JIM SLOTEK | QMI AGENCY 
 
 For The Simpsons, the 21st century began with the death of Maud Flanders. Now after 14 years, the producers intend to kill off another regular character. 
 
 Executive producer Al Jean admitted as much in a recent phone conference with the press, promoting Sunday's 25th season debut of The Simpsons. 
 
 "I'll give you a clue that the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character, but I won't say who it is," Jean said cagily. 
 
 In fact, virtually all the major characters have been rewarded with an Emmy over the years. 
 
 He was much more forthcoming about the season premiere, Homerland, a spoof of, yes, Homeland. In it, Lisa believes that Homer has been "turned" by terrorists for his access to nuclear secrets at the Springfield plant. 
 
 Fittingly enough, Homeland's third season premiere and the Simpsons spoof air on the same Sunday night. 
 
 "It was a complete accident," Jean says of the timing. "But we're very friendly. The producers at Homeland have offices that are literally 100 feet away. They were really helpful with DVDs. Our composer, Alf Clausen, talked to their composer, Sean Callery about how they do that show." 
 
 Among other revelations about the upcoming season: 
 
 -Guillermo del Toro is contributing the opening to the annual Treehouse of Terror episode, which airs Oct. 6. "I would say - and I've met some people who like scary things - he is the greatest expert on horror movies that I have ever encountered. There are so many references in that opening, it's really brilliant." 
 
 -The season finale will be a Simpsons/Futurama cross-over episode, which has already had a table-read. "I've been here 25 years, and we had a read yesterday where the excitement was as high as I've ever seen. We had John DiMaggio and Billy West and (Canadian voice-over king) Maurice LaMarche from Futurama, as well as our cast, and I thought that's got to be the greatest voiceover talent assembled at one read. It was really, really great to see Bender interacting with Homer." 
 
 -The Comic Book Guy gets married. "The wedding is performed by Stan Lee. We have Stan Lee playing himself and (sci-fi legend) Harlan Ellison playing himself in that episode. What was funny was that they both wanted to be funnier than the other. It was really exciting for me, as a nerd." 
 
 -Celeb voices in Season 25 include Kristen Wiig (in the opener), Zach Galifianakis and Elisabeth Moss. "In that (Elisabeth Moss) episode, Homer is stuck on an elevator with a pregnant woman and delivers her baby. She's grateful and she doesn't have a husband, so she names the baby Homer Jr. And Homer actually bonds with the baby better than his own (children)." 
 
 -Still unfulfilled from the producers' wishlist - a U.S. president (though they did once use a recording of Teddy Roosevelt's voice). "We approached Nixon - no. This was back at the beginning of the show. Gerald Ford? No. Jimmy Carter - we actually did a joke about him being reviled as history's greatest monster, which he saw before we sent him the script. So he said no. Reagan said no, but wrote us a nice letter. The first Bush said no. Clinton we approached really hard and he said ... it would demean the presidency. So we gave up." ||||| "The Simpsons" may be going strong in its 25th season, but a major character from the long-running animated series will soon meet his or her maker. 
 
 In a conference call with reporters last week, executive producer Al Jean revealed plans to kill off a character in the season ahead. 
 
 "We’re actually working on a script where a character will pass away," Jean said. "I’ll give a clue that the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character, but I won’t say who it is." 
 
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 "Simpsons" fanatics will know that this hint doesn't exactly narrow things down: Nearly every member of the core ensemble of voice-over performers has won an Emmy, including Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Barney, Krusty), Julie Kavner (Marge, Patty, Selma), Hank Azaria (Apu, practically everyone else on the show), Nancy Cartwright (Bart) and Yeardley Smith (Lisa). 
 
 Even a few guest stars have picked up Emmys for "Simpsons" appearances, including Anne Hathaway for voicing Princess Penelope and Kelsey Grammer for Sideshow Bob. 
 
 In other words, pretty much anyone could go. Death has come to Springfield in the past, most recently with the untimely passing of Maude Flanders, wife of the Simpsons' preternaturally cheerful next-door neighbor Ned, who bit the dust after falling off a grandstand at the racetrack. 
 
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 The 25th season of "The Simpsons" premiered Sunday night with a "Homeland" spoof guest starring Kristen Wiig. In the press call, Jean also teased some other highlights in the season ahead, including a "Futurama" crossover episode set to air sometime in May and a wedding, officiated by Stan Lee, for Comic Book Guy. 
 
 ALSO: 
 
 'Homeland' secures premiere ratings record with Season 3 opener 
 
 Guillermo Del Toro directs 'Simpsons' Halloween couch gag 
 
 Jimmy Fallon, the Roots and Muppets perform 'Sesame Street' theme 
 
 Twitter: @MeredithBlake
– The Simpsons began its 25th season on Sunday, and it will end said season one character light. Producer Al Jean revealed in a conference call with reporters that a well-known character will meet his or her demise this season, reports the Sun News. "I'll give you a clue that the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character, but I won't say who it is," said Jean. That happens to be the world's worst clue, explains the LA Times, because just about everyone on the show has scored an Emmy at this point. That covers not only only the regulars—voice actors Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith—but also Anne Hathaway for Princess Penelope and Kelsey Grammer for Sideshow Bob. (Click to read about how the show's writers cram it full of obscure math jokes.)