The Simpsons season 33

The thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons premiered on Fox on September 26, 2021 and ended on May 22, 2022. The season consisted of twenty-two episodes. On March 3, 2021, the season was ordered alongside a 34th season. It was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television Animation. Executive producer Matt Selman replaced executive producer Al Jean as primary showrunner this season although Jean continued to be showrunner for several episodes each season.

Episodes this season were nominated for one Emmy Award and five Writers Guild of America Awards.

Main cast

 * Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Barney Gumble, Grampa Simpson, Itchy, Sideshow Mel, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Kodos, Rich Texan, Santa's Little Helper, Squeaky-Voiced Teen, Mayor Quimby, Gil Gunderson, Hans Moleman, Louie, Blue-Haired Lawyer and various others
 * Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, Jacqueline Bouvier, Selma Bouvier and Patty Bouvier
 * Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Maggie Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Todd Flanders, Database, Crystal Meth Spuckler and various others
 * Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson
 * Hank Azaria as Kirk Van Houten, Moe Szyslak, Old Jewish Man, Chief Wiggum, Raphael, Superintendent Chalmers, Professor Frink, Comic Book Guy, Luigi Risotto, Disco Stu, Snake, Johnny Tightlips, Duffman, Gareth Prince, Cletus Spuckler, Coach Krupt and various others
 * Harry Shearer as Waylon Smithers, Lenny Leonard, Jasper Beardly, Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman, Mr. Burns, Rainier Wolfcastle, Kang, Ned Flanders, Otto Mann, Reverend Lovejoy, Dr. J. Loren Pryor, Legs, Dewey Largo and various others

Supporting cast

 * Pamela Hayden as Milhouse Van Houten, Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Gloria Prince, Birthday Spuckler, Jitney Spuckler, Greta Wolfcastle ("Treehouse of Horror XXXII") and various others
 * Tress MacNeille as Agnes Skinner, Maya, Dolph Shapiro, Shauna Chalmers, Mama Risotto, Lindsey Naegle, Mrs. Muntz, Brandine Spuckler, Dubya Spuckler, Whitney Spuckler, Brunella Pommelhorst, Crazy Cat Lady and various others
 * Kevin Michael Richardson as Dr. Hibbert, Bleeding Gums Murphy and various others
 * Kimberly Brooks as Lewis Clark and various others
 * Grey DeLisle as Martin Prince, Sherri and Terri and various others
 * Alex Désert as Carl Carlson, Officer Lou and various others
 * Chris Edgerly as additional characters
 * Dawnn Lewis as Bernice Hibbert, Female Firefighter and various others
 * Jonathan Lipow as the wolverine ("Pixelated and Afraid") and Axel ("Boyz N the Highlands")
 * Eric Lopez as Bumblebee Man and various others
 * Melanie Minichino as Female Scammer ("Bart's in Jail!")
 * Tony Rodríguez as Julio
 * Maggie Roswell as Helen Lovejoy, Luann Van Houten, Miss Hoover and various others
 * Jenny Yokobori as Flor ("Lisa's Belly") and Clarinet Girl ("Girls Just Shauna Have Fun")

The two-part episode "A Serious Flanders" included guest stars Timothy Olyphant, Cristin Milioti, and Brian Cox.

Development
This season and the next season were ordered in March 2021. Seven episodes were holdovers from the previous season. The season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television Animation, a new unit under Disney Television Studios for adult animation, replacing 20th Television. This season featured the only episode co-written by Johnny LaZebnik, which was co-written with his father Rob LaZebnik.

Starting this season, executive producer Matt Selman took over as primary showrunner. Selman had been the showrunner for several episodes each season since the twenty-third season. Executive producer Al Jean continued as showrunner for approximately four episodes each season. Jean had been the primary showrunner since the thirteenth season. Selman introduced a co-showrunner system for episodes in which he was the showrunner. For each episode, a senior writer would help Selman produce the episode. Selman hired younger writers such as Broti Gupta and Christine Nangle to give the show more perspectives. He also allowed the writers to be experimental and to not rely on the show's previous success.

Promoting the season at the 2021 Comic-Con@Home panel, Selman described the premiere episode, "The Star of the Backstage" as "like a Broadway musical of an episode with wall to wall music." Jean stated that the Treehouse of Horror episode of the season, "Treehouse of Horror XXXII", would feature five segments instead of the usual three. Selman stated that the two-part episode "A Serious Flanders" would be "an epic love letter to the show Fargo and the world of streaming television."

Casting
A new character was introduced in "Lisa's Belly", Dr. Wendy Sage, a hypnotherapist who is also a breast cancer survivor. She visibly has one of her breasts removed. She was created and voiced by Renee Ridgeley, an actress, writer, and real-life breast cancer survivor and the wife of Simpsons writer Matt Selman.

On April 21, 2022, it was announced that Kerry Washington officially joined the cast in a recurring role as Bart's fourth grade teacher, Ms. Peyton, replacing the late Mrs. Krabappel. Ms. Peyton was first introduced in the episode "My Octopus and a Teacher".

Promotional shorts
Two animated short films were released to Disney+ during this season's run, titled Plusaversary, which features Homer and Goofy drinking at Moe's Tavern in celebration of the streaming service's 2nd anniversary, and When Billie Met Lisa, which features a guest star in singer Billie Eilish discussing life with Lisa Simpson.

Release
This season aired on Sundays during the 2021–22 television season as part of Fox's Animation Domination programming block, along with The Great North, Bob's Burgers, Duncanville, and Family Guy. In the United States, after each episode aired, they were released on Hulu the day after. In Canada, Australia and Spain, the season aired weekly on Wednesdays on Disney+ through the Star content hub internationally and on Star+ in Latin America. The first eighteen episodes were removed from Hulu and every episode was added on Disney+ in the United States on October 5, 2022, with the final four episodes remaining on Hulu, with one episode being removed each week.

Viewing figures
For the 2021-2022 television season, the season earned a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which was the 45th best performing show. It averaged 2.25 million viewers, which was the 98th best performing show.

Critical response
Marcus Gibson from Bubbleblabber rated the season a 7.5 out of 10 in his review: "Revisiting The Simpsons in its thirty-third season is like reuniting with old friends after a decade or so. They may have changed a bit since I last saw them, but they're still the same humorous yellow-skinned family I remembered years ago. While its latest season may not match the iconic family's glory days, it still delivers plenty of giggles and surprises in its episodes to continue the show's long-running success. Even its special episodes, mainly 'A Serious Flanders', are strong enough to make my visit to Springfield more fun. Hopefully, my next visit during its upcoming thirty-fourth season will be just as amusing."

Awards and nominations
At the 74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the episode "Pixelated and Afraid" was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program.

Writers Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, John Frink, Loni Steele Sosthand, Jeff Westbrook, and co-writers Rob LaZebnik and Johnny LaZebnik were individually nominated for Writers Guild of America Awards for Television: Animation for episodes written this season.