Friday, November 21, 2003 National Post
Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, will appear on The Simpsons on Sunday as the dysfunctional cartoon family visits Britain.
The Labour leader, who watches the show with his children, recorded his three lines of dialogue in April at the height of the war in Iraq.
Mr. Blair joins a string of politicians who have been Simpsonized. They include one of his predecessors, Margaret Thatcher, along with former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Jimmy Carter.
"He was approached by the program some time ago and asked whether he wanted to appear," a Downing Street spokesman told BBC News Online.
"This is something that has been in the diary for a long time. The program makers were in the U.K. to make the episode. It took up a short amount of time."
The hope is the show will bring American tourists back to London. This could well backfire. Previous Simpson forays abroad to Brazil and Canada have upset the locals.
Nonetheless, the timing upset some critics who thought Mr. Blair should have been concentrating on more important matters.
Others think the appearance can only do him good.
"The Simpsons are still popular the world over ... it will probably do his credibility the world of good," said Steve Marchant, a British cartoonist.
Added the mass-circulation tabloid, The Daily Mirror, "He will be remembered for being in The Simpsons long after people remember the war in Iraq. It could be the apex of his career."
In the segment, dubbed The Regina Monologues, the Simpsons visit London and are invited to 10 Downing Street for a nice cup of English tea.
Standing in front of a portrait of a bemused looking Queen, Mr. Blair suggests some sights they should visit in the British capital.
Although the Prime Minister -- pinkie extended -- appears to be enjoying his tea, Homer is less enthused, surreptitiously tipping the contents of his Union Jack-emblazoned mug on the floor.
The show includes appearances by other famous Britons, such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and actor Ian McKellan.
The show's producers are reported to have rejected ace soccer player David Beckham on the grounds he was not famous enough.