Why The Simpsons Will Never Have A Series Finale Revealed By Showrunner

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has no end in sight, but don’t expect a normal series finale when the show eventually wraps up.

Matt Groening created the popular animated sitcom, The Simpsons, which first aired in 1989 and is still running today. Season 37 is wrapping up with episodes 800 and 801, but the show has already been renewed for season 38 and future seasons.

In a recent interview with TheWrap, The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman revealed that he doesn’t intend to ever end the show with a final episode. He believes the show’s strength lies in its self-contained nature – each episode starts fresh, and a finale wouldn’t feel special or provide any real closure. According to Selman:

About a year and a half ago, we created an episode that jokingly acted like a series finale. We included every possible series finale idea we could think of in that one show, which was our way of saying we’d never actually do a real series finale. We essentially had a series finale during the show, poking fun at the idea of neatly wrapping things up or ending the story.

As a fan, what I find so fascinating about this show is its commitment to staying the same. Each week feels like a fresh start for the characters, almost like ‘Groundhog Day,’ but without them being aware of the loop, and thankfully, with a lot less… mortality! The creators have said that if it ever ends, there won’t be a big, dramatic finale. It’ll just be a normal episode, featuring the family, maybe with a few little nods to the show’s history for longtime viewers, but definitely no tearful goodbyes or grand farewells. It’s a really unique approach, honestly.

As a TV critic, I’ve noticed what Selman points out about sitcoms rarely focusing on long, continuous storylines isn’t surprising at all. In fact, it’s often by design. These shows thrive on being easy to watch – you don’t need to have followed every episode to enjoy the current one. That ‘episode-of-the-week’ format is a huge part of what makes them so popular, letting viewers dip in and out without feeling lost.

While many sitcoms now include ongoing storylines that allow characters to develop and create emotional moments, this is often because the actors themselves are aging, naturally leading to changes in the show. However, animated characters, like those in The Simpsons, don’t age or change physically, which is a major reason the show has remained popular for so long.

Selman understands that The Simpsons needs to avoid the kind of ending seen in The Office. That finale focused heavily on emotional goodbyes and wrapped up storylines for many characters, but it also fundamentally changed what the show was about. By the end of The Office, most characters were moving on to new things, and Selman believes The Simpsons shouldn’t follow that path.

Even when The Simpsons eventually finishes, you can expect the familiar antics of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. However, there are no plans to end the show anytime soon. Season 38 will begin this fall, and it’s already been confirmed that the series will continue for at least two more seasons, through season 40.

As long as people continue watching, the future of The Simpsons mostly depends on its voice actors. If they were to retire or pass away, the show might end. However, when Pamela Hayden, the original voice of Milhouse and others, retired in 2024, her characters were simply re-cast, which suggests the show could handle similar situations with other actors in the future.

It’s unclear how much longer The Simpsons will run, but it appears Selman doesn’t intend to make any major changes to the show when it eventually ends. The series will likely conclude much like it began.

The final two episodes of The Simpsons season 37 will air on Fox at 8 p.m. on February 15.

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2026-02-15 21:08