The Simpsons "Don't Change" 36 Years After the Series' Birth

If the world is changing, the Simpsons "don't change." The creators of the popular American animated series remain, 36 years after its inception, "faithful to their characters," which have become "familiar" to millions of viewers.

The series' creator Matt Groening, his production consultant and historical director David Silverman, and its writer and producer Matt Selman said in an interview with AFP during their presence at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France that many "still identify equally with the Simpsons family, which represents the average American family."

The creators of the series, which will celebrate its 800th episode in early 2026, agreed that it has become a cross-generational phenomenon, from Homer Simpson's famous "da" to his wife Marge's blue hair.

Matt Selman noted that "a father who was a fan of the show as a kid can now watch it with his kids" for the episodes, which first aired in the United States in 1989.

The series, which has since been translated into 26 different languages ​​in nearly 100 countries, is based on strange stories drawn both from the personal stories of the scriptwriters and from aspects of the absurdity of the world.

Matt Groening explained that the family of Homer, an incompetent worker at a nuclear power plant who "almost kills everyone," and Marge, a housewife with a raspy voice, were never "modern." He added that they were "essentially transient" in 1989.

Their children, the mischievous ten-year-old boy Bart, the talented, model girl Lisa, and the violent toddler Maggie, do not age, like all the residents of the mid-sized American town of Springfield where they live.

This narrative freedom allows the writers to keep the children young and "do whatever they want" in each episode, as it is filmed like a short film. This makes these yellow characters timeless despite their declining viewership, which fell from 13.4 million viewers in the first season in 1990 to 1.99 million viewers in the 35th season, which aired in 2023-2024.

On the big screen, with a 2007 film adaptation of the series, the characters have enjoyed remarkable box office success, with "The Simpsons Movie" grossing $536.4 million.

Matt Groening joked that "we're still recovering" from the film's success, ruling out a second film for now. He added, "The sad truth is, we don't have enough time to produce both the show and the movie."

The 2007 story of an environmental disaster caused by Homer that led to Springfield being quarantined under a dome reflects a recurring theme and an endless source of inspiration for The Simpsons: "The environment," because "it's not going to be clean anytime soon," the show's creator said.

"We don't engage in political humor because it's too limited and loses its power too quickly," he added, noting that a single season takes at least six to nine months to produce, a time well beyond the immediate response to social media.

"We simply have to be true to our characters, to their spirit, to their relationships," Matt Selman said. "And when they're faced with the world's grief, people feel connected to them for a brief moment."

Sometimes the events depicted in the series, which airs on the American Fox TV network and the Disney+ platform it acquired, turn out to be real. The series has referenced the election of Donald Trump since 2000, earning it a reputation for predicting events. However, its creators deny this, explaining that these are merely hints at possible events.

The series, which is replete with cultural references, continues to provide a satirical parody of the world. The latest iteration involves the use of artificial intelligence, which the writers were asked to imagine "the perfect ending for The Simpsons."

Matt Selman noted that the result was a series of clichés and endings previously seen in other series, which are "lacking in originality and extremely stupid."

Selman said, "This was our attempt to delay the AI ​​and the end of the show." He emphasized that the Simpsons "do not change" and are not ready to leave our screens.