‘The Simpsons’: 500th episode set to air February 19th
We’ve known for a while that the milestone 500th episode of “The Simpsons” would come somewhere early in 2012, but FOX has now nailed down a date for the episode: Sunday, February 19th.
The episode is called “At Long Last Leave,” and it involves the Simpsons being evicted from Springfield and taking up residence with a group of people who live off the grid outside town. Marge and Homer try to sneak back in, but they learn pretty fast that they’re no longer welcome.
FOX is marking the occasion by challenging fans to break the Guinness world record for continuous TV watching. It currently stands at just over 86 hours, but the network is hoping someone can make it all the way through the entire series of “The Simpsons” to date (which would be in the neighborhood of 183 hours, assuming 22 minutes per episode).
Information on the contest is at TheSimpsons.com and the show’s Facebook page.
The show has also firmed up airdates for some of its guest voices: “The Social Network’s” Armie Hammer lends his voice to “The D’oh-cial Network” on Jan. 15; Michael Cera is in a Valentine’s Day story in which Lisa falls in love with his character; and Lady Gaga will appear in the season finale. Glenn Close will also reprise her role as Homer’s mom, Mona, later this season.