For many of us, The Simpsons feels almost eternal. It's been going as its own franchise since December 1989, making it the longest-running US sitcom and animated series. Season 38 starts next month, and The Simpsons Movie 2 is finally coming in 2027, over two decades after the first film.
It's surprised many to learn that one of the show's main stars thinks The Simpsons will end soon. Nevertheless, a recurring theme on social media suggests that it might make sense for Springfield's denizens to call it a day.
Nancy Cartwright has provided the voice of Bart Simpson since it began as a short on the Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. In the interview above with actor Michael Rosenbaum on his Inside of You podcast, she says she believes The Simpsons is now close to an end.
When asked how long she thinks The Simpsons will go, the actor replies without hesitation: “40". That would mean just two more runs after the season that starts next month. The 40th season would end in early 2029.
“You’re sure?” Rosenbaum asks for confirmation, to which the actor replies, “It’s my opinion”, although she then says she would by happy carry on as long as Disney wanted provided everyone else also remained on the show.
This isn't confirmation of the show's conclusion, but it comes from someone with intimate knowledge of the series who's been there through its entire history, from the early days on Tracey Ullman, through Bartmania, the contract disputes of 2011 and the transition to Disney, which bought 21st Century Fox in 2019.
Nancy's prediction also coincides exactly with the end of Fox Broadcasting’s current agreement to show The Simpsons. Last year, it renewed the broadcasting rights until the end of season 40 only.
The actors comments might not surprise all those people who have been pointing out on social media in recent months that Homer is now a tail-end millennial – and not an entirely plausible one.
The Simpsons have on-screen birthdays, and the world of Springfield evolves with the real world. But, like Incredibles, the Simpsons don't age (YouTube creators have explored how the characters "should" if they did, see below). Homer's age has been inconsistent across the seasons, but he's canonically considered to be in his late 30s.
That would put Homer's current date of birth in the late 80s. Many people who grew up watching The Simpsons are now older than him.
For some, that's problematic. Part of the joke was that Homer was lazy and uneducated but made it into comfortable middle-class life on the merit of being a boomer. Homer as a millennial doesn't work so easily.
The Simpsons is very self-aware, and it's played with this fluid time continuum. Flashbacks used to show young Homer and Marge in the 60s, 70s and then in the 90s. But the family home and social and economic situation has never changed. A family that was intended to be average is, by today's standards, very well off.
"This is why The Simpson stopped being funny in the early 00s. By no metric could Homer be considered a deadbeat by today's standards. The caricature is no longer relatable," one person writes on X.
"Homer has a job, stay at home wife, three kids, a big house, a car, and supports his father in a retirement home. Look at my bedroom in my mother's home. I have a gaming laptop," another person says.
We probably shouldn't compare ourselves to cartoon characters. Homer has been to space, won a Grammy, been celebrated as a contemporary artist and run numerous side hustles, from food critic to snowplow driver. That's hard for even the luckiest most over-achieving boomer to aspire to.
The Simpsons' massive impact on popular culture globally, including in countries with very different socioeconomical situations, suggests that the accuracy of its depictions of US social realities aren't the most essential component of its success. Nevertheless, the fact that so many people seem to be questioning its relevance suggests that Springfield's apparent timelessness may be starting to ask for too much suspension of disbelief.
So whose decision will it be?
Matt Groening’s production company Gracie Films oversees creative direction. If it called it a day, Disney could try to continue the franchise, but it might not survive such a transition and wouldn't be The Simpsons we know.
Fox has continued to show The Simpsons despite declining ratings because of its cultural prestige. If it decides not to renew its broadcasting rights beyond Season 40, Disney could try moving the series to a new home, such as Disney+.
Ultimately, it's Disney's decision. The characters are so well loved internationally, it seems unlikely that the company would retire them completely, but it might change the form. Considering the decision to bring TikTok to Disney+, there's every chance that it will keep the series alive in the form of fan-made memes.
Updates on the The Simpsons Movie 2 are expected at the Disney fan event D23 this coming week.
