Talking Simpsons

"Let's just say it moved me... to a bigger house! Oops! I said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet." - Krusty the Clown

It's time for another cheesy cartoon crossover as Jay Sherman visits Springfield to introduce Fox viewers to The Simpsons' Sunday night time slot companion—for about half a season. But even though Jay Sherman wasn't long for this world, this episode full of parodies, classic lines, and Schwarzenegger slander remains a timeless installment we couldn't possibly say "boo-urns" to.

Our guest: Toby Jones, writer and director of AJ Goes to the Dog Park

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Oh, honey, please take this seriously. When people used to ask me how you were doing, I said, 'At least he's got his health.' Now you've got NOTHING!" - Marge Simpson

When Springfield Elementary fills its halls with snack and soda machines, Bart becomes a junk food junkie and experiences his first heart attack. With his young life at risk, only one thing can save him: a new character voiced by Albert Brooks.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Oh, okay, Marge. I'll get along with them. Then, I will hug some snakes. Yes, I will hug and kiss some poisonous snakes! ...Now THAT'S sarcasm." - Homer Simpson

Homer's failed investment in pumpkin futures causes him to rely on his surprisingly generous sisters-in-law for a financial bailout—but he soon finds out there's some very humiliating strings attached. Meanwhile, Bart discovers his hidden ballet powers and the painful consequences of standing up for what he believes in.

Our guest: Stephen Sajdak from We Hate Movies

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, listen in as we dish about a bounty of Simpsons-related news, including new episodes, Matt Groening's appearance on Conan's podcast, the end of the hallowed Simpsons writing room, Treehouse of Horror tie-ins, and more. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience, the podcast that leaves the clowning business to all the other clowns in the clowning business.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Wow, it's been so long since I've been with someone who doesn't know what a selfish pig I am." - Homer Simpson

When massive downpours strike Springfield, Homer seeks roofing assistance—and finds it in a helpful, friendly fellow named Ray. But when no one else can confirm this newcomer's presence, Homer earns himself a one-way trip to the loony bin.

Our guest: Drew Mackie from Gayest Episode Ever and Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"In America, we stopped using corporal punishment and things have never been better. The streets are safe, old people strut confidently through the darkest alleys, and the weak and nerdy are admired for their computer programming abilities!" - Homer Simpson

When a science experiment misfires, Bart finds himself on an all-expenses-paid trip Down Under to apologize to the Australian people. But when the government reveals he's in for the booting of a lifetime, the Simpson family realizes diplomacy is no simple game of knifey-spoony.

Our guest: Comedian Tom Walker

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"We can do anything now that scientists have invented magic." - Marge Simpson

Join us as we travel to the far-off future world of 2013, where Lisa's Yale full scholarship to Yale is somehow snatched away by Bart. Will she be damned to a future with a roided-up, emotionally unstable Milhouse, or will her brother do the right thing and make Lisa's dreams of studying femistry and galgebra a reality?

Our guest: Steve Yurko from The One Piece Podcast

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"When I started this clown thing, I thought it would be nothing but glory—you know, the glory of being a clown? I tell ya, it's hard, tiring work. But when I see the smiles on their little faces, I just know they're getting ready to jab me with something." - Homer Simpson

Following the instructions of roadside billboards, Homer enters Krusty's clown college, and soon finds himself working a buffoonery-based part-time job where he's kicked by kids, bit by dogs, and admired by the elderly. But he discovers that the few perks of being confused for Krusty the Clown don't outweigh the major downside: Mafia reprisal.

Our guest: Chris Cabin from We Hate Movies

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, listen in as we report on the big, bad, boatload of Simpsons news brought to us by Comic-Con and D23. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience, where we're very proud to make you a member of our very select group.

"I only did what I had to do to survive... in a style befitting a French monarch." - Homer Simpson

When Springfield's new concert hall goes bust, Mr. Burns buys the property and turns it into a for-profit prison. Homer fails to get hired as a guard, but finds a much more lucrative path within its walls by becoming a full-time snitch.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Of course I'm right. If I'm not, may we all be horribly crushed from above somehow." - Homer J. Simpson

When a prank backfires and Bart is forced into Skinner servitude, he discovers a force more destructive than him: a comet headed right towards Springfield. Can the citizens survive this calamity with their never-give-up and never-think-things-out spirit, or are they doomed to become charred corpses outside the remnants of Moe's Tavern?

Our Guest: Mike Mitchell from the Doughboys podcast

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"These are my new friends! They like me for me... and my plumbing and gas hookups." - Homer Simpson

When Marge forces the family to scrimp and save beyond reason, a resentful Homer drops the family's entire nest egg on an RV. Will their marriage withstand the fallout from this major purchase? Listen in, and try to contain yourself over the long-awaited return of Cowboy Bob.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! As usual, we're behind the eight-ball when it comes to Comic Con news, but we still have plenty to talk about, like Fox's fall schedule, Emmy nominations, streaming season premieres, and more. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast that paralyzes you with rage... and island rhythms!

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"I was in heaven. If horse racing is the sport of kings, then surely bowling... is a... very good sport as well!" - Homer Simpson

Journey back with us to the distant year of 1993—which wasn't so distant in 1995—to hear about the fabled birth of Maggie. When Homer at long last reaches the coveted rank of "pin monkey," the birth of his second daughter threatens to blow the Simpson family eight ways from Sunday.

Don't forget, listener: you're here forever.

Our Guest: Justin Decloux from The Important Cinema Club Podcast

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Jub-Jub can't take care of me when I'm old and sick. All he can do is eat me when I'm dead" - Selma Bouvier

The perpetually unlucky in love Selma suddenly experiences menopause symptoms, making her mothering urge rise to previously unseen levels. Thankfully, she finds China's baby girl surplus will solve all of her problems—as long as she's willing to play Homer's wife.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

The Talking Simpsons Network is taking a week off, so to fill the content gap, we've decided to post a Patreon-exclusive interview from our archives! If you like this and want to hear more, head over to https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and sign up at the $5 level. Once you do, you'll have immediate access to all of our limited miniseries, covering animated shows like King of the Hill, Mission Hill, The Critic, and Batman: The Animated Series. That's over 200 bonus episodes to date! So visit https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and sign up today!

Original podcast description:

Mike Reiss has worked on The Simpsons for more than three decades, as one of the first writers hired, as a co-showrunner of seasons 3 and 4, and as a producer giving input to this day on both the series and the film. Not only that, but he co-created The Critic and has written for animated feature films and now has a new book all about his life, Springfield Confidential (buy it here). Bob and Henry chat with Mr. Reiss for a whole hour about his long career, and we learn many Simpsons secrets and fun insights from a comedy legend. Listen and enjoy!

Note: This interview originally went live on June 9, 2018.

"I've never felt so accepted in all my life. These people look deep within my soul and assign me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer J. Simpson

Who controls the British crown? Who keeps the metric system down? Homer finds out when some light stalking leads to his discovery of The Stonecutters: a secret society that exists deep within the underbelly of Springfield. But will this new gang of cloak-wearing, pool-playing drunks eventually become yet another No Homers Club?

Our guest: Andrew Jupin from We Hate Movies

And be sure to check out We Hate Movies LIVE this August in Las Vegas at ST:LV!

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, listen in as we discuss a new slate of Disney+ exclusive episodes, explore The Simpsons/Monopoly Go collaboration, weigh in on Harry Shearer grumpiness updates, and more. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast that remains in a state of cat-like readiness!

"Oh, I always hoped we wouldn't be one of those 'restraining order' families." - Marge Simpson

Bart's prankery against Lisa goes too far, causing the two siblings to be separated by a legally-mandated distance. Can the advice of Gary Busey and the soothing notes of Herb Alpert's "Tijuana Taxi" help these two bury the hatchet?

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Come on, Marge; I wanna shake off the dust of this one-horse town. I wanna explore the world! I wanna watch TV in a different time zone! I wanna explore strange, exotic malls... I'm sick of eating hoagies; I want a grinder, a sub, a footlong hero! I wanna LIVE, Marge! WON'T YOU LET ME LIVE?!" - Homer Simpson

When a flyboy-related mishap lands The Simpsons free plane tickets, Marge's newly revealed fear of air travel cancels their vacation plans. So Marge turns to therapy, and gets the help she needs—in the form of a somewhat timely The Prince of Tides parody.

Our guest: Eric Szyszka from We Hate Movies

And be sure to check out We Hate Movies LIVE this August in Las Vegas at ST:LV!

Support this podcast and get over 250 full-length bonus episodes by visiting https://www.patreon.com/talkingsimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow us at @TalkSimpsonsPod on Bluesky!