Quebecers petition Disney to maintain local French dub of The Simpsons

Thousands of Quebecers are asking Disney’s streaming service to maintain Quebec-French-language dubbing for The Simpsons, after a change in broadcasting rights left the issue in limbo for the first time in more than three decades.

Teletoon, which is owned by Corus Entertainment, had an agreement with Disney+ to air new episodes of The Simpsons as well as Family Guy and American Dad. The broadcaster also provided a local dub for the show, using Quebec actors speaking in the local dialect, which is distinct from that spoken in France.

But when Corus chose not to renew the broadcasting rights for The Simpsons, which enters its 37th season in the fall, dubbing also came to an end. Already even the 36th season has not yet been dubbed.

Joshua Biasotto told National Post that he started a petition last Thursday when he heard that the show was not being renewed, and spoke to Gilbert Lachance, who voices Krusty the Clown for the Quebec version.

“I asked him what can I do to help and he said you can protest,” Biasotto said. “So I launched a petition two minutes after that. In two hours I had 500 people sign.”

As of Wednesday afternoon the petition had more than 27,000 signatures. “It went way further than I imagined it would,” Biasotto confirmed.

His petition at Change.org runs under a banner that translates as “Let’s save the Quebec dubbing of The Simpsons.”

“For decades, the Quebec version of The Simpsons has been an integral part of our collective imagination. It has allowed entire generations to embrace the series thanks to its high-quality dubbing, rooted in our language and culture,” it says.

“We sincerely hope that Disney+ will continue the adventure of dubbing this series in Quebec and ensure its broadcast in dubbed French in Quebec. The public is insistently demanding it: losing these versions adapted to our linguistic reality would be a huge cultural loss.”

Biasotto is a fan of the show, but many Quebec actors who provide the French-Canadian voices of Simpsons characters have also taken up the cause by sharing his petition on their Facebook pages.

Viewers of The Simpsons on the Disney+ service can switch to French, but it’s European French.

“That is really not the same thing,” said Biasotto. “The slang is really different from Quebec, and that’s why it’s so important for us Quebecers to have our version.”

Not only has there been a Quebec dub since the first season in 1989, but Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, has said the Quebec version is his favourite dub in the world.

“In the first season there’s a reference to Montreal and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean,” Biasotto said. “It’s not in the American or the French from France version. We adapt certain gags with our local references and our manners.”

He added that Disney has long been at the forefront of producing local dubs for its movies and TV shows, all the way back to the animated film The Little Mermaid, which was also released in 1989.

Corus said exclusivity rather than cost was the reason for its decision. “After reviewing our portfolio, we opted to acquire more exclusive content for our channel,” Julie Godon, general manager of French-language specialty channels at Corus, said in a statement to the Canadian Press.

“With Disney+, among others, offering dubbed episodes, we no longer had exclusivity for The Simpsons for several years,” she said, adding that “since 2019, the decline in viewership of the series was significant enough to make us reconsider broadcasting it.”

National Post has reached out to Disney+ for comment. Biasotto is also hoping to hear back from them. “I’m sure they’ve heard about it now,” he said.

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