The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean recently delved into the details surrounding planned spinoff Springfield, which would have been set in motion from the Season 7 episode "22 Short Films About Springfield."
During an interview with ComicBook.com, Jean discussed how series creator Matt Groening had wanted to develop an offshoot of the long-running animated hit. "Anything is possible," Jean began. "There was a discussion a long while ago about doing a spin-off series of Simpsons background characters, but [James L. Brooks] felt at the time that he wanted to concentrate on the main show, which has paid off in 33+ seasons, but I'll just say there's no animated property like The Simpsons that hasn't gone on in various forms forever."
"22 Short Films About Springfield" initially aired on April 14, 1996, and focused on the other citizens of Springfield, with the episode showing potential for a spinoff. "That was what led to the discussion," Jean concluded. "Matt Groening wanted to do a series like that, but it didn't go through."
Along with former showrunners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, Jean talked about "22 Short Films" and Springfield earlier this year in honor of the 25th anniversary of the "Steamed Hams" meme the episode generated. "[The spinoff] was going to be called Springfield," Oakley said. "And it wasn't going to be just about the minor characters -- there would be other things that were outside the normal Springfield universe. And the episodes would be free-form."
Springfield isn't the only Simpsons spinoff to be discussed since its inception. There was once a planned live-action Krusty the Clown series, a second Simpsons movie, and the show's producers also considered possible spinoff ideas with Disney.
"I think Disney would be supportive of anything we wanted to do, maybe a crazy limited series with a side character or a movie that we surprised you with. They've been really creatively supportive, and this is going to afford so many new ways to do the show than just the traditional format," executive producer Matt Selman stated at D23 Expo in 2019.
As for the series itself, while at The Simpsons' Comic-Con 2021 panel, Selman, Jean, Lisa Simpson actor Yeardley Smith and writer Carolyn Omine discussed how to end the series. "One would assume we're closer to [the end of the series] than not," said Smith. "Though if [series producer] David Mirkin were here he'd say we're only halfway through." Selman added, "The pressure to write a last episode would be so huge -- it'd be really hard." Smith also suggested the series' end would need careful consideration. "It just doesn't seem like you could end this show without any planning," she said. "It just doesn't seem right."
The Simpsons airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Fox.
Source: ComicBook.com