The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria offers a detailed response for when the animated series will end. More than any other long-running television show, The Simpsons routinely sparks discussions about when it was at its best and when the storytelling decline began to set in. There's widespread agreement that those first ten seasons more or less represent the golden years. But more recently, there have been some pointing out that the veteran program is quietly enjoying a creative resurgence that's worth paying attention to. Running through the debate is an often unspoken question of how long the Fox comedy might last.

Azaria, a longtime cast member who voices Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum, addressed The Simpsons' future in recent comments to People. The actor said that he does wonder about when it might conclude. Azaria gives an interesting guess for when The Simpsons series finale might happen by linking to an upcoming milestone, but he also makes the case that the animation staple can keep going. See his full comment below:

“I wonder about that, too. You know, we’re doing season 35 and 36. I would guess that it would probably go to 40. It seems to be doing well. Standards of what doing well means has changed so much for network television in the last 10 to 15 years. But whatever the standards are now, we seem to be doing well. People still enjoy making it. They seem to want the show. So I imagine we keep going. The voices don’t really age. So we can keep doing it. And the animation doesn’t age. The animation does get better — and quicker.”

Could The Simpsons End With A Big Milestone?

There's an intriguing prospect in Azaria's guess since The Simpsons was renewed for two seasons. But if Fox were to announce that the series is ending with season 40, the network would essentially guarantee a celebration of the groundbreaking series and revived interest from lapsed viewers that would likely be reflected in the ratings. It wouldn't just be about concluding The Simpsons with a neat and round number, but maximizing the attention and spotlight the program can receive.

Still, as Azaria indicates with his overall quote, keeping The Simpsons going or not is not only a matter of media strategy and spiking the ratings. There's also the practical question of what the animated series provides with its reliable presence. Even as Fox has been scaling back on ordering new scripted comedies and dramas, the animation block that includes The Simpsons, Bob Burgers, and Family Guy continues to be one of the scheduling sections that Fox consistently renews and sees value in.

That value may well dictate that The Simpsons continues for more than 40 years, with audiences continuing to discuss and disagree over whether the show has lost its luster and if that quality was ever regained. For now, however, with the benefit of positive buzz, Homer and the gang will be back with new episodes through 2025.

Source: People