Harry Shearer, the man who voiced much loved characters like Mr Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner, is said to be leaving after decades of working on the smash hit cartoon.

Read about Shearer's departure here.

 

 

 

Shearer has breathed life into more than a hundred characters in The Simpsons since its beginnings in 1989. What will happen to them? Can the show go on without them? Here are the most memorable figures.

 

Charles Montgomery Burns

 

The ancient corporate boss of Springfield Nuclear Plant and main antagonist of The Simpsons is such a mainstay of the show. His contempt for employee Homer Simpson and scheming Machiavellian manner could make him a great loss. Who could possibly recreate that nasally, evil rasp?

 

Waylon Smithers

 

Smithers is Mr Burns' long-suffering sycophantic personal assistant, best known for his inexplicable infatuation with his boss. He describes his occupation as "around 2,800 smaller jobs" - including managing and discipling staff as well as waiting on hand-and-foot for Mr Burns. Shearer was known for voicing conversations between both Smithers and Burns in one take - a very impressive feat that few could emulate.

 

Ned Flanders

 

The good-natured Flanders and Homer's object of neighbourly ire has an unwaveringly kind and cheerful demeanour - a community do-gooder and a devout Christian, which can spark frustration in his less-than-perfect peers. Known for needlessly inserting "diddly" inbetween syllables and words, his devotion to the Bible and his secret six pack, Ned is a pillar of the show and his loss would be catastrophic for fans. Stupid Sexy Flanders.

 

Principal Seymour Skinner

 

The head of Springfield Elementary struggles to manage his apathetic staff and rowdy students - he spends a lot of the time trying to keep his school up to standards to gain approval from his boss, Superintendent Skinner. His efforts are almost always thwarted by prankster Bart Simpson. He has a strict disciplinarian style of leadership honed from years in the military, and was held as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam. Ironically, he is still perpetually emasculated by his aged mother, who he still lives with. Lenny Leonard

 

Homer's workmate and drinking buddy has a Masters in Nuclear Physics but comes across as rather simple in the series. He is a successful mystery novelist and is the second richest man in Springfield, which belies his blue collar, working man persona.

 

Dr Hibbert

 

This jolly doctor who laughs at inappropriate moments and is generally a bit of a dark horse. There are hints at his corrupt dealings and medical malpractice, including suggesting to Marge that another baby "could fetch $60,000 on the black market" - before insisitng that he was just testing her and that he would've phoned the police if she agreed. It is also revealed that he was a male stripper in his younger years to pay for his university studies, under the name Malcolm Sex.

 

Reverend Lovejoy

 

Reverent Lovejoy is the minister at the First Church of Springfield. His sermons range from 'fire and brimstone' proselytising or dull, drawling recitations from the Old Testament. His contempt for the over-scrupulous Flanders, with his concerns about sin and 'coveting his own wife', has somewhat diminished his passion in his role as church leader. He even tried to convince Flanders to change religion, claiming that "they are all pretty much the same," and once tried to get his dog to defecate on Flanders' perfectly manicured front lawn.

 

Kent Brockman

 

Kent is the TV anchor of Springfield's news programme on Channel 6. He is a careerist, diva stropping, power hungry reporter with a penchant for Botox and controversial views, which he gives in his My Two Cents news segment. He's never afraid to sensationalise a news story and twist the truth for bigger ratings. He is famous for saying: "I've said it before and I'll say it again: Democracy simply doesn't work."