Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Simpsons star predicts when series will finally end

Long-running animation has already been renewed until 2025

Louis Chilton
Tuesday 25 April 2023 03:15 EDT
Comments
The Simpsons spoof Game of Thrones

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Simpsons star Hank Azaria has weighed in on when the long-running cartoon series could finally end.

The show, which began in 1989, is currently airing its 34th season in the US, and has already been renewed for two more.

Speaking to People magazine, Azaria, who voices a number of characters on the show, including Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Comic Book Guy, addressed the eventual conclusion of the series.

Asked about the show’s ending, he responded: “I wonder about that, too. You know, we’re doing season 35 and 36. I would guess that it would probably go to 40. It seems to be doing well.”

He continued: “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.”

While it is widely agreed that The Simpsons’s “golden era” ended in the late 1990s, recent seasons have seen the series undergo something of a critical rennaissance.

However, interest in the early seasons remains high. This month, a tech-savvy fan of the show used digital processing techniques to unearth a joke from a 31-year-old episode that had previously been buried.

Earlier this year, The Simpsonsbrought back a notorious character from its first season – over three decades since his initial appearance.

The character’s return was well recieved by fans of the show, though some complained that the new episode opened up a plot hole in the show’s canon.

The Simpsons can be streamed on Disney+.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in