A couple of months back, news came out that Harry Shearer's "Simpsons" time was over after he had been a part of the voice cast for the entire 26-year run, and fans of the yellow family from Springfield, USA, were devastated to hear that major characters such as Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner and many others would be departing the show - but now, the actor has backed from this.

The new Harry Shearer "Simpsons" deal allows the voice actor to return for four more seasons, including an option for two more, as he receives the same benefits as the rest of the main cast of the animated series, which is estimated at more than $300,000 per episode.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Fox announced Harry Shearer's "Simpsons" return last Tuesday, after seven weeks of contract renegotiations following the actor's announcement through his Twitter.

"Following the announcement of THE SIMPSONS' renewal for an unprecedented 27th and 28th seasons, FOX is proud to confirm that each and every member of the iconic series' voice cast will be returning in the roles they've brought to life since the show's beginnings as a series of animated shorts nearly 30 years ago," read Fox's statement, according to CNN, confirming Harry Shearer's "Simpsons" return after being off the contract for weeks.

BBC reports that, prior to the announcement of Harry Shearer's "Simpsons" return, the show's executive producer, Al Jean, had expressed plans to recast all of Shearer's characters, which also include Simpsons neighbor Ned Flanders, Mr. Smithers, Lenny, Jasper and even Reverend Lovejoy.

Shearer has been publicly very critical of the show's latest seasons, and he had said he wasn't happy with the way things were going script-wise, stating a few weeks back that he'd be focusing on his own career without the constraints of voice recording for the next few seasons, as after all he's been working on the show for nearly three decades.

In any case, fans can be happy now with Harry Shearer's "Simpsons" return!