Simpsons alt-cast keeping ESPN from flexing Bengals-Cowboys out of MNF
The NFL is saying “D’oh!” right now.
Football fans can thank one Homer J. Simpson for the league’s inability to flex out a Week 14 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Bengals and Cowboys, according to Jay Morrison of Bengals Talk.
Rather it’s the fault of a planned Simpsons alt-cast that’s scheduled to air for that night’s game that is keeping the lackluster contest in the primetime slot.
The matchup will feature a fully animated alternate telecast that features characters from “The Simpsons” and a number of the “drawings, voiceovers and other work” has already been completed, Morrison reported.
Thus making it nearly impossible for ESPN, a Disney-owned network, to redo the elements in time for a different matchup on Dec. 9.
The alternate broadcast will air on ESPN Plus and Disney Plus and was first announced late last month.
Simpsons voice actors Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith are slated to appear in prerecorded skits that will air during the broadcast, and several ESPN stars like Stephen A. Smith and Peyton and Eli Manning will also make appearances, Awful Announcing reported.
ESPN produced a “Toy Story” themed alt-cast last season for the NFL and a “Big City Greens” alt-cast occurred for the NHL earlier this year.
A trailer for the alternate broadcast was released on Monday afternoon and billed the game as Bart and the Bengals facing off against Homer and the Cowboys.
“Football fans and Simpsons nerds finally come together to watch the game live from Springfield,” a narrator said in the video.
“The Simpsons” fell under the Disney umbrella in 2019 after the media giant purchased 20th Century Fox.
Interest in the game took a dip after the Bengals fell to 4-7 with their loss to the Chargers on Sunday night and the Cowboys season has been circling the drain for several weeks.
That has left the NFL likely muttering “eat my shorts” at the thought of the lackluster showdown being left in primetime.