‘The Simpsons’ spoilers: Sideshow Bob’s plan, Spider-Pig returns, Harry Shearer hopes, more

“The Simpsons” was one of the many shows featured over the weekend at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, and one of the great things that came out of this was hearing at least a few assorted details regarding stories … and some key events playing out behind the scenes.

For example, the series is not entirely done just yet with thinking that Harry Shearer could return to voice his variety of characters. Per Entertainment Weekly, producers are still hoping that a deal could get done to bring the guy behind Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, and many more popular characters back. The show has already made it clear that they will not kill off any of Shearer’s characters if he does not return, and will instead recruit others to voice some of his parts.

Elsewhere, executive producer Al Jean made it very clear that for an upcoming Halloween episode, Sideshow Bob would actually have one of his plans to kill Bart Simpson come to fruition. (Yes, Kelsey Grammer will be returning as the voice.) The idea here is apparently born out of the team wondering what would have happened in one of the classic Road Runner – Wile E. Coyote cartoons had the latter actually won for a change. (Don’t worry; Bart is not leaving the series and should be just fine by the time the next episode airs.)

Also, apparently Homer Simpson’s favorite Spider-Pig is also going to return to do whatever a Spider-Pig does at some point moving forward. This was a character popularized mostly in “The Simpsons Movie.”

The new season of the show premieres this fall, and we will have some further news as it starts to come out. Meanwhile, be sure to sign up right here if you are curious in getting some other big TV updates sent in your direction, courtesy of our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)