An episode adult TV comedy animation The Simpsons broadcast in May is set to feature a short live section.
After 27 seasons of the show, and for the first time ever, our favourite donut-loving TV character, Homer Simpson, will be live on TV to answer questions, but only for a mere three minutes.
According to the show’s producers, the three-minute live segment of the animated show will be made possible using motion-capture technology and will be acted out by the man behind the Homer Simpson voice, Dan Castellaneta. Homer will respond in real time to pre-submitted questions from fans. It will take place after a usual episode, which will revolve around improvised comedy.
Fans can tweet their questions using #HomerLive beginning on Sunday, May 1 until Wednesday, May 4.
The Simpsons show-runner Al Jean said, ”As far as I know, this is the first time it’s been done by any animated show.”
Created by Matt Groening for Fox, The Simpsons focuses on a satirical depiction of a middle class American family. At a time when an increasing number of people are getting their telly fix from on-demand services rather than broadcast TV, the show has become outdated and is in desperate need of revival.
The live portion will look just like the rest of the show and feature the Simpsons’ standard comedy values, but refer to current events.
The Simpsons definitively left its high-quality benchmark behind decades ago. However, it still gets decent ratings despite this decline, hitting a season high of over 8m in January, according to The Guardian.
After a decline in viewership over the last decade, this may be its chance to win fans once again.