'The Simpsons’ Showrunner Reveals How Many More Episodes Are Left

Fans may finally have a definitive answer as to how much longer The Simpsons will be on TV.

Simpsons characters do the Harlem Shake — Credit: Disney

Few shows are as recognizable or iconic as The Simpsons. First premiering in 1989 as a spinoff of The Tracy Ullman Show, The Simpsons is now entering its 35th season on the air, a monumental feat in the entertainment industry. With well over 750 episodes now, The Simpsons confidently holds the record as the longest-running animated series, sitcom, and scripted primetime series in American television history.

Despite the show being rather divisive among fans nowadays, there’s no denying just how influential this animated series has been for American culture. Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie, and Bart Simpson are some of the most iconic fictional characters in history and continue to be iconic, whether it be in TV, movie, or theme park form.

The show’s future has been heavily debated, especially now that The Walt Disney Company owns it. While The Simpsons is still beloved by its core audience and continues to be a rating powerhouse, it’s hard to deny that it is well past its “golden age.” Many fans consider the show’s first ten seasons to be the best of the series, with modern-day Simpsons becoming quite loathed by a large portion of original fans.

However, current-day Simpsons still has quite a lot to offer to fans, with recent episodes fundamentally changing the show’s original cast. Following this shocking episode, The Simpsons co-showrunner Al Jean spoke out about the future of the show and how long he thinks it could run.

A still from "the simpsons" showing barney and two other characters at a bar, each holding a mug of beer, with expressions of fatigue and dissatisfaction. — Credit: Disney

In a new interview with Screen Rant, Jean explains that many more seasons of The Simpsons are very likely. Season 35 is over halfway over, but The Simpsons has already been renewed for season 36, with Jean believing that the show will be able to reach 1,000 episodes.

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.

The Simpsons acquired by Disney — Credit: Disney

Alongside this massive milestone, a second The Simpsons Movie is reportedly in the works. The first The Simpsons Movie was released in 2007 and became a cultural and financial success. The movie brought in over $500 million on a budget of only $75 million. While a sequel seemed inevitable, nothing has been officially announced, but The Simpsons team is confident audiences will see Homer, Bart, and Lisa on the silver screen once more.

Part of what keeps The Simpsons in focus is how controversial it can be. Over the last several decades, The Simpsons has received massive amounts of backlash from companies, religious organizations, and, most of all, parents. One notable controversy included the iconic gag of Homer strangling Bart with his hands.

In 2023, reports indicated that this gag was being rewritten out of the show entirely. These rumors came from a clip released of The Simpsons in which Homer says, “I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”

This all turned out to be untrue, with an executive producer setting the record straight.

Four cartoon figures parodying iconic characters, including a rooster-like humanoid, a yellow character in a floral shirt reminiscent of The Simpsons, and a boxer with a championship belt, against a cloudy sky backdrop. — Credit: Super7

Even though The Simpsons have yet to visit the Disney parks, their presence is felt nearly everywhere you go. Toys, collectibles, and other merchandise abound like the recently released items from Super7, which sees several fan-favorite renditions of characters make their way into action figure form.

Fans of The Simpsons can stream the show in its entirety on Disney+ following The Walt Disney Company’s purchase of 21st Century Fox in 2019. This buyout brought dozens of iconic film and television franchises into Disney’s hands, with The Simpsons being one of the most valuable properties in Disney’s portfolio.

Are you a fan of The Simpsons? Who is your favorite resident of Springfield?