"The Simpsons are going to Sweden! Simpsons producer Denise Sirkot told the Swedish news agencys that The Simpsons will go to the Nobel Prize party in Stockholm! Professor Frink will win the prize in physics, and Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Homer and Marge will follow him to the land that invented meatballs." Thanks to Christian Hedlund for translating this article. It is believed that this episode will air at the beginning of Season 15 in November this year, in Treehouse Of Horror XIV which will feature Jerry Lewis as Professor Frink Senior. Read More >>> (in Swedish)

"JK Rowling is a Simpsons nut - that's official! JK's one of the world's busiest authors and is constantly bombarded with TV requests. So why did she agree to appear in The Simpsons, as we told you on Wednesday? She's been a fan of the show for years, and was especially pleased when the programme did a Potter spoof in 2000, with Bart and Lisa going to wizard school. "I love The Simpsons because of the detail - there are so many layers and it works for kids and for adults. That's one of the reasons I like it so much." JK Rowling told us then. "When I lived in Portugal, a group of us used to sprint to a cafe after work so we could watch The Simpsons. It was the highlight of our TV week - if only I had known one day that they'd be spoofing me!" The Harry Potter Halloween spoof was a great success. And Simpson's creator Matt Groening is a huge fan of Harry Potter anyway. But now, he's gone one step further letting JK playing herself." Read More >>>

"He's one of the most famous people in America, but nobody knows his face. Actor Dan Castellaneta is the voice of that lovable, well-meaning goof-off Homer Simpson. At 45, Castellaneta is the same age as Homer, but that's where the similarities end. Castellaneta is a shy introvert, the kind of guy who could never muster the courage to return an item to the store. He was destined to be an art teacher; in fact, he was student teaching and occasionally entertained his students by slipping into funny voices.

"One kid goes, 'What are you doing here, man? You should be in Hollywood.' I thought, 'That kid's got something.' I decided rather than get ensconced in teaching and maybe wish I'd tried acting, I said, 'I'll do it now while I'm young, and if it doesn't work out I'll still have a chance to go do something else,'" says Castellaneta. He already knew he had a facility with voices. His dad brought home comedy records and little Dan would imitate the imitators." Read More >>>

Finally, after more than 300 episodes the Simpsons are finally visiting England! They've been to Scotland before but have never made it south of the border until now. They're going to meet JK Rowling but that's about all we know. What else do you think they should do once they're here! Should they meet the Queen, sing with Queen (the group that is) or play Twister with Nick Laws? Let us know your funniest ideas! Read More >>>

"Fox Television on Wednesday claimed its first victory ever in the battle for young adult viewers in the crucial ratings sweeps season and vowed to bring back the reality hit centered on a working man posing as a millionaire that powered the upset. The network which began the year in last place in ratings said it had devised a way to reprise the blockbuster 'Joe Millionaire,' in which a group of women competed for the affections of a hunky construction worker posing as the heir to a $50 million fortune. Fox also gained considerable ratings mileage from the second edition of its talent contest show 'American Idol,' and from its long-running animated family sitcom 'The Simpsons.'" Read More >>>

Daniel Radcliffe wanted it, but the producers managed to get the next best thing. JK Rowling is to make an appearance on The Simpsons. In the episode, the family travel to England to find a girl Grandpa had a wartime fling with. In London, they meet up with the Harry Potter author. Lisa turns out to be a Potter fan and questions the millionaire. Don Payne, executive producer of the cartoon, said: "The Simpsons bump into JK Rowling outside a bookshop and they talk all about Harry Potter. "We're very excited about the episode and rest assured every British cliche will be trotted out to get a laugh."

Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen also appears - and is first hit by falling scaffolding, then struck by lightning. The Simpsons go to see him perform on stage in Macbeth, but bring him bad luck by saying the play’s name aloud - a theatrical superstition. Simpsons bosses are still desperate for Tony Blair to provide his voice for the episode but nothing has been confirmed yet! Read More >>>

"Los Angeles is a town wallpapered with tickets, but few tickets are as elusive as one to The Simpsons. Only 22 times each year the writers, voice cast and Matt Groening and Al Jean gather in a bungalow on the 20th Century Fox lot to read through that week's script. Tickets are by invitation only, and today - episode #EABF20, titled The President Wore Pearls, which will not be seen until late in 2003 - I find myself sitting between a handful of British government ministers and Hank Azaria's dog. A decade ago, the "read-throughs" were open only to a hallowed few. Today, there are no fewer than two dozen people in the room, and for a moment it looks like we might even run out of seats at the table. It is, to be sure, a very big table. But The Simpsons, to be sure, is a very big show." Read More >>>

"Twenty-six-year-old Travis McNall spent literally half his life surrounded by an imaginary family. Last Sunday was a milestone for McNall, who spent the night watching the 300th and 301st episodes of The Simpsons, the dysfunctional but fun animated family which has been beamed out to America by the Fox television network in one form or another since 1987, when they first appeared in short intermission films on The Tracey Ullman Show. McNall said his older brother told him one day that The Simpsons were going to have their own show, and after they sat down to watch an early episode in 1990, that was it.

McNall's passion for all things Simpson was firmly in place. Asked how much money he's spent on Simpsons memorabilia, McNall was at a loss to come up with a specific number. "It’s been 13 years of collecting, and I think I’ve lost track," he said. "I can tell you I’ve invested about $700 on just the playsets alone. I buy one box to keep and one to open." Read More >>>

"The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and three syndicated newspaper artists are finalists for the National Cartoonists Society's 57th Annual Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.

Nominees include "Rose is Rose" creator Pat Brady of United Feature Syndicate, "Luann" creator Greg Evans of United, and "Bizarro" creator Dan Piraro of King Features Syndicate. Groening also has newspaper ties -- his long-running TV show spawned a weekly comic currently distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, and he still does the "Life in Hell" comic for Acme Features Syndicate. The winner will be announced May 24 during the annual Reuben weekend in San Francisco."

"The Simpsons is still making news these days but for all the wrong reasons. A raunchy scene in the cartoon classic stunned millions of viewers when it was broadcast in the United States this week. The episode shows a sizzling lesbian kiss as Homer's schoolgirl daughter Lisa prepares for a spelling competition. In the episode titled "I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can", the anxious youngster falls asleep as she lies in bed worrying about a bribe to throw the contest and get free entry into the college of her choice. She finds finds herself dreaming about the 'seven sisters' and as two toga-clad goddesses entice her to join them at their college, the heavenly pair move up close and share a tender full-on kiss." Read More >>>

"Double, double, toil and d'oh? Doughnuts and beer may go hand in hand in Springfield, but one performer will test whether Shakespeare and the Simpsons are as appropriate a match Wednesday night at 7:30 in the Bama Theatre. Rick Miller's "MacHomer" will present a one-man show featuring an 85 percent "Macbeth" script with more than 50 different Simpson voices. University Programs performing arts director Leslie Hines lucked out when she snatched up a cancellation date and booked the Toronto-based actor/writer to perform in Tuscaloosa. "We haven't sold out yet, but I hope we don't break his six-year streak of sellout shows," Hines said. "We suggest that everyone get there early. Miller's "MacHomer: The Simpsons Do Macbeth" features Homer as Macbeth and Marge as Lady Macbeth. The Toronto Star praised the show, giving it five stars and calling it, "truly awesome. A one-man, comic tour de force. ... This is Shakespeare done just the way he'd like it." Read More >>>

"The reason I love The Simpsons? Not just the hilarity, not just the even-handed way they skewer everybody. What gets me is that alone of all the shows in the history of television, let alone animated programs, they've managed to present both an amazing amount of sexual habits and preferences, and a married couple who have never strayed. Homer and Marge have both been tempted in their time together, but their love is more than a match for such petty delights. It's inspiring, it is, and it's good to know that a balding fat man can elicit such joy in his bride. God knows Homer needs to be good at something... So here are my own Top Ten Episodes, along with a plentiful supply of quotes." Read More >>>

"Watching Fox honor the 300th episode of 'The Simpsons' Sunday night was like watching the American Film Institute honor Jack Nicholson in 1994 for lifetime achievement. Both celebrations were heartfelt, to an extent, but both also were heavy with the implication that careers were entering a twilight, that a prime had been passed, and that a look backward was better than a glance into the beyond." Read More >>>

Simpsons co-executive producer and writer Tim Long will present "It's the Simpsons' World, We Just Live in it: Social Issues as Seen Through a Half-Hour Cartoon" tonight. The second of his two presentations is free and will be held at the University of Colorado Boulder campus, Math 100 auditorium at 7pm tonight.

"Tim Long grew up in Toronto, but his heart belongs to Springfield. And it's easy to see why the former Canuck has fallen in love with the famous fictional town, home to Duff Beer, Krusty's Clown College and America's favorite sitcom family. "It's like working for the premiere comedy boutique in the world," says Long, a co-executive producer and co-writer for The Simpsons. "It's just unbelievably fun." Long has spent nearly five years playing puppet master in Springfield, the animated backdrop for television's most celebrated comedy. It sounds like the kind of life that any ambitious college student would strive for, which explains why Long has spent the last two days on the University of Colorado campus, discussing his unconventional career." Read More >>>

"When our generation thinks of The Simpsons, there are mixed reactions. One cannot deny the essence of this animated sitcom: Social satire reaching new peaks of intelligence. The Simpsons episodes constantly analyze and create comedy from societal blunders. Sometimes the parodies exceed our knowledge (considering the fact that most of the writers of the show are Harvard and Yale alumni).

However, at the same time, the humor of Homer is just as pleasing as the irony and sarcasm underlying the characters of capitalist Mr. Burns, senior citizen Abe Simpson, or discontented teacher Mrs. Krapabbel. The show's appeal is universal, ranging from Police Chief Ralph Wiggum's delightful stupidity and Bart's humorous antics, to the Rev. Lovejoy's lack of religious vigor and Cletus' redneck way of life. It's nearly impossible not to love the zany town of Springfield" Read More >>>

"Although everyone would agree that some shows are better than others, The Simpsons has not grown stale; it continues to add to the pop culture lexicon. Homer's description of the appeasing French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" is currently being tossed about on various Internet blogs. Naturally, there are some overly involved Comic Book Guy-like viewers who have misty, water-colored memories of the early Simpsons years. Groening once predicted rather wearily that The Simpsons will still be on in the year 3000, but there will be "fans on the Internet complaining that the last 500 shows haven't been as good." Current show runner Al Jean says "One of the things that's kept the show on for 14 years is you have a universe of about 50 or 60 characters," explaining that the writers therefore don't have to worry about creating new story arcs and characters to keep the show fresh. Read More >>>

Fox has had it's best start to the year and it has a few names to thank. American Idol, Joe Millionaire, the Bundy's, and ah yes, how could I forget, The Simpsons. Monday night's two hour Joe Millionaire finale gave Fox its highest-rated night ever with entertainment programs, ousting the Michael Jackson hype on competing stations. The jaw-dropping stats come in the wake of Fox's boffo Sunday night performance with the 300th episode of The Simpsons and as the network celebrates an amazing two-month transformation from fourth to first place in the ratings. Something tells us Fox isn't going to stop there, with more big lineup shows and Joe Millionaire 2 in the works. Read More >>>

Justin Walden writes: "Here's to The Simpsons and their 14 seasons of hilarity and parody. I'll admit it, I'm a Simpsons junkie. I joined what I bet were millions of other people Sunday in front of the tube for the cartoon's 300th episode. You can't beat a Sunday night spent watching a family whose peculiarities make even their Fox Television partners the Bundys seem normal. I never identified with the Simpson clan per se, I just enjoy the humor. Sure, my college buds and I may act like Homer when we're out at the bar. Hmmmmm... Duff and pizza. Sure, there's a little bit of Lisa's and Bart's distaste for authority in me. But that's where it stops. My attraction to the cartoon stems, in part, from the fact that the writers are not afraid to make fun of the Simpsons along with everyone else." Read More >>>

A triple helping of The Simpsons, including the 300th episode for the animated series, led FOX into a tie with CBS atop the Sunday ratings. Each network won two hours on the evening. FOX averaged a 9.2 rating/14 share in primetime, the same numbers as CBS. ABC followed with a 7.5/11 and NBC scored a 6.7/10. Among adults 18-49, FOX won easily with an 8.5 rating, followed by NBC's 4.5, ABC at 3.9 and CBS at 3.0.

Two new episodes of The Simpsons gave FOX 8 p.m.. The heavily hyped 300th episode, at 8 scored a 10.7/16, while the second episode, featuring the voice of George Plimpton, was the night's highest rated program at 11.2/16. Read More >>>

The Simpsons' big night has finally arrived! Once you've seen the 300th episode (well, 302nd) and the new "I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can," feel free to review each at the General Discussion forum of NoHomers.net. Enjoy tonight's 90 minutes of OFF, folks!

Playmates Toys is currently showcasing tons of new Simpsons merchandise at the 2003 Toy Fair in New York City, including three upcoming waves of action figures, Simpsons screamers, bobble heads, new dioramas, and much more. Click here to read Playmates' recent press release courtesy of simpsonscollectors.com.

Also, figures.com has released photos of much of the new merchandise so be sure to check everything out starting at the bottom of this page (the new photos span from pages 15 - 20). Finally, simpsonscollectors.com will have more new pictures from Toy Fair by tomorrow.

"With alcohol prohibited in Springfield, Homer Simpson becomes a booze-supplying vigilante named Beer Baron. He is pursued by an Elliot Ness-like detective who, after a failed raid, mutters, 'I'll get you, Beer Baron.'

'No, you won't,' Homer's disembodied voice quips back. Drew Hanley laughs whenever he thinks about the scene, which he said is his favorite moment from his favorite TV show, The Simpsons. 'I don't know why that one's so goofy, but it's great,' said Hanley, 17, a Memphis High School senior. Hanley and other local fans are looking forward to the show's 300th episode, which airs at 8 p.m. today on Fox." Read More >>>

"Yellow skin, goldfish eyes and three-fingered hands aside, it's no coincidence television's most enduring family - the gleefully animated Simpsons - is also its most human. Compared to the truly stale antics of live-action TV dads John Ritter and Jim Belushi, beer-guzzling family man Homer Simpson is wholly flesh and blood, the suburban patriarch as misguided bonehead, yes, but also as long-suffering, well-intended husband and father.

When The Simpsons debuted as the first primetime animated series since The Flintstones after a string of shorts on the Tracy Ullman Show in 1987, the series towered creatively over its three-dimensional competition. But the funny thing is, it got better. For those of us who recall Do The Bartman or those Don't Have A Cow, Man T-shirts, there was a time when the show centered on 10-year-old Bart Simpson, a skateboarding, spike-topped underachiever who drove his teachers and parents crazy." Read More >>>

"Yes, tonight's thoroughly manic Simpsons episode, "Barting Over" is neither the 300th to be produced nor the 300th to be aired, as it has been widely promoted on Fox and in publications such as this. That honour actually belongs to "The Strong Arms Of The Ma," which aired on Feb 2. It's difficult to find a straight answer why milestone status has been bestowed on tonight's episode. Some say that the 300 figure doesn't account for two early holiday specials, while Fox maintains that there was some discrepancy between the original, scheduled broadcast date and the number of episodes that were eventually aired leading up to it. Conspiracy theories abound in online Simpsons discussion groups as to why this is so.

At one point in tonight's episode, Marge remarks to Lisa: "I can't count the number of times (Homer) has done something crazy like this." Lisa responds with 300. "Hmm," says Marge. "I could have sworn it's been 302." Read More >>>

"As Fox's pop culture-obsessed show The Simpsons celebrates its 300th episode tonight, we couldn't help but notice how often this irreverent yellow-tinted family aims its best barbs at the world of sports. Join us as we salute the 15 most outrageous potshots from Homer, Bart and company, while also noting the athletes who gave voice to their own animated alter egos." Read More >>>

"With the 300th episode of The Simpsons airing tonight, the show's co-creator and executive producer Matt Groening is taking a moment to look into his cartoon past. Remember when the school principal commonly thrashed students with a wooden paddle? And the shop teacher kept his class under control by zapping them with the room's electric generator? And when the boy started to cry, he was made to stand in the corner - in the garbage can?

Yes, it sounds like vintage Groening, straight out of the life of Bar Simpson, the defiant underachiever in The Simpsons, or, even more likely, from the weekly travails of the long-suffering cast of bunnies and gay, fez-wearing something-or-others in "Life in Hell." Oh, that Matt. What an imagination. What a nut. Except for this: All that classroom torment actually happened in real life, back when Groening was a student at Ainsworth Elementary School in the '60s. Read More >>>

If you were to count the episodes on your hand, you'd run through your fingers 60 times. Homer would need 75 rounds. Such is life with four fingers. Other than the digit difference, the Simpsons may as well live down the street. Few families in television have been so unabashedly imperfect. And judging from the show's longevity, plenty of Americans can accept such a flawed family.

The Simpsons always seem flat broke. To afford a therapy session, they had to pawn the TV. When Homer was kidnapped in Brazil, the family scrounged up their life savings for ransom - and fell short of $1,200. They watch TV. They bicker. They have run-ins with the law. They pick on each other. They try hard. Much like a real family. Read More >>>

In the journey that we call life, it would be swell to be able to take two or three steps without tripping over a certain animated show that has embedded itself so deeply into popular culture that all of us are expected to get every conversational reference its fans throw at us. You know what I'm talking about: Homer and Marge and their kids and his evil boss and her hostile sisters and the pious next-door neighbor and the four dozen others. Don't you get tired of the assumption that you should know these characters? Aren't you sick of the way so many people use a moment from "The Simpsons" as a metaphor for real life? Isn't it like living in a society that adopted Esperanto without letting you vote? Have we lost so many vestiges of mass culture that a TV show - a cartoon! - has to be the glue that holds postmodern society together? And whom should we blame? Read More >>>

"The 90's produced two great TV comedies that acquired a near-cult following: 'Seinfeld' and 'The Simpsons.' One satirized life in New York; the other satirized life in Springfield, a mythical Anytown, U.S.A. 'Seinfeld' is no longer in production, but 'The Simpsons,' an animated cartoon unburdened by actors who grow out of their parts or decide to explore their career options, is going strong in its 14th season. Tonight Fox will show the 300th episode, and next season 'The Simpsons' will surpass 'Ozzie and Harriet' as the longest-running comedy in TV history." Read More >>>

"Rick Miller is still unsure exactly how he went from a geek as a school kid to a career rooted in Homeresque parody of Shakespearian proportions. Miller is the mastermind behind "MacHomer: The Simpsons Do MacBeth." The one-man show entails 50 Simpsons characters acting out "MacBeth" with a script that is 85 percent Shakespeare and 15 percent Simpsons. "MacHomer" is a fast-paced adventure, fraught with sensory overload for the audience.

The idea came at a cast party for a serious "MacBeth" performance. As Murderer #2, he had a lot of time backstage. In an attempt to make fun of the rest of the cast, Miller performed a 10-minute shtick of "MacBeth" highlights using Simpsons characters, and one thing led to another. Homer plays MacHomer, Marge is Lady MacHomer, Mr. Burns is King Duncan and Ned Flanders plays Banquo, MacHomer's best buddy." Read More >>>

There have been a lot of Simpsons articles celebrating 300 episodes this week. Where we've seen fit, we posted most of these but they have become a bit repetitive. You wont miss out though. On the eve of the event, here's some we've missed:

• Fans Grow Up With Homer & Co. - Daily Tar Heel
• Simpsons Changed Shape Of Comedy In 14 Seasons - Daily Tar Heel
• A Milestone For The Simpsons - CNN
• WooHoo! 300 Episodes Later, 'The Simpsons' Rule - Seattle PI
• The Simpsons Marks 300th Episode - Naples Daily News
• 'Simpsons' Hit 300 - E! Online News
• Look Who's Still Talking - Voices Behind OFF - Star Tribune
• Honored Guests Of 'The Simpsons' - Star Tribune
• Don't Have A Cow Over Simpsons Collection - JournalNet
• Homer's Odyssey - ctnow.com
• Barely Interesting - Canoe.ca
• They've Created A Monster! - New York Post
• A Wonderfully Wacky Milestone - SbSun.com
• D'oh-boy! - Star-Telegram
• Simpsons Has Proved It's The Best - ContraCostaTimes
• Still Wickedly Funny - Cleveland.com
• Actors Who Voice Simpsons Stay Loyal To Show - Tribnet
• Hit TV Show "The Simpsons" Marks 300th Episode - Utusan Malaysia
• Simpsons Creator Draws On Talented Pool - Cantonrep
• Mmmm... 300 Episodes - NJ.com

We'll add to this list in the likely event that more articles will appear. In closing, we'd also like to wish Simpsons creator Matt Groening a happy birthday. He turns 49 today! We hope his weekend is rewarding.

"Perhaps a loving, joke-filled romp down memory lane, complete with insider references and best-of bits, would be the finest way to immortalize The Simpsons as it approaches its landmark 300th episode on Sunday. After all, it's only a cartoon, right? But no, a jokey tribute wouldn't do justice to The Simpsons, which is -- how to phrase this with the proper amount of gravitas? -- the best television series ever made. Period." Read More >>>

"Sunday night marks a television milestone worth celebrating. The Simpsons airs its 300th episode, a powerful rebuttal to the plague of nightmarish reality shows which are collectively leading some to believe the future for scripted programming is dim. It's too bad, then, that episode 300 is not a great one (opinionated spoilers follow).

In it, Bart discovers, on an old videotape, that he starred in a commercial as a baby. When he finds out the money's gone, he sues his parents for emancipation. Lampooned are Furbies, homemade conjugal videotapes, medical-product ads, pro skateboarding, courtroom TV, the Kennedy Center Honors, Simpsons merchandising, Michael Jackson's baby handling and more. It's even got, in an apparent homage to the beginnings of The Simpsons, dad Homer being a lot cruder than he has become, trading attempted asphyxiations with son Bart. But it's also mucked up by too many lines going to the celebrity guest star (Tony Hawk), the series' biggest ongoing weakness. And there is a forced, rushed resolution to Bart's decision to move out and into a downtown loft." Read More >>>

Homer Simpson is set to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight, reading the top ten list. You heard right. An animated Homer will appear on stage and read the list, in what is obviously a pre-filmed situation. You can catch it on CBS tonight! Australians can catch it just after midnight (Saturday morning). The list "Top Ten Reasons I, Homer Simpson, Am Excited To Be On This Show" reads:

10. I'm happy to reunite with my college lover Biff Henderson
09. Free crackers in the green room. Mmmm... Crackers
08. I can take advantage of low, low New York prices
07. Uh, couldn't come up with this one
06. I love the dancing itos.
05. I finally get to be on a real network
04. Your minimum guest payment is the most money I've ever seen in my life
03. Marge always puts out on vacation
02. I get to raid your writing staff
01. Paul and I have the same barber

If you missed the appearance, you can download the whole thing at the Late Show website right now.

"Walking into Robert Davidman's office is like walking into a real, live Springfield. Davidman has figures of most of the town's residents, including Itchy and Scratchy, Superintendent Chalmers, Homer's twin Herb Powell and many, many versions of Homer Simpson. He has a Simpsons Rubik's Cube, a Simpsons Pez dispenser, and a Simpsons chess set. Then there are the Simpsons Shrinky-Dinks, a talking family car, all three editions of the Simpsons issue of Rolling Stone, limited-edition animation cels, an 'Eye on Springfield' that plays Simpsons stories when you push a button ... The man may have more Simpsons paraphernalia than Bart Simpson has Krusty the Klown merchandise." Read More >>>

"Sunday's episode of The Simpsons titled "Barting Over" is far from ordinary. It's the 300th episode, a remarkable landmark for what's become nothing short of a phenomenon. "After 300 episodes, we're not overstating to mention it in the same sentence as (Charlie) Chaplin and (Buster) Keaton and Mark Twain," said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "It's among the pantheon of the best American comic art in our nation's history."

"The Simpsons" has won 18 Emmy awards, 16 Annie awards and a Peabody. It was Google's most searched tv show of 2002. Its two DVDs have been best sellers, with a third due this summer. It generates billions in revenue for the FOX network. It ranks 36th in the Nielsen ratings and consistently ranks first among adults between 18 and 34. All this after 14 seasons. "Seinfeld" only lasted nine. "Cheers" lasted 11." Read More >>>

"At some point during its run, The Simpsons turned into one of the best sitcoms on television — and that's not a compliment. At one time, to call The Simpsons the best show on Fox would have been a vast understatement; to say it was the best sitcom on television would have been inadequate; and to describe it as the greatest TV show in history would minimize its importance by limiting its cultural impact to the small screen. Who knows when it happened - maybe it was when Homer visited the leprechaun jockeys in Season 11, or when he was raped by a panda in Season 12 — but for several years, watching The Simpsons chase Ozzie & Harriet's record for the longest-running sitcom has been like watching the late-career Pete Rose: There's still greatness there, and you get to see a home run now and then, but mostly it's a halo of reflected glory." Read More >>>

"The opportunity to watch the creators of a simple cartoon family talk about their jobs brought more than 60 students to Morrill Hall on Wednesday night. "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening joined head writer Al Jean and cast members Yeardley Smith, Dan Castellaneta and Harry Shearer to speak about the show at the Museum of Television and Radio in Los Angeles. The panel discussion was carried live through a satellite broadcast inside Mueller Planetarium, Planetarium Coordinator Jack Dunn said.

The panel spoke about things the show did not talk about and described how it is written. Groening spoke highly of his writing staff, mentioning some of the math and science references that get into the scripts. "The writers of 'The Simpsons' are a bunch of eggheads," he said." Read More >>>

"A busy family, those Simpsons. Who knew that Homer guest-starred on "NYPD Blue" and "Friends," Lisa appeared in "City Slickers" and "As Good as It Gets," and Bart won an award for a one-woman play called "In Search of Fellini"? Well, OK, they haven't, but their alter egos - Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith and Nancy Cartwright, respectively - have done those all those things and more.

To celebrate Sunday's 300th episode of "The Simpsons," Cartwright, Smith, Castellaneta and four other members of the cast gathered in Hollywood last month, slipping in and out of character as they talked about their long runs in one of TV's most unusual acting jobs. In addition to being a lucrative gig - one report, which the actors will not confirm, has each of them making $100,000 per episode - it's also a flexible one." Read More >>>

"Applause and Fox Licensing & Merchandising have joined forces to launch the first ever collection of limited edition "The Simpsons" plush dolls with exclusive international distribution rights. The first launch, which became available in January, featured talking Homer and Bart plush with collectible keychains and stands. The second wave of plush dolls spotlights the Simpsons family including Marge, Lisa and Maggie. It will also include the characters of Bartman, Little Miss Springfield, and Radioactive Man. Additional characters will be released throughout 2003, surrounding key seasonal special days such as Christmas, and will be available at specialty retail outlets." Read More >>>

"The characters may be yellow but The Simpsons hasn't mellowed as it marks its 300th episode Sunday. If anything, the Fox animated comedy born in 1989 is more boldly iconoclastic in the 21st century. Given that timidity is programmed into television's very DNA, how does "The Simpsons" thrive? By being very good at being naughty, so much so that Fox simply can't afford to tinker with success. In its 14th season, the series can still field top 20 episodes and is the heart of a merchandising empire. "There were many reasons the show was successful, one of which was we were in the right place at the right time," said series creator Matt Groening. "I don't think 'The Simpsons' could be on any other network, even today." Read More >>>

TV Guide is celebrating the 300th episode of The Simpsons by putting Homer on the cover! The "Grand-Slam Homer" picture appears on the cover for the week starting Feb 15th, but only if you are fortunate enough to be a subscriber. The magazine contains three articles on the show. If you are not a subscriber but want the limited edition cover, there are 100 available at the TV Guide Store so be quick!

The fact that the cover is limited edition will make this issue more sought after than The Simpsons' previous appearances in TV Guide. The Oct. 21, 2000 issue featured 24 "secret stars" covers; there was a set of 4 interlocking covers from Jan. 3, 1998; a Halloween themed cover from Oct. 17, 1998; and the very first Simpsons cover appeared on the March 17, 1990 issue. It has been five years since Homer has appeared on the cover.

UK's Radio Times magazine has named The Simpsons among a list of 24 other shows as being a show which has changed the face of television. The show was recognized for "comprehensively filleting every family value". Click Here for the full list.

The Tufts Daily has written an article about the history and changing opinions of The Simpsons, on the brink of their 300th episode. "After the first few seasons, as Groening sharpened the animation, and the talented cast honed the characters' voices, the show hit what Josh Belkin of the campus fan club calls, "The golden years, seasons five through seven." Some of the show's best writers, like Conan O'Brien, worked during this time, banging out great episodes." Read More >>>

On tonights episode of Entertainment Tonight, Mary Hart revealled that Homer Simpson will appear on her "Stars' First Time On Entertainment Tonight" special. The hour-long special airs on CBS this Friday night at 8:00pm. Mary said that Homer will tell us about the time he drank a little too much before his first appearance on ET. From what we've heard, you can expect him to be in full animated form, rather than Dan Castellaneta talking to Mary. Other stars featured on the show include Jennifer Lopez, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Halle Berry.

Dusty Saunders writes: "I was struggling through AUSA, NBC's (and Richard Appel's) new comedy, wondering how many weeks this series will be on the air. Based on the quality of the premiere, AUSA deserves a two-week run. My thoughts then turned to The Simpsons and Frasier, which have had much more than two-week runs. It would be redundant to go on about the success of The Simpsons. Matt Groening recently summed it up, pointing out the characters are blessed with "eternal youth" because of the animated format.

Beyond that, producers have kept the series fresh by using social commentary that appeals to all demographics. I'm aware of 24-year-olds who began watching The Simpsons when they were 10. And they chuckle just as heartily today as they did in 1990. And since it still garners high ratings, 34-year-olds could be chuckling 10 years from now." Read More >>>

USA Today's Bill Keveney has compiled hundreds of tidbits from 14 seasons, and had a rare studio visit with the people who bring Springfield's favorite family to life. Their special Simpsons feature includes 12 sub-stories which outline some of the writers favorite episodes and toys, spoilers for this season and beyond, and numerous lists which you may or may not have seen before. There's simply too much info here to list on our main page, but if you don't want to read all of it, we recommend you check out "6 peeks into the future".

• Don't miss out on USA Today's "300 Reasons To Love The Simpsons" >>>

The official Simpsons website is celebrating the airing of the 300th episode next week with a giveaway you wont want to miss. The prize package consists of a Limited Edition 300th Episode Skateboard, a 300th Episode T-Shirt, Limited Edition Series 1 Bendable Figurines and a 300th Episode Simpsons Poster! The sweepstakes is only open to US residents over the age of 15. To enter, visit FOX.com, click the link in the top right corner, and enter the details required.

The nominations for the 55th Annual Writers Guild Awards were announced today, with HBO's "Sex and the City" and FOX's "The Simpsons" dominating their categories with three nominations apiece. The "Simpsons'" episodes "The Bart Wants What It Wants," "Blame It on Lisa" and "Jaws Wired Shut" were all nominated in the new animation category, along with "Futurama's" "GodFellas," "King of the Hill's" "My Own Private Rodeo" and the FOX Christmas special "Santa, Baby!" Read More >>>

"As he was in the process of being tossed off the Paramount Studios lot by overzealous guards in Hollywood in 1987, it never occurred to semi-starving cartoonist Matt Groening he would be a multi-millionaire cultural icon someday. But two years later the creator of The Simpsons was on his way to lots of fame and considerable riches. The reason why The Great American TV Show still works, according to its creator "is that the show is continually tinkered with, from the first draft of the script to the final touch in post-production. "Working hard, we make it work in the end," Groening continues, shaking his shaggy head.

"The key is that we're always trying to be true to the characters and continue to surprise the audience. We also decided very early on that it wouldn't be a single style for the show – some episodes would have a great deal of emotional content, others were plain silly. Our characters are so strong that they can stand up to the torture that we inflict on them." Read More >>>

"Television networks quickly yanked material from the air to avoid appearing insensitive after Saturday's disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia. An Albany Fox affiliate received complaints from viewers on Saturday when it aired a rerun of The Simpsons. The offending scene (pictured) included Bart building a rocket and firing it, and it falls to the ground, burning down a church. WXXA-TV pulled the episode mid-stream and replaced it with another rerun of The Simpsons" said Jeff Whitson, the station’s general manager. "It wasn’t as if we got hundreds (of complaint calls), but it was enough for us to pay attention to the episode," Whitson said. "We had no way of knowing. The episode title (She Of Little Faith) didn’t give us any indication." Read More >>>

New Springfield has released a brand new design. The site looks nice, using flash and clean graphics. The big letdown here is that the 'Springfield Green' look has been used before, and that this design is very similar to the site that previously used it.

D'oheth has been redesigned in the past week. The new look is an improvement, however the site appears to be offline right now. Eye On Springfield is also down.

As reported in November, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is set to appear in an episode of The Simpsons. Details have now been revealed, so naturally, spoilers follow. "The plot will take Bart and his family on a trip to London. When they fly into the capital, they will be greeted by Princess Tone. He will then personally drive them to their new time-share apartment in Bristol, where they will stay before returning to London two days later, hung-over but happy. Then Tony will fly his special envoys to the Middle East, where they will avert war by forming a human shield around Saddam Hussein."

The episode is set to air later this season. "This is a major coup for the Simpsons and will guarantee blockbuster ratings on both sides of the Atlantic," a source told the Daily Star newspaper, adding that Mr Blair would tape his lines later this month. His appearance would make him the first UK prime minister to star in a TV show whilst in office.

They left the Golden Globes empty handed, but The Simpsons scored big where it was judged amongst its own genre. The 30th Annual Annie Awards were presented this weekend, in which Our Favorite Family walked home with an award in the category "Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production". This is not the first time the show has won this award. A complete list of nominations and winners can be found here.

Johanna Schneller writes: "The news that The Simpsons has been renewed for a 15th and 16th season was greeted with joy at my house, where it is woven into the very fabric of our daily lives. We "Ha-ha" like Nelson and "Mmnnmmhh" like Marge. The Simpsons are better, in every way. The show celebrates its 300th episode on Feb. 16. The previous record holder for TV sitcom longevity was the Ozzie and Harriet show,and Homer and Co. have been castigated as murderers of the values for which Ozzie's clan stood. Bunkum. The Simpsons' values are stern and immutable: They celebrate humour, irony and self-deprecation, and despise self-righteousness, snobbery and hypocrisy." Read More >>>

Another article on The Simpsons and Religion has been put online. A lot of it is the same as what we've previously posted, but if you'd like to check it out, Click Here courteousy of Knox News.

Click here to see what some noted Canadians (Jack Layton, Rick Mercer, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Wade Belak, and Palookaville's Seth)have to say about The Simpsons. Enjoy!