Justin Bieber’s long-awaited cameo in The Simpsons debuts this Sunday.
To celebrate this much needed lighthearted Bieber news, Fox have released the first photo of the cartooned Canadian as he will appear in the show.
Plot details for the episode — “The Fabulous Faker Boy” — are scant, but last year Al Jean, the show’s executive producer told Entertainment Weekly :
“He tries to get into a talent show that Bart is playing piano in and they won’t admit him,” he teased . “Draw your own conclusions.”
Jean also warned fans the singer’s cartoon face-time would be brief, saying:
“It’s a cameo. But all of his fans should watch every minute of the show, before and after he’s on.”
The teen star, complete with thowback ‘bowl cut,’ will be playing himself in the episode.
First reported back in August that the teen singer had recorded a voice over for his Springfield appearance. A then 18-years-old Bieber delightedly tweeted:
“just did a voice over for the SIMPSONS!!! #swaggy.”
Along with many of his fans, Bieber also tweeted his ‘Simpsonized’ picture.
Wait. Is that @ dankanter creepin in the back? Haha twitter.com/justinbieber/s…
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) May 9, 2013
Frankly, it’s a welcome change of pace from speeding fines in Dubai , potentially life-threatening stage attacks , monkey troubles , Swedish police tour bus raids — and the rest.
In other news, according to Radar Online , another Fox series is about to get a dose of Bieber Fever.
American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe is reportedly planning to replace this season’s crop of judges with the Canadian teen superstar, Selena Gomez, Pink and Diddy to boost flagging ratings.
“It’s been a lackluster season for Idol and everyone involved with the show is well aware of it, so that’s why producers are frantically working on lining up big name stars for season 13,” a source told Radar Online .
“There’s more drama going on behind the scenes of the show than on the stage, and that’s why there’s a major overhaul in the works.”
The website also said a “telling sign” of producers desperation to revive interest in the show was the online leak of Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj’s face-off even before the season aired.
Idol executives are thinking outside the box for where to go next with the show say Radar and apparently believe Bieber and co. have the right chemistry.
“That’s why they want to go big next season, and you can’t get any bigger than Justin Bieber,” Radar’s source explained .”The executives are calling it their dream team because who wouldn’t tune in to see Justin and Selena, Pink and Diddy?”
Radar goes on to report that Pink and Diddy turned down previous Idol offers, but Fox are prepared to pay a not-at-all-small fortune to get the show back on track.
“ Idol is not the water cooler show it used to be – it’s not hip and become really boring,” said the source.”If producers have it their way, Justin, Selena, Pink and Diddy will be sitting at the judges’ table next season and that’s a powerhouse group and everyone would tune in to see.”
Bieber’s cameo on The Simpsons airs this Sunday on Fox at 8 pm.