Online petition launched to save Quebecois dubbing of The Simpsons

A new petition has been launched urging Disney+ to preserve Quebecois dubbing for The Simpsons, after Corus announced its agreement was not renewed.

An online petition has been launched to save the Quebecois dubbing of the popular American show The Simpsons, according to a recent Noovo Info report.

Published on Change.org, the petition asks Disney+ to prevent the announced end of Quebecois dubbing for the cult series, as well as for Family Guy and American Dad, which air on Télétoon, owned by Corus Canada.

“This news is causing serious concern not only among fans of the series but also within the Quebec artistic community,” the petition states.

Several Quebec actors have shared the petition on Facebook, including Guylaine Tremblay and François L’Écuyer, who has voiced Mayor Quimby and Barney Gumble.

“It’s an important source of income for many of our actors! Please sign!” Tremblay wrote.

The petition also highlights that the Quebecois version of The Simpsons is an integral part of the Quebecois “collective imagination.”

“We have so many expressions that are different from French from France. We Quebecers, we recognize ourselves with the Quebec version of The Simpsons,” said Joshua Biasotto, a fan of the show who launched the petition.

“I watched an episode of The Simpsons in French from France, and it is so different.”

Agreement not renewed

Disney has held the rights to The Simpsons since 2019. Under an agreement with Disney, Télétoon aired new seasons in Quebec.

Corus announced this week that the agreement was not renewed, threatening the future of Quebecois dubbing, Noovo Info reports.

Dubbing for the 36th season of The Simpsons, which was set to begin in mid-July, has been put on hold. According to La Presse, the only French-language version likely to be available on Disney+ is the version dubbed in France.

Quebecois voices could still be heard if Disney reaches an agreement with another local broadcaster. Meanwhile, Noovo continues to air older seasons of The Simpsons.

The voices behind The Simpsons

Many Quebec actors lend their voices to the characters of The Simpsons. According to DoublageQc.ca, the main characters are voiced by:

• Homer Simpson: Hubert Gagnon (seasons 1–28; Gagnon passed away in 2020), followed by Thiéry Dubé (seasons 29–35)
• Marge Simpson: Béatrice Picard (seasons 1–33), then Chantal Baril (seasons 34–35). Baril also voices Milhouse and Patty Bouvier
• Bart Simpson: Johanne Léveillé
• Lisa Simpson: Lisette Dufour
• Maggie Simpson: Lisette Dufour

Other notable voices include Edgar Fruitier (Charles Montgomery Burns), Guy Nadon (Sideshow Bob), Marc Labrèche (Krusty the Clown, Otto Bus), Bernard Fortin (Chief Clancy Wiggum, Ned Flanders, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy), and Alain Zouvi (Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Waylon Smithers, Dr. Julius Hibbert).