LONDON: The Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the world's 70 million Anglicans and a self-declared devotee of the US television hit The Simpsons, could soon be paying Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa a visit in Springfield.
Producers of the animated comedy have invited Rowan Williams, 54, to take part in an episode after he praised the programme for its humour and humility, the Sunday Times reported.
"We'd love to have him on the show. It's a great thrill that the archbishop is such a fan," executive producer Al Jean said.
"In the beginning, some religious groups in the United States disliked the show, so to have such a prominent religious leader defend it is great," he added.
A spokesman for the archbishop said they had not yet received an invitation but that it would certainly be considered.
"It would be a very intriguing prospect," he added.
The programme, known for its stinging satire, has featured a host of celebrities in the past, including rock stars and Hollywood actors.
Williams, enthroned as archbishop last year and known for having a finger on the pulse of modern life, has called the show "one of the most subtle pieces of propaganda around in the cause of sense, humility and virtue".
In an interview to be broadcast on ITV next Sunday, he says of the programme: "It's generally on the side of the angels and on the side of sense. It punctures lots of pompous fictions about how the world works."
The long-running comedy centres on beer-guzzling Homer and the rest of his dysfunctional but church-going family who live in Springfield.
Celebrities who have taken part in the programme include Elizabeth Taylor and Mick Jagger.
Even Prime Minister Tony Blair has starred – but not everyone is a fan.
Former US President George Bush once said: "We need a nation closer to 'The Waltons' than 'The Simpsons'".
The Waltons, broadcast in the 1970s, was an earnest family-values TV drama set in the 1930s.
