The Sound of Bleeding Gums

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 33 Episode
← 722 "Pretty Whittle Liar"	723 "The Sound of Bleeding Gums"	"My Octopus and a Teacher" 724 →

"The Sound of Bleeding Gums"

Episode Information Episode number: 723 Season number: S33 E17 Production code: UABF10 Original airdate: April 10, 2022 Couch gag: Lisa plays Dizzy Gillespie's Salt Peanuts on her saxophone while Marge, Homer, Maggie and Bart are on a sheet music on the wall moving around as she plays. In the end, Homer gets hit by a normal note and d'ohes. Guest star(s): John Autry II as Monk Showrunner: [[Al Jean]] Written by: Loni Steele Sosthand Directed by: Chris Clements

[[Category:Episodes showrun by Al Jean]]

"The Sound of Bleeding Gums" is the seventeenth episode of season 33 of The Simpsons and the seven-hundred and twenty-third episode overall. It originally aired on April 10, 2022. The episode was written by Loni Steele Sosthand and directed by Chris Clements.

Synopsis

"Lisa meets the son of the late musician Bleeding Gums Murphy - and attempts to improve his life."

Production

The title of the episode was changed after the table read, it was called "Bleeding Gums Murphy in the Sound of Music".

For the first time the show stars deaf and hearing-impaired voiceover actors. The Monk character is played by actor John Autry II, who is hearing impaired. The episode features a total of six deaf voice actors, also including comedian Kathy Buckley and three kids from the No Limits organization: Kaylee Arellano, Ian Mayorga and Hazel Lopez.

The episode is inspired by the family of episode writer Loni Steele Sosthand. She has a brother, Eli Steele, who was born deaf. When they were talking about Bleeding Gums Murphy character in writer's initial brainstorms, the staff thought, wouldn’t it be cool if Lisa discovers this whole other side of his life. That led to him having a son, and then we based that character at least somewhat on Eli.

Sosthand and her brother, Eli Steele, had previously developed a pilot based on their lives, featuring John Autry II. So when it came time to find someone to play Monk, Sosthand pitched Autry to exec producers James L. Brooks and Al Jean, who "very much got on board and saw what a gem he was“. The character has little personal moments from Loni and Eli's childhood but is also very much influenced by John.

Autry lauded “The Simpsons” for hiring a deaf actor to play the role. “It’s so incredible,” he said of the gig. “It’s life-changing equality and participation. This can impact change for all of us. It’s about hard of hearing and hearing characters coming together. It’s a part of history.”

Sosthand also sought her brother’s approval while writing the script, which includes a scene where Bleeding Gums discovers his son his deaf — patterned after how Sosthand’s parents discovered Eli was hearing impaired. Eli also voices a part in the episode.

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Promo videos

• ""Every time I learn something new it pushes some old stuff out of my brain." Bookmark this tweet so you remember to watch the new Simpsons episode this Sunday!" on Twitter

← Season 32 Season 33 Episodes Season 34 →

The Star of the Backstage • Bart's in Jail! • Treehouse of Horror XXXII • The Wayz We Were • Lisa's Belly • A Serious Flanders (Part 1) • A Serious Flanders (Part 2) • Portrait of a Lackey on Fire • Mothers and Other Strangers • A Made Maggie • The Longest Marge • Pixelated and Afraid • Boyz N the Highlands • You Won't Believe What This Episode Is About – Act Three Will Shock You! • Bart the Cool Kid • Pretty Whittle Liar • The Sound of Bleeding Gums • My Octopus and a Teacher • Girls Just Shauna Have Fun • Marge the Meanie • Meat Is Murder • Poorhouse Rock