THE SIMPSONS - STRIKE SET TO HIT THE SIMPSONS

THE SIMPSONS is set to become a major casualty of the writers' strike - because not enough episodes have been completed to last the current season. As each episode of the show takes so long to make, bosses haven't been able to create a backlog to see them through the Writers' Guild of America's industrial action, which has crippled the Hollywood movie and TV industry. Actress Yeardley Smith, who provides the voice for Bart Simpson, reveals, "We don't usually have as many shows ahead as other animated series. We have about 10 episodes in the pipeline, in various stages of completion. "The question is whether any of them will be ready in time to air before the season ends in May." But Smith is convinced this season is one of the long-running show's best, adding: "(They are) really strong. Journalists were writing for a while that The Simpsons seemed to have lost its sass. I think in the last couple of seasons, we've gone back to what makes it so strong - the 'take no prisoners' attitude, the depth of character."