Fall TV Preview: the Simpsons

Falling in love always has its ups and downs. The love that The Simpsons and I share has been going strong for, well, 19 years now. We have our ackward getting to know each other phase, Seasons 1 and 2, and then we shared the best years between Seasons 3 and 8. And yet, the familiar set in during Seasons 9 and 10. By Season 11, I as bored. Sure, The Simpsons still made me laugh, but I had heard the jokes before. I flirted with others. Futurama went into a coma, Family Guy came, went and came back again. But Family Guy is a slut. By Season 17, I could barely look at The Simpsons across the table at breakfast. Was I to blame? No, surely, it wasn't me. I started ignoring The Simpsons, living on the syndicated memories we had shared.

And then just as sudden as my contempt appeared, during the episode, "My Fair Laddy" to be exact, I found myself laughing during the Season 18 finale. Hmm. Maybe I am just too harsh and judgmental a lover. I went back and started watching other episodes from The Simpsons' 2006-2007 season. It was as if The Simpsons had changed; they had listened to my nagging and complaints and decided to change. And oh, did we have the best summer. The Simpsons Movie exceeded my expectations. Sure, it wasn't awesome, but I laughed and remembered that we all age and sometimes we just start to slip.

Season 19 could really bring The Simpsons and I back together.

So let's look at what we can expect. The spots for The Simpsons Season Premiere on September 23 are already airing, and Lionel Ritchie can be seen reprising "Say You, Say Me" with Homer's lyrical changes. But what FOX isn't showing us is that Stephen Colbert is also starring in this episode in which Homer hires a life coach (Colbert).

The Simpsons episode that I am most looking forward to, much like prom, is when a new comic book store opens up across the street from the Android's Dungeon. The owner is uber-cool and played by Jack Black (of course, he can only be uber-cool in animated form, just kidding, love ya, JB). Not only that, but Alan Moore (300) and other super awesome comic book artists are said to show up for signings. How will Comic Book Guy handle the usurpation of his position in society? Hopefully, it will not be the worst episode ever. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist that. But this should be a good episode just based on the premise.

Steve Buscemi shows up as a bank robber that meets Marge. Marge always seems to get those con's hearts all a-twitter, so this may be a bit of a rehashing of the time Michael Keaton was the ex-con living in her basement. Prove me wrong, kids, prove me wrong. And another episode that sounds a bit familiar is when Homer becomes the tow truck guy in Springfield, but runs into trouble with Matt Dillon's competing tow truck guy from another town. Mr. Plow, that's my name, that name again is Mr. Plow.

The Treehouse of Horror this Halloween will have a Mr. and Mrs. Smith parody with Homer and Marge standing in for Brangelina, and Kodos is found in the Simpsons backyard in an E.T. sort of way, only to found benign by the family despite his constant attempts to kill them. That might be funny. And there is another one of those trilogy-of-short-stories episodes coming. Great, those always work out.

Some upcoming titles do have me intrigued: The Debarted being one of them. Same goes with E.Pluribus Wiggum (never enough episodes with Ralphie). Some rumors are circulating that the British are coming in the form of Gordon Ramsay and Amy Winehouse, and NPR's Terry Gross may show up in an upcoming episode.

Other confirmed guest stars include John Stewart, Weird Al and Beverly D'Angelo (will she be Lurleen Lumpkin?). And yes, Sideshow Bob returns with his equally homicidal brother Cecil (David Hyde Pierce), and John Mahoney guest stars as Frasier's, I mean, Sideshow Bob's father that must testify in court. Is that for or against Bob? Tune in Sundays.