The Simpsons is changing, but don’t have a cow! What’s going on with seasons nowadays? They’re so short. It also seems as though there’s a fair amount of time in between each new season, sometimes even years! There are several reasons for that, which we will look into, but let’s talk about what’s going on with The Simpsons. Normally, what would be a 22-episode season has now been cut down to 18 episodes.
The Simpsons – On the Air Since 1989
The Simpsons holds the record for the longest-running animated TV show. It will be hitting its 40th anniversary in 2029! The Simpsons creator Matt Groening had created lightning in a bottle with Bart and Homer, and the family. It’s funny to think it started off as short skits on The Tracy Ullman Show in 1987.
Why was The Simpsons Season Shortened?
We’re glad to report that Fox Network renewed The Simpsons and did it for another four years! In the process, the seasons were shortened from 22 episodes down to 18. This is actually good, as lots of shows only run 10 to 12 episodes per season, so we still get quite a bit of content with The Simpsons. Disney+ will also be streaming content, so more is readily available to audiences.
It definitely seems as though a lot of shows are having shorter seasons. A program that would normally be a 15 or 16-episode season might be down to just 10 installments. As mentioned before, the waiting times between seasons are longer. What are the possible reasons for this?
What is with the Shorter Seasons?
As production costs rise (and everything in general is more expensive), production companies must find ways to cut budgets. Therefore, shortening seasons may be necessary. Occasionally, restrictions will be put in place for taping. Hopefully, nothing like COVID-19 will ever happen again, but that has greatly changed the landscape within both the television and movie industries, and theatre, too.
Another reason shows have shortened their seasons would be due to actor and writer strikes. We have seen multiple labor strikes occur for several months at a time over the past few years. Unfortunately, each time this happens, the output of television and film is affected.
Ay Caramba! We Have Binge-Watching
Thanks to Disney+, Apple TV+, and many other streaming platforms, we can now watch whatever show we want with the press of a button. So, when a viewer decides to watch a whole season (“binge watching”), then it’s more beneficial to have a shorter season. Binge watching a 22-episode season can take quite a while!
Wrapping Up
As Bart would say, ‘Eat my shorts!” – so shortened seasons may be the wave of future production. It’s not a bad thing, as long as it’s quality content over quantity.
