seasons, according to Entertainment Weekly, which first reported the news Tuesday.
As if rumors of Homer and Marge breaking up weren't traumatic enough, Shearer's partnership with the show seemed headed toward an abrupt end in May when Shearer posted a tweet that read, "From [Executive Producer] James L. Brooks' lawyer: 'Show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.'"
Shearer -- a regular cast member since "The Simpsons" started in 1989 -- said in updates that followed that he wanted more time to pursue other projects. Brooks responded to the tweet on own his Twitter page with an offer to keep the door open if Shearer ever wanted to talk about returning to the show, which kicks off a new season September 27.
"Fox is proud to confirm that each and every member of the iconic series' voice cast will be returning in the roles they've brought to life since the show's beginnings as a series of animated shorts nearly 30 years ago," Fox said in a statement Tuesday.
This is awesome news if you're a hard-core "Simpsons" fan. Now if the producers could just come up with some kind of longevity potion that could keep all of the main cast's voices and ages intact forever, we could have "Simpsons" episodes until the end of time. Hopefully, the show will be able to get back to the greatness it achieved in its first nine seasons by the 4,421st season.