Summary
-
The Simpsons
co-showrunner predicts the show could run for many more seasons, aiming for 1000 episodes after a successful 35-season run. - Season 35 received great reviews, sparking discussions of a sequel to
The Simpsons Movie
, as animation finds its footing post-pandemic. - With talks of 1000 episodes,
The Simpsons
is gearing up for another milestone set to be achieved in Season 36 on Disney+.
The Simpsons co-showrunner Al Jean has shared a bold view on exactly how long he believes the popular animated sitcom could continue to run. The series that began life as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 has since become the long-running American sitcom and animated series. However, even after 35 seasons, Jean revealed that he hopes the series will continue for at least another nine.
The Simpsons made a transition to the Disney family following the company’s merger with Fox, and that means the show has been thriving on Disney+. Although there are some who believe the show should have come to an end by now, the series just keeps on going, and continues to build an audience. For that reason, it is hard to imagine a time when The Simpsons is not putting out new episodes.
Release Date December 17, 1989
Seasons 35
Studio Fox
In a recent discussion with Screen Rant, Jean shared his confidence that the series has not passed its expiry date just yet, and indeed still has a long way to go as it approaches another milestone episode soon. Jean said:
“With the help of our animators, we had a full slate of shows this year, which looked terrific. We did have to just take a break for four months because of the strike, which I’m glad we did, that was what we should have done. But I think the show is in fantastic shape. I’m biased, but I think that the current episodes are, whether I work on one, a lot or not, are great. And I think that the future is bright, it’s gonna go to 800, and I hope 1000.”
Can The Simpsons Make It to 1000 Episodes?
The Simpsons will hit episode 800 during Season 36, an unprecedented achievement in itself. If Jean’s hope of the show reaching the impossible number of 1000 episodes is to come true, and if The Simpsons continues to deliver around 22 episodes per season, then that will result in the show running for another nine seasons, potentially taking it up to around 2034.
With the series recently spending a few years floundering, it would have been hard to imagine that ever being achievable just a few years ago. However, Season 35 has delivered some of the best reviews in years, and there is now, once again, talk of a sequel to The Simpsons Movie being back on the table again. During the same interview, Jean suggested that animated movies are still trying to find their feet following the Covid pandemic – which saw several big Pixar movies go straight to Disney+ – and the release of Inside Out 2 could be a big indicator of how that is going this summer. Jean said:
“I think it’s a bigger issue than The Simpsons. On several levels, we’re really hoping for Inside Out 2 to do great this summer. I want to see the animation business completely returned to what it was before the pandemic. And then, I think if that was the case, it would make sense to do The Simpsons theatrically. But I understand that it’s an issue above me about, ‘Where would you release it? And how would you release it?'”
Related 10 Things in The Simpsons That Fans Like to Pretend Never Happened There are some Simpsons storylines that fans, and occasionally the writers, like to pretend aren’t canon.
While that matter resolves itself one way or the other, The Simpsons is still set to deliver Season 36 next year, along with more Disney+ shorts like the special Mother’s Day/Star Wars crossover called May the 12th Be With You. However, if Jean gets his way, The Simpsons still has a long way to go before it is done.
The Simpsons
can be found on Disney+.
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