The Simpsons casting kerfuffle continues: Despite confirmation from showrunner Al Jean that Harry Shearer will not be returning to the show, it seems that the program’s top creative heads don’t have all their “Bort” license plates in a row. Shearer’s very public Twitter announcement that he is not coming back (and at least partially implying the fault lies with co-creator James L. Brooks) has prompted Brooks to respond in kind:
Given that this is Hollywood, the land of endless deal-making, it would seem that the door isn’t entirely closed yet on Shearer’s potential involvement with the show. Brooks has a reputation for being an incredibly patient man, so perhaps he’s willing to sit down and negotiate a deal in what otherwise appears to be a rather acrimonious split between the Fox program and one of its most essential voice actors. Or, failing that, maybe it’s finally time for that long-touted Chief Wiggum, P.I. spinoff—although he may have to find a new sidekick to replace Seymour Skinner.