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DiggThe Simpsons celebrates the big 4-0...0
By Tim Surette - TV.comTV.com crashes Simpsons milestone celebration in Los Angeles.
The voice of Moe, Apu, Wiggum--Hank Azaria--answers questions on the yellow carpet.
LOS ANGELES--One of the biggest questions plaguing TV viewers since late 1989 has been "Where in the US is the The Simpsons' home of Springfield?" For one night, that query was answered: Fox Studios in Los Angeles, California.
In celebration of the show's 400th episode--yes, 400--Fox held an invite-only Simpsons-themed block party on its studio grounds. A typical movie set designed to mimic New York City brownstones was given a Springfield face-lift, with familiar storefronts (Krusty Burger, Kwik-E-Mart), costumed characters, and the crew behind The Simpsons--including series creator Matt Groening--making appearances.
"[The event tonight is] an opportunity to hang out with all the people who worked so hard on the show," Groening told TV.com. "For me this is a way of honoring the animators and the producers and the writers and the actors that worked so hard on the show. That's what it's about for me."
For others, the all-ages event was about having fun in a fake Springfield and soaking up the animated atmosphere. The many young ones present got their art on in Maggie's Playland, a crafts area sponsored by the Ayn Rand School for Tots. Temporary-tattoo stations, Simpsons foosball, and photo booths were also set up for family-friendly entertainment.
Elsewhere, women dressed as Pattie and Selma were handing out smokes. OK, not really.
Those in more of a Homer mood made repeat stops to the several open bars, which kept the older crowd festive. And for those who didn't want to make the trek to one of the open-air booze dispensaries, cocktail waitresses dressed like Marge served Simpsons-themed libations, such as the Homer Ball and Lisa's Meditation Sedation.
Fox also used the opportunity for promoting more than just the 400th episode of the long-running show. Little was mentioned about the upcoming The Simpsons Movie, but one of the more popular attractions was a replica of the legendary living-room couch of the four-fingered family. The faux-furniture set featured the movie's logo and release date, life-sized mockups of the entire Simpsons clan, and room for one more to squeeze on for a photo op.
Oh Bart! You little rapscallion, you!
Also shown off that night was the upcoming Simpsons game from video game publisher Electronic Arts--the first time the press got a look at it. The game, which lets players take control of Bart, Homer, Marge, and Lisa, centers around the family being trapped inside a game and pokes fun at the gaming industry, pop culture, and even The Simpsons itself.
However, the real treat of the night that got the crowd's full attention wasn't a celebrity spotting, anything edible, or some Simpsons schwag. The attendees, who spent much of the night traversing the block party, were frozen in their tracks when Matt Groening introduced the 400th episode and showed it in its entirety. The viewing had a drive-in-theater feel to it, with laughter erupting loudly and frequently.
Squishees and Buzz Cola were given out for free.
Though Simpsons writer Matthew Warburton told TV.com that it was simply a "standard episode," it was one of the best in recent memory and featured cameos by almost the entire cast of characters and rapper Ludacris...in a tube of toothpaste ("Baby got...bacteria!").
Groening told TV.com about the challenges of making The Simpsons after all these years.
"Yes [there's pressure], nothing changes," said Groening. "It's as hard as it ever was. It was hard the first year, it's hard this year, too. Because you still have to come up with new things, and animation doesn't get any easier."
Matt Groening happily obliged the requests of fans and future eBay sellers.
Though much of the crowd dispersed and the staff began winding down the evening after the showing, there was one familiar face that was still hard at work. Groening stuck around until the very end, jovially taking pictures with fans and signing autographs. Like his show, Groening was willing to stick around as long as people wanted to see him.
When asked how long the show could go on, Groening, with a smile, told TV.com, "two more weeks," before giving a more serious answer. "We'll probably be on for a while."
Unlike with the hundreds of shows that have come and gone since The Simpsons debuted almost 18 years ago, it's clear fans are willing to watch as long as their favorite family is on television.
