Characters from The Simpsons pose before the premiere of “The Simpsons Movie”, in Springfield, Vermont in 2007.The Associated Press
The uniquely Quebec version of The Simpsons – dubbed in Québécois French and featuring local place names, politicians, current events and popular expressions – has come to an abrupt end, leaving fans without their beloved adaptation.
An online petition launched last week to save “Les Simpsons” has garnered more than 22,000 signatures as of Monday. Spearheaded by Quebecker Joshua Biasotto, the petition calls on Disney+ Canada to ensure new seasons of the show on the streaming service are dubbed in Québécois.
“I took the initiative, not to put pressure, but to show to Disney that the Quebec people care about their Quebec version of ’The Simpsons,’” he said in an interview.
Télétoon, the television network owned by Corus Entertainment, did not renew the broadcasting rights in Quebec for “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “American Dad.” It was Corus who was responsible for dubbing the shows. And now, while the 37th season of “The Simpsons” is set to debut in the fall, the Québécois dub, which is one year behind and on its 36th season, is on hold.
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For its part, Corus said the cost of dubbing is not at the heart of its decision, but rather exclusivity. “After reviewing our portfolio, we opted to acquire more exclusive content for our channel,” Julie Godon, general manager of French-language specialty channels at Corus, said in a statement.
“With Disney+, among others, offering dubbed episodes, we no longer had exclusivity for ’The Simpsons’ for several years.”
Godon also noted in the statement that “since 2019, the decline in viewership of the series was significant enough to make us reconsider broadcasting it on Télétoon.”
Disney did not returned a request for comment asking whether it would pay to have “Les Simpsons” dubbed in Québécois French.
Biasotto said the Quebec version has been an integral part of Quebeckers’ collective imagination for decades – and is significantly different than the version dubbed for European audiences.
“Because the Quebec version is adapted to our style, so to speak,” Biasotto said. “It’s not at all the same as the French version from France, which is completely different, which is adapted for a French audience, for a European audience, whereas the Quebec version also has the wording adapted with our references, and our frankness.”
Fans says the Quebec version holds a special place in the culture – at times, Corus used to find Québécois celebrity equivalents to guest star in place of those on the show.
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Thiéry Dubé, the Quebec actor who has voiced Homer Simpson for the past eight years, since season 28, said he’s saddened by the turn of events.
“What we want is to draw Disney’s attention to the fact that cultural diversity – the fact that the series shines throughout the world – is because it adapts in each country to what people experience,” Dubé said in an interview.
“If that no longer exists here, it’s a huge cultural loss. ’The Simpsons’ is a piece of our identity.”
The show has been dubbed for 35 years in Quebec and is unique, he said.
“In fact, it’s a … very, very, very Québécois product,” Dubé said. “From the start, Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa speaks with a very Québécois French, from an average suburban Quebec family.”
Being the Quebec voice of Homer has been a great honour, he said. Taking over from the late Hubert Gagnon in 2017, Dubé spent eight years as the voice of patriarch of the family.
“I was honoured to try to keep the voice of this character alive in Quebec,” he said. “And for me, it’s a wonderful adventure because I get to play with childhood idols and I bring to life a character that I find fascinating and that I’ve loved ever since my childhood.”
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Even Ian Lafrenière, a Quebec cabinet minister and long-time Simpsons fan, weighed in. In a Facebook post, he said the Quebec version must be saved, describing the cultural and geographical references in the show as “sublime.”
He notes that in the U.S. version, Homer is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, but in Quebec, he’s a fan of the Montreal Alouettes.
“That’s the magic of the Quebec version,” Lafrenière said.
There’s also jobs on the line in Quebec, said well-known Quebec actor Guylaine Tremblay. “It’s an important source of income for many of our actors,” she wrote on Facebook, urging people to sign the petition.
Biasotto said there’s some hope among fans that BellMedia will pick up the show for its Noovo station, but the network said in an email that it had nothing further to say on the matter.
