If you have been noticing that The Simpsons have been "cutting the fat" on their episode count, then you're right in your observation. It might feel like a gut punch for long-term fans, as we all can't get enough of our favorite TV family, and any loss can be maddening. There is good news, though, because while The Simpsons have subtracted their broadcast block, the content will still come!
Earlier this year, along with the animated comedy, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and the return of American Dad!, were all renewed for at least four more seasons in a historic four-series renewal by Disney and FOX. This means that these popular and beloved shows will be running until 2028, and perhaps even longer.
Sitting down with Variety at the 2025 Annecy Animation Festival, the show's showrunner, Matt Selman, offered clarity on why we'll be seeing less of Homer and his team on FOX. As we mentioned, there will still be plenty of The Simpsons' content, as the streamer, Disney+, will expand its catalog.
"We used to do twenty-two episodes a year. For the next four [seasons], we’re doing seventeen a year. Fifteen that will premiere in America on FOX, and then two exclusives on Disney+. It’s still a full-time job.”
The Simpsons season 36 was a prime example of the episode cutback. From its September 29, 2024, premiere of "Bart's Birthday" to its finale on May 18, 2025, with "Estranger Things", there were fifteen FOX on-air installments and three Disney+ exclusives. That's a total of eighteen episodes, four less than twenty-two. Even before the renewal, the decrease had already begun; we weren't fully made aware of it until now.
Yet, despite having fewer episodes, the writers' work will be heavy, as they still have to pitch and structure sixty-eight episodes for the next four seasons. That comes with table reads, creating the scenery on how they want the animators to visualize the stories, and making the needed corrections.
As for Disney+, unedited versions of previously aired episodes will be available to stream, along with even more full-length exclusives and, hopefully, shorts. The streamer additionally provided fans with The Simpsons 24/7, especially the younger generation, who didn't grow up on the original telecasts, in the late 1980s.
Selman's tickled that his and his team's work has reached today's young audiences, as he tells Variety.
"Instead of the kids watching it on local TV in the afternoon, they can just watch it all, all the time, all day, [and] all forever. We really have that super connection to young people.”
The Simpsons is TV's longest-running prime time show in history and has embedded itself in the pop culture spectrum. It's here to stay, in other words, and will continue the laughter for years to come.