The Simpsons Given Possible Finale Deadline

It's not often we go into animation or television news here save for Doctor Who and a few particular others. This one, however, couldn't be overlooked. After the better part of thirty years of constantly being on air, The Simpsons have been given a possible deadline to finally close things out, specifically three years from now.

Quoted on a very interesting interview on The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Al Jean gave an interesting answer on the subject of the show's double renewal until season 28:

"You’re renewed through season 28, with the cast signed on with options through season 30. Do you want to do more after 30?

It’s quite possible that we don’t have to go through the whole negotiation for 30. I wouldn’t be stunned if we stopped at 28 but my bet is on at least 30. But then you’d have to resign them again. If you made me pick one, I’d say the likeliest is ending after 30, but I’ve been wrong before. I thought five seasons was good when I got there (laughs)."

While the show has admittedly been repeatedly renewed multiple times over, it's an interesting point to be sure. The main reason this time is thanks to the show's prior budget cuts and downsizing of its production crew. It's certainly not a death knell by any means, and the show still draws in plenty of viewers, but if they were to end it I could personally see the creators choosing a round number. After all, infamous as they have been about dragging things out, such shows do tend to make a determined effort to go out on a high note. Futurama in particular pulled off a rather special one, and that was following production troubles The Simpsons could only dream of.

The other core reason which comes to mind is that, not to beat about the bush, many people want the series to finally end once and for all. It's not simply some hipster vibe, but a lot of criticism has arisen over the years surrounding the writers' lack of restraint in plots, simply trying everything, and losing a lot of their original meaning. When people speak about the classics, it's usually from the first ten to fifteen years with very few exceptions overall, and the magic really seems to have seeped out of it.

Still, this could easily go either way and no matter what happens this will be a few years off yet before we see any results. Whatever the case, when the do finally opt to close things out, we can be assured that it will be a memorable one.