After several months of speculation, the fate ofThe Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and Bob’s Burgers has been confirmed as Fox has delivered a massive set of renewals for the quartet of popular adult animations. All the shows have landed four-season renewals, with American Dad set to return home to the network after it has been airing on TBS.
“This new deal celebrates the eternal popularity of these iconic comedies, as well as the enduring, prolific relationship we continue to enjoy with our friends at 20th Television Animation and the brilliant creators – that goes double for Seth this time around — and incredible voices behind these contemporary classics,” Michael Thorn, president of Fox Television Network, said.
Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment, added, “The longevity of this agreement reaffirms our commitment to the successful partnership we’ve built with the incredible team at Disney. This collaboration has and will continue to generate meaningful long-term value and strategically build audiences from Fox to Hulu to fans worldwide.”
‘The Simpsons’ Explained: Everything You Need to Know in 3 Minutes
The satiric half-hour adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
The new seasons will expand the four shows to a level that is almost unbelievable considering the tumultuous history of some of them.Bob’s Burgerswill reach Seasons 19 at the end of the new run,Family Guy– even after being canceled twice – will hit Season 27,American Dadgoes up to Season 23, and the record-breaking phenomenon that isThe Simpsonswill go through to an unprecedented 40th Season.
‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Family Guy’ Have Weathered Many Storms
Every long-running series comes to a point where viewership starts to dwindle and questions are raised over whether it is time for the horse to be put out to pasture.Family Guyhas been canceled and revived twice, andThe Simpsonshas been called “tired” by many former fans. However, both have proven to be popular enough to soldier on for several more seasons.
Several months ago, Fox CEO Rob Wade addressed a “worrying” change toFamily Guy’s schedule, which saw it caught up in a winter schedule shake-up. Mostly, the changes to the show’s fall schedule were the result of"looking at the schedule in a more modern way,“and he added,“instead of looking simply at the traditional time slots of shows, we look at the entire portfolio. We also think about SVOD partner in Hulu and how it would work best for them. Scheduling has changed significantly over the years and we approach it in a different way now.”
The Simpsonswill reach the incredible milestone of 800 episodes during its 36th season, but producer Al Jean revealed last year that he expects much more to come. He said:
“With the help of our animators, we had a full slate of shows this year, which looked terrific. We did have to just take a break for four months because of the strike, which I’m glad we did, that was what we should have done. But I think the show is in fantastic shape. I’m biased, but I think that the current episodes are, whether I work on one, a lot or not, are great. And I think that the future is bright, it’s gonna go to 800, and I hope 1000.”
Source:Variety
The Simpsons
