Forget about taking your earnings to the racetrack, readaBet.com have just released betting odds for who they think the gay Simpsons character, to be revealled in the sixteenth season, will be. In as favourite is Mr Smithers at 5/2. This is hardly surprising considering his well known admiration for Mr Burns, but we consider it to be too obvious. Patty and Selma are joint second favourites, although given their love for Macguiver, it would be unfair to cite either of the sisters. Quoted at 10/1 are the beer guzzling characters – Moe, Carl and Lenny. Further down the list, Willy the groundsman can be found at 20/1, while Homer is least favourable along with Bumblebee Man at 66/1. For those looking for a couple of fun bets on this market, the advice is to go with Smithers and Willy. Read More >>>

Dan Castellaneta has responded to Harry Shearer's comments about The Simpsons earlier this month. Shearer said he was unhappy with the show's quality compared to years past. "In a nutshell, I don't agree," Castellaneta said. But he acknowledges the series has changed over the years. There's slightly less running time and more characters to accommodate, Castellaneta said. "Instead of just being in the Simpson's world, it's expanded out to Springfield," he said, and the reality envelope, such as it is with a family that's bright yellow, has been pushed a bit more. "I think Harry's issue is that the show isn't as grounded as it was in the first three or four seasons, that it's gotten crazy or a little more madcap. I think it organically changes to stay fresh." The Simpsons remains funny and surprising, he said, adding: "I believe the show still breaks the mold in terms of storytelling." Read More >>>

Al Jean has been at the helm of the show since its 13th season and worked on the series as a writer or producer for its entire run. His office is adorned with memorabilia from the show's 15-year run. A short walk away is the wood-panelled meeting room where the cast does its weekly read-through, and, in another building, the recording studio where every Monday for 22 weeks of the year - including today - the cast gathers to record each episode. Today's studio record is episode FABF21, titled Fat Man and Little Boy (It will screen in the US later this year). Written by Joel H. Cohen, it opens with a Saving Private Ryan-style spitball fight between Lisa, Janey, Bart, Rod and Todd. The scene ends with the loss of Bart's final baby tooth - a momentous event that triggers a mid-life crisis. "Joel had the idea that Bart would undergo a mid-life crisis, even though he's 10," Jean says. "The whole staff pitched on the storyline. Joel wrote the first half. We rewrote it. We read it Thursday. Read More >>>

After being inactive for most of the year and a number of recent delays, The Simpsons Top 100 has finally released its new design today. The site which has been the center of the community for six years is back in action with a brand new look like never before. Visit the site now to check out the exciting new features as well as a list update.

Bart Simpson today appeared at his namesake maternity unit, in a bid to take the world's largest arts festival to the people. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart, paid a visit to the Simpsons Maternity Unit at the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Cartwright, who is performing daily in her one-woman show as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, made the one-off hospital visit as part of the alternative Edinburgh People’s Festival. Cartwright delighted the intimate crowd from the moment she addressed them in that inimitable accent with the phrase: "What’s happening man, I'm Bart Simpson." The 44-year-old mother-of-two had the audience of adults and children in stitches as she joked: "I’m 5ft 1in, I'm not yellow and I don’t have nine points on the top of my head." Nancy shared a few of her own stories about the birth of her two children, now aged 13 and 14, with the maternity unit staff. Read More >>>

Simpsons producer Al Jean has responded to Harry Shearer's comments exclusively at No Homers Club. Here's what the he had to say at our partner site:

"I am responding to recent comments by Harry Shearer regarding the current quality of the Simpsons." writes Jean. "He complains that his parts have shrunk--the reason for that is, as showrunner, I am never sure if he will show up for the table reads for which he is so handsomely paid. More than once, in the past, I have had a show set for a Thursday read featuring Harry's characters and been told on the Wednesday before that he is not coming. Hence, I have learned not to give him too much to do in any episode. Mr. Shearer also describes how he was happier with season four of the show. Well, I ran seasons three and four and he didn't seem very happy to me then. I can particularly remember how he repeatedly complained to me and others about how much he disliked the episode "Homer at the Bat", which is now viewed as a classic.

I am personally offended by his comment that he feels "totally screwed" by the show financially. He is set this year to make over 5.5 million dollars for what can generously be described as a few hours work a week. When I consider how much firefighters and teachers in this country earn, Mr. Shearer's remarks make me want to throw up."

Strong words and interesting developments behind the scenes. The issue can be discussed further here.

Homer Simpson has bagged another Emmy. Dan Castellaneta, the actor who provides the voice of the patriarch of Fox's long-running animated comedy "The Simpsons," has earned this year's Primetime Emmy Award honor for voice-over performance for his work as Homer, Krusty the Clown, Grampa and others. Castellaneta won voice-over Emmys for "Simpsons" in 1992 and '93. The voice-over performance honor is one of three Primetime Emmy Award categories that are so-called juried awards, which have no nominations and final winners are determined by a panel of judges with relevant expertise. The juried awards will be formally presented to the winners along with the rest of the Creative Arts Primetime Emmy categories Sept. 12 at a ceremony held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The major Emmys will be handed out in a televised ceremony a week later. Congratulations Dan!

Website The Simpsons Gallery has been redesigned today. The new design has some similar aspects to its previous look which was about a year old. The new feel and colors are a welcome change. The Simpsons Gallery continues to provide many image galleries as well as information about the show to make it one of the best Simpsons sites online.

At his home in Springfield's gay neighborhood, Waylon Smithers is crying into his Malibu Stacy pillowcase. "Why did this have to happen to me?" he wails. "Sure, he may be conservative but I’ve done nothing but serve Mr. Burns, and now that has all been taken from me." Smithers is referring to an outrageous outing campaign recently triggered by activist members of "The Simpsons" staff and the news media. It all started last week at the San Diego Comic Convention when producer Al Jean addressed thousands of comic and animation fans about the program’s upcoming 16th season, in which a character will come out of the closet. In the wake of these comments, there has been much speculation about which character is likely to come out. "Worst rumor ever," said Comic Book Guy who, naturally, was at the convention. He admits to once trying to pass the "final frontier" by looking at a Web site he thought contained gay pornography. Read More >>>

The actor behind Mr. Burns, and Ned Flanders has slammed The Simpsons, claiming the last three seasons of the show have been the "worst". Harry Shearer believes the 15-year-old show is beginning to run out of ideas and he is getting bored providing the speech for Flanders, Burns and his assistant Waylon Smithers, Reverend Lovejoy, and Principal Skinner. Shearer says, "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst. It makes me sad. They used to have whole scenes. Season four looks very good to me now. I'd rather not be there right now. Fortunately I'm doing a lot of other things." Shearer has also angrily denied reports the cast threatened to strike over a pay dispute earlier this year. "We were never on strike. The day those stories appeared, I was at FOX doing vocal services for that week's show. What I can say is that's possible to make a very nice living and still get totally screwed."

Fox has announced a new single-disc Christmas-themed volume of The Simpsons on DVD. Although they haven't given the title a proper name yet, they have made it known that this will be available to buy on November 2nd. List price is $14.98 (in Canada, CA$16.98 SRP) for 89 minutes. The episodes that will be included are: 'Homer vs. Dignity', 'Skinner's Sense of Snow', 'Dude, Where's My Ranch?' and 'Tis the Fifteenth Season.' Bonus materials are to-be-decided but a featurette is expected. The DVD is already available at Amazon.com for pre-order simply by clicking here. Cover art isn't available yet of course, since they're still settling on the title. We'll give you both once they become available.