The Simpsons is one of the most popular and beloved TV shows, so it’s not surprising that there have been a couple of spin-off ideas over the years – here’s what they were about and why they didn’t happen. Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons began as a series of animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, and three seasons later, it was developed into a half-hour prime time show, making its official debut on Fox in 1989. The Simpsons is now the longest-running American sitcom with over 30 seasons and shows no signs of stopping soon.
The Simpsons follows the daily lives of the title family in the town of Springfield, as well as those of their closest friends and a couple of enemies. The adventures of the Simpsons family and other colorful citizens of Springfield have made it to other media, most notably comic books and film, and some of these characters have become so popular that at some point were close to getting their own spin-off shows – and, in some cases, some episodes of the series could have become their own thing, either a spin-off series or a movie, but they all came across with some obstacles.
Although the Simpsons family are the leads of the series and they are often in the middle of all types of conflicts, the show has also focused on other characters from time to time, allowing the audience to get to know them better. This has made them very popular among viewers, and this positive reception almost gave them their own shows. Here are all four The Simpsons spin-offs and why they didn't happen
The Krusty the Clown Show
Krusty the Clown is the host of The Krusty the Clown Show and Bart’s hero. Krusty is a different type of clown, as he’s not always happy nor he has the best attitude, and is instead very cynical, smokes a lot, and more often than not ends up saying inappropriate things on live TV. In 1994, Matt Groening pitched an idea for a live-action spin-off centered on Krusty, with the character’s voice actor, Dan Castellaneta, playing the role. The basic idea was that Krusty would move to Los Angeles and host his own talk show, and a recurring joke would have been that he lived in a house on wooden stilts that were continuously gnawed by beavers. However, negotiations fell apart, and Krusty’s live-action show never happened.
Tales From Springfield
Another proposed idea (though this time an animated one) was Tales From Springfield, inspired by season 7’s episode “22 Short Films About Springfield”. This show would have focused on the town in general rather than just on the Simpsons family, giving other citizens a chance to be the protagonists. Every week would have featured a different scenario: three short stories, an adventure with a young Homer Simpson, or a story about a background character with no ties to the Simpsons family. Sadly, this idea never came to be as Groening realized the staff didn’t have the manpower to produce another show like The Simpsons – however, the staff said it’s a project they would be interested in doing.
Simpstasia
The Simpsons often criticizes and parodies everything Disney, but there's also some admiration for what the Mouse House has done for decades. Case in point, Matt Groening had an idea for a parody of Fantasia, appropriately titled Simpstasia, but it was never produced as it would have been too difficult to write a feature-length script (back then, the crew behind The Simpsons was small), though a similar idea was added to the episode “Itchy & Scratchy Land”.
Troy McClure
Last but not least, Phil Hartman was interested in a live-action spin-off movie of his character Troy McClure, which would have been interesting and fun given all the weird movies McClure is said to have appeared in. Although there was enthusiasm on the project, it never came to be as Hartman was murdered in 1998, and Troy McClure was retired after that. The Simpsons has proven it doesn’t need any spin-offs to maintain its popularity, even if the quality of the series has been in decline for years, and at this point, it’s unlikely it will have any spin-off series.