Fox has ordered two more seasons of The Simpsons that will make the animated hit the longest-running series in primetime TV history. The 44-episode pickup will bring the show to a whopping 493 episodes.
“Gunsmoke” has held the record as the longest-running series and was on the air for 20 years. “The Simpsons” and NBC’s “Law & Order” have been closing in on the Western classic, with Fox’s comedy tying “Gunsmoke” this year and “Order” currently airing its 19th season. With this renewal, “The Simpsons” will easily take the lead. And with NBC shedding its 10 p.m. hour and the “L&O” flagship pulling modest numbers, the chances of the crime drama outlasting “The Simpsons” seems unlikely.
The “Simpsons” pickup came after 20th TV closed a new deal with James L. Brooks’ company Gracie Films on Wednesday. The voice cast was already secured for two more years as part of their most recent contract negotiations.
sweet! Do you think they’ll go longer than season 22?
I think the producers will be working on season 22 with the belief that there will be at least another season. IF Fox then decide they want to cancel the show they’re much more likely to announce a final season, possibly 7 episodes long just so the show can finish on 500. When NBC announced a final season of Friends they milked it for all it was worth and Fox would surely do the same.
“Simpsons will last for ever!” 😀
I am not bothered with number of episodes or how long will Simspons will be with us. As long as I enjoy this show, everything is good for me, but I would surely like that Simpsons break that record, and make new ones for new generations! 😀
I don’t think that FOX will cancel Simpsons as long as they got this great producing team with great ideals and even better realization, but everything depends of rates that show will make…
Fantastic news, brilliant, great to see another few years in The Simpsons yet.
I think they will still renew after 22 seasons. They did after 18 when they were supposed to stop, so you never know.
It would be cool if the Simpsons Movie 2 was 500 with some sort of cliffhanger to end the show. Something insanely bad about to happen then BAM there’s the credits
@Jakezilla3- There will be The Simpsons Mivie 2?! :O
well, it’s not OFFICIAL but there is a 90% chance it will happen
neither show is even close to gunsmoke – they have well over 600 episodes because they had 30+ every year. still, it’s nice to know the simpsons will be one of the longest running in terms of seasons
i hope the simpsons never goes its one of these shows that are here for ever, the show could possibly go on for another 40 years if the actors don’t retire at 60. if the simpsons ever end it should be for a very good reason not just because they think its not proffitable cause as long as i’m alive its gonna be proffit able its the best show on tv no other show is better . . . oh yeah i got to say why the hell does it take so long to bring out a simpsons boxset i mean theyre on season 21 and theyve just bought out season 11 on dvd i mean come on give us another box set !!!
i hope it never ends
even after 20 years, the simpsons remains one of the best shows to date. i have seen all 459 episodes, and hope it never ends. (though it probably will sometime in the next 5 years) i also miss futurama and hope that crap with new episodes works out!
They been running it on Comedy Central every thursday night at 10pm. I was so happy to hear and see the show back on air myself, i don’t know why family guy came back over futurama.
Simpsons is the number 1 show in my books, even better then family guy. I hope the Simpsons go on for another 5 years.
I’m sure The Simpsons will carry on after Season 22. The ratings at the moment for Season 21 aren’t too bad.
Seeing the simpsons end is very unlikely because really how will the final episode will be if they make one ? That`s one thing I can`t see in the simpsons besides I think the better show stopper is a season 30 where the show will be at 627 episodes I that would be a better number to end the show in my opion
NOOOOOOO! Hasn’t the show been butchered enough by these terrible new writters? There hasn’t been a single good episode in over a year, and the decent episodes are few and far between.
I know one show The Simpsons can’t beat… The Price Is Right (Longest running show EVER, esp. if you include the 1950s version!)
Considering the show’s quality has dipped so low it’s like beating the grave of a long-since decayed horse, I hope the 21st season they’re in the middle of now is the last. They’ve already milked the cow dry, to death, and into a black hole already. A 22nd season is freaking retarded. Let the show die before real fans are begging for it.
the show should not end after season 22. it would be very disappointing if it did. also just because some fans dont like it does not mean everyone dislikes it. what about the millions that tune in every week.
I think a good way to end the whole series is …
It shows the Simpsons family moving to another city and the whole episode is basically a clip show of montages of their memories, example, Homer goes to Moe’s for the last time and reminisces etc. And then it shows them leaving to their new town. But when they get there, their house looks exactly the same as the one in Springfield and their neighbors are dedicated christians that say doddley instead of the Flanders saying diddley. There is a bar in town called Joe’s, there is a convenience store called the clerky-mart with and indian man running the store. The street they live on is “Nevergreen Terrace”.
I think that would be the best way to end the whole series. But it would have to be one episode and the whole new town idea would have to be in the last 10-5 minutes.
Omg Michael I think that is a really good idea!! i could so see that happening i think you should write for the simpsons – although I’m not sure you’ll ever read this seeing as your wrote that idea in April!
seriously, i would pay to see that episode =)
I love the simpsons, I have the DVD releases and watch the shows daily, sure some seasons have been sub-par but i havm’t sat through an episode and haven’t at least chuckled. I hope the simpsons keep going strong for at least a few more years, maybe they’ll make it to 30? if not then maybe the producers could start on a new series.
Even if Fox did drop the ball and Matt Groening wanted the show to keep going, it’s not like the simpsons couldn’t get a contract on another channel
Yes, some people hate the show and want it axed, but there are still over a hundre. Million people around the world that very much enjoy the show. If fox do want it to go I hope they let matt and the team no in advance so simpsons don’t end badly like my name is earl did (stupid networks not telling the show it would be axed) :'(
a second movie would be great!!!!!
I have a solution for people who don’t like the show:
Don’t watch it. Problem solved.
I have an idea for simpsons season 22, (Zombie flanders) in which maude is BACK! she was just in a comba and not dead at all, that would bring the life back into flanders fans and the whole town welcoming her back. I think after season 11, when maude, so called- died! The simpsons went downhill coz they’re missing an importent character.
The Simpsons is one show I can`t even image having a series finale I mean what whould they do ?
Besides most likely in the middle of season 22 they`ll announce seasons 23 & 24 then season 25 & 26 & so on The Simpsons is one show that may never end & who knows maybe they`ll make it to 30 years & have a 2nd & 3rd film
I think the future of the show largely is in the hands of the cast. Yes, I know fox pulls the strings and makes the ultimate decisions to renew or not, but what if something happens to one of the major cast members or if they decide after over 20 years they’ve had enough? Could you imagine someone else doing Marge or Bart? I think if something happened to a cast member or one of them pulled out after so many years and wanting to move on then you may see the show end shortly after because I couldn’t imagine a different cast with the same show.
Just my opinion.
And for the record – I know I’ve heard Dan, Yeardley, Hank, & Harry all speak about how they all love doing the show and want to continue doing it indefinitely. I haven’t heard Nancy or Julie comment on it though.
Rob,
Given how much they’re paid, how few hours they have to put in and the fact that they still enjoy doing it, why would they ever want to quit? The writing is what will make or break the show; as long as it stays good, I hope it goes on forever!
Hope simpsons never die… like many other series i hope they make alot more episods, very fun if they make up to 1000. but glad to see they go on with 22. have watch all the episodes and have all de series on DVD 🙂 simpsons fan? hell ye!
i waaaant simpsons at least another 20 yearsssss.the world without simpsons is like a horror movie.simpsonsss rulesssss.the fox most be super stupid to cut of simpsons with this amount of viewers all around the world.yeaaaaaaaaahhhhhh
I can’t imagine the end of the simpsons, ir can’t be. I really think there will be more seasons, just if all staff be ok or quit. I have all seasons (1-12) and saw them and they are very funny. A second movie sounds very good 🙂
I like “The Simpsons” a LOT, but though I think Season 21 was a little step up from 17, 18 and 19, this is nowhere near the glory years. Still, Season 11 remains the worst season ever in my book. I find it insanely hard to comprehend how they got only four episodes in with no guest voices there.
Seasonal Rankings (Best to Worst, and yes, I know I’ll find people mercilessly torching me in a few minutes):
3, 4, 8, 7, 2, 1, 9, 5, 6, 15, 20, 21, 18, 19, 13, 14, 16, 17, 12, 10, 11
Everybody else will probably re-order it to be
4, 5, 7, 2, 8, 3, 1, 6, 9, 11, 12, 10, 13, 15, 14, 16, 18, 17, 19, 20, 21
I honestly don’t want the show to continue after season 22,i’m a die-hard fan,i’ve seen every episode more than once but the show has been beat to death.Even loyal Simpsons fans are begging for the show to be stopped because it’s been going on too long.
wtf
the simpsons is a really good show and they shouln’t stop it Matt groening promised us that they’ll never stop the simpsons. It was promoted in a song as well.Keep going and be successful.They cant stop the simpsons.
I hope that the simpsons will be continued forever because it is the best show and always will be number one.
If loyal Simpsons fans are begging for the show to end, who are the ones giving it such good ratings on Fox? Bad writing = bad ratings. See “Heroes” season 1 vs. the last “Heroes” season’s ratings for evidence. The Simpsons has seen no such ratings plunge, so I don’t think there’s a huge number of fans who want the show to end.
They are on til Season 23 which is great, I’m hoping they will continue after Season 23.
https://www.tvsquad.com/2010/07/24/comic-con-animation-highlights-family-guy-cleveland-show/
The cast did sign a 4 year contract in 2009 which takes them to 2013, which would mean a 24th season is possible for the 2012-2013 season.
I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the 500th episode in the middle of the 23rd Season.
I love the simpsons. I think its one of the greatest shows ever made. Funny, satirical, smart. But i do want to see it end. i mean c’mon seasons 1-9 were a masterpiece. Amazing story lines good well thought out plots and jokes coming from character and situations. seasons 10-16/17 were really very good but lost a little from the edge of the show. the later seasons have really just lost the feel to it. this isn’t anyones fault. it was bound to happen. it happens to all shows. after a while it just feels as though it drags on for to long.
Season 21 was just GOD AWEFULL! not a single good episode aired. they should have stopped the simpsons on season 18 instead of renewing it. there’s just no point to the show airing anymore
I would like too say that the simpsons is an good telivision series and i grew up watching it, though i stopped watching around the 20th and the end of the 19th because that after that i couldn’t take it. I loved it but now it has become annoying, i find that the untalented seth mcfarline has taken over fox and the simpsons is the only thing keeping the balance. Though once the simpsons ends seth mcfarline will domante the cartoon domanition and it will be renamed “Seth Domination.” Though i love the simpsons i would love to see it end and make an good ending to an great series.
I think simpsons should end at season 25 with a final simpsons movie 2
I basically think people who don’t like The Simpsons anymore should just not watch it. I’ve seen it from first season on and while there are rough seasons or shows I just haven’t had the same problems with it; it always managed to get SOME laughs out of me.
And I’m loving season 22 (at least, the second episode). It’s been so long since there was a good Nelson and Lisa thing going on (even though he always seems to be there in little instances where Lisa is going through trouble and defend her.) I loved it. I could see the show going until season 30 with careful writing…
I think the Simpsons should end with Marge and Homer separating and reunite again, and in between Homer should become rich (and stay rich after the reunion), and his hair would’ve grown back. The perfect ending.
I imagine The Simpsons will continue to be made way beyond Season 22 after all as someone pointed out ‘friends’ this is a completely different show with a programme like friends it becomes extremely boring very quickly because its real people and relatively the same sorts of situations in every episode with The Simpsons they can continue to create new episodes and think of new ideas as they have been doing for well over a decade The Simpsons continues to be a massive success and as-long as it has its viewers I imagine it will be on for years to come or at least I hope so anyway
I will cry when the simpsons ends. I have seen every episode (i think) and it is amazing. I will be so sad when it is cancelled.