The Simpsons star Hank Azaria does not know when the series will end -- and he's not planning to leave anytime soon.
Azaria, best known for the voices of Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum, among several others, spoke to People Magazine during the New York City premiere of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5. While the actor admitted it would "be silly to leave" The Simpsons, Azaria -- like many fans -- can't help but wonder when exactly The Simpsons will finally end. "I wonder about that, too," Azaria said. "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."
For 34 years since its debut, The Simpsons have been a constant part of pop culture. The franchise has even expanded into a successful line of toys, video games, a comic book series from the now-defunct Bongo Comics and a hit theatrical film in 2007. After Disney acquired Fox in 2019, some fans suspected the end of The Simpsons was near; however, Disney only expanded its life, with the series being renewed well into 2025.
They'll Never Stop the Simpsons
In 2019, Simpsons fans were alarmed when theme song composer Danny Elfman claimed the show might be in its final year. Longtime Simpsons producer Al Jean was quick to debunk Elfman's statement. In 2022, Jean expressed the belief that The Simpsons could go on forever. "Maybe I'll leave this veil of mortal woes before the series ends," Jean said. "I mean, at this point, it's been 33 years. So I used to say, 'Oh, maybe we'll end at Season 25 or 30.' Obviously, those have been blown by. So I just go 'Simpsons forever.'"
During a San Diego Comic-Con panel in 2021, the cast and crew discussed their thoughts on The Simpsons' eventual final episode. While Jean made the well-known joke about ending the series in a loop with the beginning of the 1989 Christmas episode that started it all, writer Matt Selman admitted that the pressure to get the finale right would be enormous. "If a certain season had turned out to be our last season in the past, which episode happened to be the last one of that season... would've made for a very strange last episode with no planning," he said. "It just doesn't seem like you could end this show without any planning. It just doesn't seem right."
The Simpsons airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Fox.
Source: People