鈥淭he Simpsons鈥� consulting producer Tim Long grew up in Ontario and has always sensed something secretly Canadian about Lisa, the middle child and most critically-minded member of the enduring American animated family.
鈥淪he鈥檚 the one who鈥檚 had the most barbed critiques of the United States,鈥� Long, a writer-producer who was raised in Exeter, Ont., said in a recent phone interview.
鈥淚 thought Bart was sort of like America: brash, unreflective, much more sure of himself. And Lisa was sort of the intellectual, quiet, thoughtful, rational one. And I鈥檝e always felt like that was sort of the relationship between America and Canada, too.鈥�
So when it came to this Sunday鈥檚 Canadian-themed episode, it felt natural to make Lisa the one who spends time on this side of the border, said Long, who has won five Emmy Awards.
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It happens when the Simpsons visit Niagara Falls and, through a series of wacky mishaps, Lisa goes over the powerful flow of water that separates Ontario and New York.
She lands on the Canadian side and is admitted to hospital, where she realizes Canada is the place for her.
The episode, 鈥淒鈥橭h Canada,鈥� airs on Citytv and Fox.
鈥淪he is not unscathed, but because of Canada鈥檚 incredibly generous health-care system, she ends up just fine,鈥� said Long, who co-wrote the episode with his wife, screenwriter Miranda Thompson.
鈥淭he Simpsons, when they see her in the hospital, are fully prepared to go bankrupt, because that鈥檚 what would happen to them in America. But they鈥檙e stunned and amazed and delighted to find the health-care system takes care of them.鈥�
Yes, much of the Simpsons clan also visits Canada in the episode, which Long said has 鈥渁 shocking number of Canadian things鈥� that 鈥�95 per cent of the American audience won鈥檛 get.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e briefly there but then Homer gets belligerent and they鈥檙e asked to leave, except for Lisa. Then much of the rest of the show features the Simpsons plotting to get her back and trying to convince Lisa that she should come back, because she鈥檚 at least initially very happy.鈥�
Earlier this week, Toronto journalist Lucas Meyer revealed he voices Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the episode.
While Meyer recorded his role in September, Long said they write episodes 鈥渦ntil the very last second,鈥� leaving room for current references.
One of those references on Sunday might be the SNC-Lavalin controversy, Long suggested when he said 鈥渢here may be mention of a current scandal that鈥� Trudeau is in.
鈥淐ompared to putting immigrant children in cages, this scandal feels a little bit like small beer to me,鈥� said Long, referencing 2018 footage of migrant children housed in fenced-off cages at U.S. border facilities.
鈥淏ut I know also that it鈥檚 serious and maybe not everyone has been forthcoming about what happened. I understand he鈥檚 behind in the polls, which I think would shock most Americans.鈥�
Long was born in Brandon, Man., and moved to Exeter with his family when he was four. He got his big break as head writer of 鈥淟ate Show with David Letterman鈥� and joined 鈥淭he Simpsons鈥� in 1998.
He lives in Los Angeles but has found himself back on home soil lately, in Almonte, Ont., shooting the film 鈥淭he Exchange.鈥� Long wrote the comedy, which is set in Canada and loosely based on his experience with an exchange student as a teen.
On 鈥淭he Simpsons,鈥� he鈥檚 one of three Canadian writers, the others being Joel H. Cohen and Jeff Westbrook.
鈥淐anada is always in the air鈥� in the writers鈥� room, said Long.
鈥淚 remember the day when we taught them that the Canadian one-dollar coin was called a loonie and the two-dollar coin was called a toonie. Oh, that shut down work for several hours, because nobody could believe it.鈥�
The show has referenced Canada before, including an episode where Homer and Grandpa Simpson smuggle prescription drugs from here.
鈥淲ith the Canadian references, my instinct when I first started was not to make too many of them, because I wanted to fit in,鈥� said Long. 鈥淏ut I find that the kind of American who writes for 鈥楾he Simpsons鈥� is fascinated by it.
鈥淪o you鈥檒l often find that the references on the show to Canada haven鈥檛 been written by Canadians, but they鈥檝e been written by Americans looking across the table at a Canadian and thinking, 鈥榃hat the hell is with that guy?鈥欌��
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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