Television in 2014 has marked the day and age of the crossover. We’ve seen a Bob’s Burgers/Archer crossover, and a Sherlock/Dr. Who one is apparently in the works, but The Simpsons have been at the center of the television trend in combining worlds.
FXX recently aired the entire series up to date, and following that marathon, the yellow family we’ve grown fond of appears to be making another comeback by merging their media past and present. From last year’s Lego episode, to a Family Guy crossover, to a recently announced Futurama, The Simpsons will now take a trip down memory lane to meet their “Tracy Ullman Show” counterparts.
In the upcoming “Treehouse of Horror” installment, the 1987 Simpsons will haunt the current family of Homer and Marge. If you watch TV, you’ll probably be familiar with the Treehouse of Horror, the bloody horror anthology of the animated series, that parody things like “The Shining”, and themselves by turning Holy Roller neighbor Ned Flanders into the dark prince, Satan. The Treehouse of Horror episodes are heralded as some of the best twists on the television series. It may be the only time of year where we might actually see Homer choke Bart to death.
The premise of the Tracy Ullman episode, described by executive producer Al Jean, builds on the idea that the “Ullman Show” Simpsons were murdered and buried under the house where the current family resides. “If people want a real Halloween bloodbath, they’re going to get it” Jean concluded about the episode.
We’ve seen the “Ullman Show” Simpsons pop up every so often, but this crossover will go into a lengthy revival process. The cast members Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), and Julie Kavner (Marge) will put their voice acting skills to the test, for they will have to resurrect speech patterns of the past to mesh with the current Simpsons.
The Treehouse of Horror episodes always throw viewers for a pleasant, gory surprise. When the Simpsons of old meet the Simpsons of new, we all have a Treehouse of Horror edition to anticipate.