The Simpsons (1989-2024?)
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Many fans speculate the future of America’s longest running cartoon, The Simpsons (1989- ).
In the last release of The Lamron, exclusively on our website—www.thelamron.com—I discussed the end of a mobile game near to my heart, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, but also the franchise the game is based on, the titular show The Simpsons (1989- ). This show has persisted in the public consciousness for 36 years, leaving everyone with a different impression…for better or worse. As time has carried on, many impressions have grown to concerned and dissatisfied discussion of the in-show content produced—feeling the showrunners have long run dry on fresh material, even with an ever-changing staff of writers. Now, as rumors percolate about the series ending—as with many, many times before—let’s discuss the validity of that claim!
A synopsis for the uninformed, The Simpsons (1989- ) follows the daily life and antics of the titular nuclear family, who live in the perpetually pleasant town of Springfield—location unknown—and get up to comedic, hyperbolic scenarios. This family is made up of iconic characters such as Bart, the 10-year-old trouble child; Lisa, the middle child and eight-year-old prodigy; Homer, a suburban father with an alcohol problem and avoidant tendencies; Marge, the straight-edged mother who always gives/cares, even at the cost of herself; Maggie, the toddler of the family who communicates through her binky; and Abe, the grandpa of the family who can get a tad irrational. These characters are complimented by an incredibly expansive supporting cast—the names of which would fill an entire page of the paper all on its own—including anyone from the town comic store “Comic Book Guy” owner to Edgar Allen Poe and Snoop Dogg.
These rumors of finality mentioned above began when the season 36 premiere of The Simpsons (1989- ) was released in September 2024. There was no talk of a season 37 renewal, nor was there speculation on the progression of any talks outside of a Disney+ original short releasing soon.
This revelation—or lack thereof—has left many fans with a sinking feeling, even after the show found new life on Disney+—having all seasons available to access with almost every episode. This occurred following The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Fox Broadcasting Company and its extensive roster of media. Disney has also continued to develop the title in its own way through the aforementioned original shorts.
The Disney+ exclusive shorts are based on various characters in Springfield, in and outside the Simpson family. These have focused on various self-contained in-world short films unfolding or intriguingly written crossovers with Disney-owned characters like Darth Vader and Iron Man—with allusions to various others. Through this all, the franchise has remained in the public eye, but recent disdain may have crystalised the desire to end the franchise—though I see it as incredibly far-fetched.
Hank Azaria, the voice of the exaggeratedly Christian neighbor to the Simpson family, Ned Flanders, spoke to People Magazine in early 2023 on this topic and shared a similar sentiment. When asked about the show’s continuation into the foreseeable future, he said, "Standards of what doing well means has changed so much for network television in the last 10 to 15 years…But whatever the standards are now, we seem to be doing well. People still enjoy making it. They seem to want the show. So, I imagine we keep going. The voices don't really age. So we can keep doing it. And the animation doesn't age. The animation does get better—and quicker."
Now, you may be asking, “Okay, so it’s going to continue for as long as it makes money then?” and to that, you’d probably be right, especially given the current state of affairs when it comes to voice actors relinquishing their voice for AI to use; which could aid when the day inevitability comes when any of the current, long-standing actors step down from their role. Even so, would watching a version of The Simpsons (1989- ) where this is utilized even be worthwhile? When can one honestly know when a show has overstayed its welcome to an insatiable degree?
So, will The Simpsons (1989- ) truly end? The odds are that it will not, as a similar conversation was had after the release of The Simpsons Movie (2007), which was deemed the series finale for a prolonged period after its release. Especially given the recent acquisition and continued revenue generated from the franchise, it seems unlikely. As Hank Azaria aptly said, as this animation style becomes quicker and easier to accomplish, it will be easier to roll out and produce new content for this franchise.
Still, the question remains: will this new content be worthwhile—any different from one utilizing AI? The answer is unclear and probably will be for a time, but this is a decision you must make for yourself: Would you rather watch a show end after a fulfilling span of seasons or watch it reform continuously into something that eventually becomes entirely distinct from the original?