The Simpsons Star Teases How Long the Series Could Run

For more than three decades, The Simpsons has seen ups and downs in regards to its popularity, and with Seasons 35 and 36 confirmed to be on the way, star Hank Azaria could see the animated sitcom running all the way to Season 40. The animated nature of the series means it’s much easier to foresee its longevity, as unlike a live-action series, the series doesn’t have to worry about the cast aging out of a role. Additionally, the advances in animation technology make the process of crafting each episode a bit easier than it was in the ’90s, with the series running like a well-oiled machine.

“I wonder about that, too,” Azaria admitted to PEOPLE about how long the series could run. “You know, we’re doing Seasons 35 and 36. I would guess that it would probably go to 40. It seems to be doing well.”

As far as whether he could see himself leaving the program, Azaria joked, “Well, I’d be silly to leave because they pay me, first of all.”

In the years since the series debuted, the landscape of television has changed in various ways, with streaming becoming the primary place that audiences go to check out beloved series as interest in linear television has dwindled. Thanks to Disney+, the whole library of The Simpsons episodes is available to stream, keeping the spirit of the series alive as new fans get to dive into classic episodes.

Azaria addressed that shift in how fans consume the series and how “standards of what doing well means has changed so much for network television in the last 10 to 15 years.”

He continued, “But whatever the standards are now, we seem to be doing well. People still enjoy making it. They seem to want the show. So I imagine we keep going. The voices don’t really age. So we can keep doing it. And the animation doesn’t age. The animation does get better — and quicker.”

In addition to The Simpsons‘ archive being available on Disney+, all-new shorts are premiering on the platform throughout the year, with showrunner Al Jean sharing last year that he also doesn’t see an end in sight just yet.

“Maybe I’ll leave this veil of mortal woes before the series ends. 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,’” Jean shared with ComicBook.com. “This has been one of the most exciting seasons ever, in my opinion. We have had great episodes and we’ve been doing these shorts. The last thing that we feel on the writing side is that we’re heading towards an end. Who knows what the future holds, and who knows what streaming, and what avenues … We’re now a Disney show and we’re thrilled to be on Disney+, but there have actually been more Simpsons minutes put out this year than any year since the movie.”  

Stay tuned for details on The Simpsons‘ future.

How long do you think the series could run? Let us know in the comments!