Springfield Is In The Air

Jammie Americans were introduced to the new season of The Simpsons last night as the show launched its sixteenth (yes, that's one, six) season. And, while we in the UK (twisted and bitter with envy) will have to wait a little bit longer, some particularly pleasing news regarding the series' eternally promised feature spin-off has come to light. The good news? A rough release date has been confirmed and plotlines are being brainstormed right now, as you read this. The slightly less good news is that the projected street date for the film isn't until 2008. And you thought the wait for Episode III was a tough one. "The biggest thing is you don't want to do a movie that's not reflective of the quality of the show," executive Producer Al Jean told Entertainment Weekly. "you don't want the quality of the show to slip because you're doing the movie. So we're taking a little time." Four long years (and presumably enough episodes to bring the show into its twentieth season) stand between us and this holy grail of big screen animation. As Homer Simpson would almost certainly say: "D'oh!"