The Simpsons season 19

The nineteenth season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons aired on Fox between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008. It was the final complete season to be broadcast in 4:3 and in standard definition, although the first nine episodes of the twentieth season, which were holdover episodes of the nineteenth season, would also retain this standard. Al Jean served as the showrunner, a position he has held since the thirteenth season, while the season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television.

The episode "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. Work from this season was nominated for another Emmy Award, was nominated for four Writers Guild of America Awards, winning one, and was nominated for one Annie Award.

Voice cast & characters

Main cast

• Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Itchy, Barney Gumble, Rich Texan, Squeaky-Voiced Teen, Krusty the Clown, Arnie Pye, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, Santa's Little Helper, Gil Gunderson, Kodos, Grampa Simpson, Groundskeeper Willie, Hans Moleman, Blue-Haired Lawyer, Mr. Teeny, and various others
• Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier
• Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Database, and various others
• Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson
• Hank Azaria as Moe Szyslak, Carl Carlson, Duffman, Chief Wiggum, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Sea Captain, Old Jewish Man, Lou, Snake, Kirk Van Houten, Comic Book Guy, Luigi Risotto, Cletus Spuckler, Professor Frink, Julio, Wiseguy, Superintendent Chalmers, and various others
• Harry Shearer as Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Scratchy, Ned Flanders, Lenny Leonard, Principal Skinner, Otto Mann, Reverend Lovejoy, Dr. Hibbert, Rainier Wolfcastle, Jasper Beardley, Kent Brockman, Kang, Judge Snyder, Dewey Largo, and various others

Supporting cast

• Pamela Hayden as Milhouse Van Houten, Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, and various others
• Tress MacNeille as Agnes Skinner, Crazy Cat Lady, Dolph Shapiro, Bernice Hibbert, Lindsay Naegle, Lunchlady Dora, Brandine Spuckler, Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon, Mrs. Muntz, and various others
• Karl Wiedergott as additional characters
• Maggie Roswell as Luann Van Houten, Helen Lovejoy, and various others
• Russi Taylor as Martin Prince, Sherri, Terri, and various others

Guest stars for the season included Jon Stewart, Jack Black, Lionel Richie, Stephen Colbert, Steve Buscemi, Maya Rudolph, Dan Rather, Placido Domingo, Matt Dillon, Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Kurt Loder, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Keith Olbermann, Beverly D'Angelo, and Topher Grace.

Episodes

Production

This is the second of two seasons ordered in March 2006. The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line. Al Jean served as showrunner, a position he has held since the thirteenth season, while the season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television.

Army Archerd reported that due to the 100-day Writers Guild of America strike only 22 episodes would be produced instead of the planned 23, which is much closer to the length of a regular season than most live-action and animated programs that were also affected by the strike. Entertainment Weekly also reported that, at the time, there were only six episodes remaining that were ready, which would make the season's production run consist of a total of 22 episodes.

The nineteenth season featured the returns of several characters from previous seasons. Kelsey Grammer made his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob, and David Hyde Pierce made his second as Bob's brother Cecil Terwilliger in "Funeral for a Fiend". Beverly D'Angelo made her second appearance as Lurleen Lumpkin, who first appeared in season three's "Colonel Homer". Glenn Close returned as Grandma Mona Simpson for the third time.

Matt Groening described this season as "just about our most ambitious yet".

Reception

Critical response

Robert Canning of IGN gave the series a 6.6 saying that it was "Passable" and that "Heck, read through the comments section at the bottom of our IGN Simpsons reviews and more than half will in some way be talking about the poor quality of recent episodes. (And "poor quality" is putting it politely.)" although he praised the late episodes of the season.

Awards

"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour), the tenth in the history of the show. Alf Clausen also received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (original Dramatic Score) for the episode "Treehouse of Horror XVIII".

At the 61st Writers Guild of America Awards, Jeff Westbrook won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Animation for his script for "Apocalypse Cow". The writers for "E Pluribus Wiggum" and "The Debarted" were nominated for the same award. Carolyn Omine was nominated the same award for her script for "The Homer of Seville" at the 60th Writers Guild of America Awards.

"The Debarted" was also nominated for the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production at the 36th Annie Awards.

Nielsen ratings

The Simpsons ranked 83rd in the seasonal ratings getting a viewership of 7.950 million viewers and an 18–49 Nielsen Rating of 3.8 making it the highest-ranking show from "Animation Domination" right above Family Guy.

Home media

On Saturday, July 20, 2019, it was announced by current showrunner Al Jean during the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con panel that the nineteenth season DVD would be released on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, in the United States and Canada by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, eleven years after it had completed broadcast on television. The Season 19 DVD includes 20 episodes and features “collectible Homer Simpson packaging,” Jean said. There are also custom menus on every disc, along with commentary on every episode, he added. It is the only DVD release of The Simpsons to be released after The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019. Frequent guest animator Bill Plympton designed the box art and menu animations, and is given special thanks for doing so in the booklet.

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Official website
• The Simpsons season 19 at IMDb