Fox Renews "The Simpsons" Through Season 22

[ABrown]

If someone bumps this thread, could a moderator please close it.

[Moto Pete]

493 episodes? Their better be a 23rd season

[Mini Garbonzo]

More Simpsons? Right when you think FOX has decided that enough is enough, they decide to give the show some more running time. As much as I used to love The Simpsons, I think that the show's length has been very well extended for too long

[CyberCubed]

Why do you people act like this is a surprise?

[Moto Pete]

It makes money hand over fist

Plus the VA's signed a two season deal 2-3 months ago

[Zorak Masaki]

Its getting to the point where i dont think the show will end until one of the VAs dies, meaning we'll NEVER get a final episode.

[Tobias]

Its getting to the point where i dont think the show will end until one of the VAs dies, meaning we'll NEVER get a final episode.

If it's one of the core family members VAs, the show would most likely end, but if it were Hank Azaria or someone who voices a non-core character, those characters will most likely just become background players or be written off canvas like Phil Hartman's characters were when he passed.

[Monterey Jack]

Yeah, because the last TWENTY YEARS left so many unanswered questions... :sad:

[Lord Mawdryn]

Whenever a network announces that a long-running show will be renewed for two more seasons, the general subtext is that those will be the final two seasons, IMO. NBC did that with E.R. most recently...

[Old Guy]

It's been picked up for 2 more seasons to make it the longest running show prime time history

Wasn't that always the intention? For years I've been hearing that they wanted to break the record. I think once they do the show will end.

[RonDrakenfan17]

Goodness what else could they possibly do?

[mumbo]

Wasn't that always the intention? For years I've been hearing that they wanted to break the record. I think once they do the show will end.
Yeah, that's what I've been thinking too. I doubt they'll shoot for Gunsmoke's episode count though, since that show had 635 because it did more episodes in a season.

The thing is, though, if they were to end the show before Law and Order does, Law and Order would just surpass The Simpsons' record two years later, so that might have a bearing on when they decide to end it. But enough about records.

I recall the cast is signed for another two years beyond Season 22, but who knows. Cast members usually get signed on longer than a show is necessarily intended to run just in case.

After the series does end - which can't be that long now - apparently they plan on doing another movie to cap it all off. They apparently don't want to do another movie while the show is still running, since working on both at the same time was really hard for them. Fox would obviously be up for a sequel after how much the first one made.

[veemonjosh]

Honestly, if there was reason to believe that The Simpsons was going to end soon, I think they'd probably try to shoot for one more season, or at least a short 7-episode season.

No sense letting the series end just a few episodes short of #500.

[J. B. Warner]

If it's one of the core family members VAs, the show would most likely end, but if it were Hank Azaria or someone who voices a non-core character, those characters will most likely just become background players or be written off canvas like Phil Hartman's characters were when he passed.

The difference is that Phil Hartman only voiced two recurring characters. Hank Azaria plays about 20. That'd be a lot of characters to shove into the background (Moe, Apu, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, etc.). All six of the principal voice actors are pretty much irreplacable, not just the ones who play the Simpson family members.

[DarthGonzo]

More Simpsons huh? I couldn't care less at this point.

[Silverstar]

Eh, I've severed my ties with The Simpsons years ago, so I honestly don't care what they do anymore.

[DeanBurrito25]

Why are you guys acting so negatively about this? So what if they get an extra 2 seasons? It's Groening's decision and he can end it when he wants.

[Dr.Pepper]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they are still making new episodes when I am 30:p

[PowerZord]

They been saying it's the last season since 2003...

[Aldrius]

Eh. I kinda hope they turn the show around at some point before it ends...

But I have my doubts about that ever happening.

The movie seemed like a good point to turn the whole thing around and then it just... yeah, didn't work out...

Anyway, 2 more years gives them time to do it. But yeah... they won't.

[USSManhattan]

I get a personal vibe of how long the Simpsons have been around in one incarnation or another.

The first Tracy Ullman short premiered on April 19, 1985. I was born a few hours later in the wee hours of April 20, 1985.

And since that means I'm starting to push a quarter of a century...

[J. B. Warner]

I get a personal vibe of how long the Simpsons have been around in one incarnation or another.

The first Tracy Ullman short premiered on April 19, 1985. I was born a few hours later in the wee hours of April 20, 1985.

And since that means I'm starting to push a quarter of a century...

Make that April 19, 1987. (FOX didn't even exist yet in '85.) But still, that's pretty darn long.

[simpspin]

Why are you guys acting so negatively about this? So what if they get an extra 2 seasons? It's Groening's decision and he can end it when he wants.

Baloney. He can't end the show on his own, otherwise you can say he "wanted" Futurama to end just for the hell of it.

[The Cartoon]

I can't say I'm surprised. This may sound crazy on a place like Toon Zone but I've only seen a few episodes of The Simpsons from Treehouse of Horror. I really liked what I saw but for some reason I haven't gotten around to watch any more episodes than those.

[Anthonynotes]

Wonder who (besides Fox's marketing monkeys) exactly is clamoring for a 22nd season of "The Simpsons"... 400+ episodes aren't enough? :-p

I stopped watching around 2000, so no reason for me to care either...

Re: "longest-running show in primetime": Far as American television's concerned, that'd be either:

- Consecutively, "60 Minutes" (on every Sunday night since 1968).

- Non-consecutively, either "The Hallmark Hall of Fame": on (in varying degrees) since 1951, or the various Disney anthology shows, on since 1954.

The Simpsons is also *not*:

- the longest-running American cartoon: that'd probably be "Looney Tunes" (1100 shorts made between 1930 and 1969).

- the longest-running television cartoon: that'd be some Japanese cartoon that's apparently been on the air since 1969.

- the longest-running television sitcom: a British show called "Last of the Summer Wine" holds that title (debuted in the mid-70s, apparently on every year since the mid-80s).

- the longest-running television program *period*: "Meet the Press" says "hi"----the Sunday morning political roundtable show's been on every week since 1947.

The Simpsons gets to hold the title of "longest-running American primetime scripted television program" ("scripted" to exclude the various variety shows and newsmagazines on longer than Bart and the gang, such as Ed Sullivan's show, etc.), as well as its won-from-the-Flintstones "longest-running American primetime animated program" title. Of course, I'd expect Fox to not use such a lengthy description and will probably launch into various "longest running show EVER!!!111"-type ads once they surpass Gunsmoke's record for sure... completely ignoring, of course, that quantity != quality (otherwise Saturday Night Live would be seen as the funniest thing on TV :-p ).


-B.

[USSManhattan]

Make that April 19, 1987.

I guess there was a typo in whatever I read, J.B...

[nakak]

I get a personal vibe of how long the Simpsons have been around in one incarnation or another.

The first Tracy Ullman short premiered on April 19, 1985. I was born a few hours later in the wee hours of April 20, 1985.

And since that means I'm starting to push a quarter of a century...

Make that April 19, 1987. (FOX didn't even exist yet in '85.) But still, that's pretty darn long.

Also, the half-hour series itself debuted just about a month after my birth. So I'm pretty much as old as the series.

[kempobot]

Make that April 19, 1987. (FOX didn't even exist yet in '85.) But still, that's pretty darn long.

That's rather interesting, so the series is about as old as the network. No wonder Fox has such an attachment to the Simpsons.

As for the quality of the series, I don't mind it at this point. If you were to ask me the same thing during seasons 15-18, then I would've had a different answer (though nothing will ever match the greatness of its golden years from seasons 3-5). However, I can actually see them putting a conscious effort with the past couple of seasons, perhaps the feature film and transition to HD has gave the series its sixth wind. The show has already jumped the shark several dozen times, and now it is just mildly entertaining with a few good laughs here and there. It really isn't torture. I only find particular reality shows to be torture, which the Simpsons is not.

All I ask is for the series not to go beyond 25 seasons. That seems to be an appropriate milestone. Anything beyond that is soulless and excessive. And yes, the Simpsons premired in 1987 (Fox was celebrating the Simpsons 20th anniversary back in 2007).

[Zen Man]

Seems like its gotten to the point where FOX is afraid to let The Simpsons go. Look I understand its mostly for economic reasons but really: "What more do The Simpsons have to prove?"

I mean they've cemented their place in history with numerous accomplishments and accolades and will never be forgotten. I love The Simpsons, especially the first 8 seasons, but I'm just not really into the show anymore. It just seem's like the show has exhausted itself.

[CyberCubed]

Simpsons should have ended with Season 10, but whose counting?

Besides, there are still a few gems in every season.

[simpspin]

Not to mention the show now attracts "True Fans" (lapdogs) who'll watch whatever crap the writers put forth, call it ice cream and beg for more. They'll say ANY Simpsons is better than no Simpsons at all, the writers read their opinions and keep dragging the show through the same rut the last decade. And repeat.

IMO, the staff couldn't be any more complacent--they're on a show that Fox refuses to cacnel and chances are, they won't be fired and now the show's only other purpose, besides making an easy buck for Fox, is to break every TV record known to man. Lost in all the "sake of being on for the sake of being" nonsense, is the subtle charm and wit that made the show popular in the first place.

And worst of all, the Simpsons and the secondary cast used to make fun of the stupid aspects of society, now it's the show seems to happily feeding it.

Oh, well...I'm sure the lapdogs will tell me how next season will "somehow be better." :sad:

[veemonjosh]

The Simpsons gets to hold the title of "longest-running American primetime scripted television program" ("scripted" to exclude the various variety shows and newsmagazines on longer than Bart and the gang, such as Ed Sullivan's show, etc.), as well as its won-from-the-Flintstones "longest-running American primetime animated program" title. Of course, I'd expect Fox to not use such a lengthy description and will probably launch into various "longest running show EVER!!!111"-type ads once they surpass Gunsmoke's record for sure... completely ignoring, of course, that quantity != quality (otherwise Saturday Night Live would be seen as the funniest thing on TV :-p ).

Or they could just say "Longest Running American Animated Television Series".

Scooby-Doo doesn't exactly count because that's made up of several individual series.

[Racattack!Force]

It's easier to say that The Simpsons is the "Longest-Running Animated Series in Primetime". :sweat:

[Anthonynotes]

It's easier to say that The Simpsons is the "Longest-Running Animated Series in Primetime". :sweat:

Yes, but they already surpassed that in the mid-90s when they beat "The Flintstones"----beating "Gunsmoke" (a live-action show) will be something Fox will want to hype up way moreso.