Talking Simpsons

In an episode that's alternately titled "(or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)," we welcome back Nick Wiger  from the podcasts Doughboys and Get Played ! Armed with TWO different original scripts for the ep, we dig into all the details for this ode to Gamblor. How does Marge get addicted to gambling? Did this predict magician injuries? Are we all covered in disgusting ge...

Get ready for some robot fighting mixed in with some upsetting pet death in this week's exploration of season 15. Homer and Bart take up the bulk of the plot with a timely parody of Battlebots/Robot Wars (and don't worry, we explain the US/UK differences). At the same time, the show kills off Snowball II in such an offhand way that it's still annoying 20 years later. Will you be as upset as Armin...

This week we're joined by Gary Butterfield from the Duckfeed.tv podcasts for a tale of Homer struggling with desire. After Mindy Simmons joins coworkers like Stuart The Duck and Large-Hand Man, Homer finds himself attracted to her in a story that takes a lot of finesse from the writers. As we look back on that potential infidelity, we also note our memories of being nerds in elementary school just...

The start of 2025 was short on happy headlines, but we have a few nice memories to share after January. First, there's news on the Simpsons' schedule changing, plus we preview some podcast plans, and then we reflect on a month full of RPGs, Squid Games, & David Lynch films. Lastly, we wrap up the usual way by spotlighting some of our favorite Patreon comments, including some talk of DVD bonus feat...

For an episode about families vs the child-free, we're joined by our podcasting parental pal, Chris Kohler  from Digital Eclipse . As Marge battles Lindsay Naegle over kids in public spaces, we judge how well that has aged (in addition to references to Steve Irwin, Raffi, and Rudy Giuliani). In an episode full of funny dialogue, what does this 2004 political commentary have to tell us two decades...

Recover from your own Squishee hangover with our guest Patrick Cotnoir ( George Lucas Talk Show , Hey, That's Me: A Commentary Podcast ). In a story not affiliated with The Boy Scouts of America, Bart joins the Junior Campers and learns to love rubber knives & animal traps. Somehow that strands Bart in the ocean with Homer and a pair of Flanderses in another adventure full of memorable moments, be...

The Talking Simpsons Network is taking a week off for the holiday season, so to fill the content gap, we've decided to post an episode of our Patreon-exclusive TalKing of the Hill podcast miniseries! If you like this episode and want to hear the rest (with more to come every month), head over to Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and sign up at the $5 level. Once you do, you'll have immediate access to a...

Happy New Year! In case you didn't know, every month we release the premium podcast, What A Cartoon Movie . And, as we take a week off to rest and recharge, we're giving all of our listeners a chance to hear a free sample of this Patreon-exclusive series. So please, enjoy our ultra-long look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)! And if you'd like to hear 70 more episodes of What A Cartoon Movie...

We're joined again by Nick Prueher from Found Footage Festival / VCR Party Live , and we're ringing in the new year with a classic. Written by George Meyer (confirmed viewer of Found Footage Fest), we dig into a timely satire of early '90s therapy. Somehow Marge and Homer resolving conflict maturely leads to the town worshiping Bart. So do what you feel, grab some fortified wine, and listen now fo...

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's once again time for another installment of our community podcast! Join us as we discuss the departure of Pamela Hayden as the voice of Milhouse, talk about the many new episodes that aired in the last month, follow up on The Simpsons crossing over with the NFL, and more. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the...

Howdy, free feed folks! In the spirit of the season, we've decided to gift you this bonus podcast. If you'd like to hear more, and support the Talking Simpsons Network, head on over to our Patreon and sign up . Once you do, you'll unlock 80 episodes of Talking Futurama , as well as the rest of our vast collection of miniseries episodes. Thanks for your attention—now here's the episode description:...

We go slightly off schedule to do 2003's holiday Simpsons ep, and we welcome back YouTube creator Pop Arena  (check out their Nickelodeon retrospective Nick Knacks )! After we reflect on all of the Xmas specials we grew up watching, we follow Homer on a journey of self-discovery. Can you give Certs as a gift? How many bits were cut from the script? And how accurate is this to Mr. Magoo lore? We di...

We welcome back journalist Louis Peitzman to discuss the sequel to the last podcast he did with us, Like Father, Like Clown ! This time around, Krusty deals with his religious background after reconnecting with his Rabbi father to plan an adult bar mitzvah. This somehow leads Homer to getting his own TV show that's a light parody of Bill Maher. How does this tie into a rushed ending with a lot of...

As Marge and Ruth battle the police state, we welcome back experts in satirizing dumb cops, Matt Bors and Ben Clarkson , creators of the  comic Justice Warriors (the new volume 2, Vote Harder, makes a great seasonal gift )! After reflecting on this story in the current post-election climate, learn how Thelma And Louise inspired this ep, why good waffles stick together, and how to balance parenting...

Whew, that was certainly an eventful November to say the least, and we're not just talking about all the podcasts we released. After we look back on the Simpsons news of the last few weeks like Halloween eps and NFL crossovers, we look back on the movies/TV/games we used as escapism in these dark times before heading out on a vacation for the rest of this Thanksgiving month. Then we reply to some...

What happens when Homer Simpson recreates the misadventures of a weird Canadian outdoorsman? You get the last ep of production season 14, where Homer battles a bear after shopping for Mother's Day gifts. Following our review of the this ep's "Project Grizzly" origins, we dig into how this story of the hunter becoming the hunter won an enviromental award 20 years ago. Plus, podcast chat of Veggieta...

We welcome back  Ian Jones-Quartey , creator of OK KO and Executive Producer on Steven Universe, for arguably the best-looking Simpsons episode ever. We discuss Satan, gremlins, vampires, and scariest of all, dogs playing poker. How did the writers and animators make such a ghoulish gallery, and what amazing moments were cut from the show? Learn all that while enjoying all the donuts in the world...

Pip pip and cheerio listeners, we're here to discuss the Simpsons' visit to London in this star-studded episode with more famous people than great jokes. Yes, they prioritize getting famous Brits in it from war criminal Tony Blair to hatemonger JK Rowling (plus a couple of UK citizens who aren't terrible people). But before that, we still get a couple of funny moments in the final episode written...

Happy day after Election Day! We've reached the beginning of the month, which means it's once again time for another installment of our community podcast! Join us we discuss the first four episodes of season 36, the new Sideshow Bob-based short, Simpsons Movie sequel news, and more. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the most recent round of episodes. It's all...

It's time for the David Mirkin Era to begin on Talking Simpsons officially, and we're kicking it off with comedian/writer  Mike Lawrence! After Mike shares fun stories of working with Simpsons legend Greg Daniels, we discuss the show's deepest tribute to Citizen Kane. In this absolute classic, Burns searches for Bobo, The Ramones sing "Happy Birthday," Homer eats a lot of cheese, and too many othe...

As Lisa gets another makeover, we welcome back Merritt K (check out her new game, Fledgling Manor ) to help us make sense of this 2003 satire! It's primarily a lengthy parody of the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita, and we do our best to figure out which songs are being referenced. Plus, this musical episode features Michael Moore, leading us all to reflect on the politics of 2003, 2013,...

For the third time, we take our show on the road to Portland alongside Bill Oakley , former Simpsons showrunner and  Steamed Hams Society boss . Recorded live on October 2, 2024, at Kelly's Olympian in Portland, OR ! We all dissect a favorite ep from Bill's time on the series, The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show. Bill has many fun memories and digressions about how this episode happened, with tale...

As we head into production season 5 and a huge changeover for the series, we're joined by first-time guest, writer/podcaster Evan Susser ! The Doughboys Commissioner helps us explore Conan O'Brien's final full ep of The Simpsons, as we give a timeline of how his unprecedented hiring to Late Night impacted the show. Then we dig into Homer's incredible trip to college,  one of the best eps ever, wit...

As autumn begins, we have a whole month of Simpsons events to look back on, while also looking forward to our October 2nd Portland live show with Bill Oakley ( get your tickets HERE before it sells out ). Then, we've got a trip report from Orlando, lots of chat about newly released video games, and replies to some of our favorite Patreon comments. Prepare for Halloween/Treehouse season with the ne...

Now that the Halloween fun is over, it's time for the proper "season premiere" of season 15, as Homer reconnects with his mother. After we dig into the career of writer Michael Price, we discuss how this second appearance of Glenn Close on the series compares to the first. Plus, we chat about viral headlines, collectible t-shirts, the surveillance state of 2003, and the overuse of songs from the '...