‘The Simpsons’ Showrunner Matt Selman Reveals His Take on the Show’s Ending

The Simpsons kicked off its 36th season on September 29, 2024, with an episode jokingly labeled the “series finale.” But despite the dramatic title, there’s no plan for the show to end anytime soon.

The premiere played with the idea of what a final episode might look like. It included moments like Mr. Burns dying, Moe shutting down his bar, and Principal Skinner retiring. However, it was all revealed to be a simulation created by Bart’s A.I., poking fun at the challenge of wrapping up such a long-running series.

Showrunner Matt Selman spoke to the New York Post about the episode and shared his view on ending the show.

He admitted it would be almost impossible to create a satisfying finale for a show that’s meant to keep going. ‘To do a sappy crappo series finale, like most other shows do, would be so lame,’ he said, explaining why they chose to parody the idea instead.

Selman had previously told People that The Simpsons was designed to be endless. Every episode feels like both the beginning and the end, so the concept of a final episode doesn’t really fit. However, if they ever do decide to end it, Selman said it might just be a regular story about the Simpson family, with maybe one self-aware joke thrown in.

Writer Carolyn Omine, who has won an Emmy for her work on the show, mentioned how hard it is to settle on a finale because the series has changed so much over time. Ideas people have had in the past might no longer make sense for the current version of the show.

Selman joked that if they had to pick, they might just do a parody of A Christmas Carol with Mr. Burns as Scrooge, calling it “the laziest idea.” Whether the series ever officially ends, The Simpsons seems set to keep going strong for now.

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