The Simpsons future in Quebec unclear despite series renewal through Season 40, details revealed

While The Simpsons has been renewed till Season 40 in the US, the comedy show’s home in Quebec remains uncertain. Created by Matt Groening, the animated sitcom series is developed by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Sam Simon.

The popular show is a cultural landmark that has been airing since 1989 and even though the show’s 36th season has been aired till now, Fox has already renewed the show till the 40th season. The Simpsons satirizes American culture and family life through the characters of Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa. The dysfunctional family has remained popular ever since and it is the longest-running American animated show.

Since many years, Corus Canada has been the Canadian media company that has aired The Simpsons and has offered viewers from Quebec a local dub that not only translates, but also adapts the show culturally. However, according to Comic Book, Corus is yet to renew its deal with Disney and right now, the Québécois dub has been shelved. More on the story below.

Details about The Simpsons’ future in Quebec

As news about the unclear situation of The Simpsons in Quebec reached the ears of the viewers, a campaign on Change.org was swiftly launched. According to Comic Book Resources, the petition has already gathered 26,000 signatures as fans believe that the Quebec version of the show is more than just dubbing and reflects the linguistic and cultural heritage of the region. Fans also want Disney+ to step in and ensure that the dubbing continues smoothly in Quebec.

The Quebec version of the show is in Québécois French and features local place names, politicians, and popular expressions. The online petition titled, “Les Simpsons” is spearheaded by Joshua Biasotto according to The Canadian Press and he says in an interview that, "I took the initiative, not to put pressure, but to show to Disney that the Quebec people care about their Quebec version of 'The Simpsons,”

While Corus maintains that the cost of dubbing is not a factor in the decision process, but it comes down to exclusivity. “After reviewing our portfolio, we opted to acquire more exclusive content for our channel,” Julie Godon, general manager of French-language specialty channels at Corus, states. She also states that, “With Disney+, among others, offering dubbed episodes, we no longer had exclusivity for 'The Simpsons' for several years… since 2019, the decline in viewership of the series was significant enough to make us reconsider broadcasting it on Télétoon."

More details about the decision

Biasotto maintains that the Quebec version of the show is an integral cultural component of the region. "Because the Quebec version is adapted to our style, so to speak…It's not at all the same as the French version from France, which is completely different, which is adapted for a French audience, for a European audience, whereas the Quebec version also has the wording adapted with our references, and our frankness.”

Even Thiéry Dubé, the Quebec actor who voices Homer Simpson since the last eight years, mentions that he is sad because of the events around the show. "What we want is to draw Disney's attention to the fact that cultural diversity — the fact that the series shines throughout the world — is because it adapts in each country to what people experience," Dubé said in an interview. He mentions, "If that no longer exists here, it's a huge cultural loss. 'The Simpsons' is a piece of our identity."

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