The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, and Family Guy Not Airing Tonight Due to NASCAR Cup Racing

For quite a lot of networks, the summer TV season has officially begun -- and that means the absence (for now) of some fan-favorite programming. If you're looking to tune in to episodes of The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, or Family Guy tonight, then you might not be in luck. Fox's Sunday night programming will be taking a bit of a new shape, as the network airs the latest race of the 2019 NASCAR season.

The newest race, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca Cola 600, will begin airing tonight, May 26th, at 6/5c on FOX. No other prime time programming is scheduled on the network for the night, meaning that there won't be any new episodes of Fox's traditional comedy block.

To an extent, this might not break the hearts of too many fans, especially as all three of the shows had their season finales two weeks ago. But for those who still want to be entertained by the three long-running animated shows (and might not have access to the various streaming platforms they're on), the absence might be felt.

A version of Fox's comedy night will continue next Sunday, June 2nd, when various episodes from the previous seasons are re-run. Next Sunday at 9/8c, The Simpsons will be re-airing the twelfth episode of their previous season, titled "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh". The episode, which guest-stars John Lithgow, sees Marge and Lisa putting on a Hamilton-style play, while Homer and Maggie join a baby class.

Following that episode will be "Better Off Sled", the tenth episode of Bob's Burgers' eighth season, in which the family deals with a sledding turf war and a mad dash of knitting before Christmas. This will then be followed by an hour of Family Guy, with the show re-airing the last two episodes of this past season, "Girl, Internetted" and "Adam West High".

While fans will probably have to wait until the fall to see new episodes of these beloved animated shows, it's safe to say that the wait will be worth it. The 2019-2020 season will also bring a new animated series into the lineup, titled Bless the Harts.

"If you're an animator, there is no better place to showcase your work than Sunday nights on Fox." network president Charlie Collier said earlier this year at the TCAs. "This is the network that set the standard for primetime animation. The Simpsons and Family Guy and Bob's Burgers are the heavyweights of the genre, and we're intent on finding the next generation of culture-defining animated comedies to join them."

Are you sad that Fox's comedies won't be airing tonight? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!