The Simpsons' Controversial Move To Disney+ Needs To Lear...

The Simpsons' Controversial Move To Disney+ Needs To Learn From Another Animated Sitcom Bart eating in a bathroom from The Simpsons season 36

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

By Cathal Gunning Published 10 minutes ago Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Now that The Simpsons is releasing Disney+ exclusives as part of every new season of the series, the long-running animated comedy show must take a leaf from Family Guy’s book when handling this transition. The Simpsons is officially the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history, with over 800 episodes and a theatrical movie spinoff to its name.

As such, the show’s move to streaming from network TV seems like it would be a massive historical moment. However, The Simpsons subtly started transitioning to streaming already, and most viewers might not have even noticed the change. Despite how popular The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror specials are, the show’s average weekly viewership has been steadily declining for years.

The Simpsons still remains one of the most valuable brands that Disney owns, so it makes sense that the company has started producing original episodes that are exclusive to their streaming service, Disney+. Until season 36, every episode of The Simpsons first aired on Fox. They were available to stream on Disney+, but their original airings happened on the show’s network.

The Simpsons Needs Family Guy’s Annual Hulu Specials

Peter sitting with Homer in the Family Guy Simpsons crossover

The Simpsons season 36 changed this when the show released 18 new episodes on Fox and four new specials exclusively on Disney+. This shift wasn’t entirely welcome, as it meant that longtime fans who aren’t subscribed to Disney+ were missing new episodes every quarter. Before this, any Disney+ exclusive content involving The Simpsons was limited to viral shorts.

There were shorts where The Simpsons met characters from the MCU and a musical interlude where Lisa met Billie Eilish, but no full-length episodes that network TV viewers didn’t get to see. As such, the season 36 Disney+ exclusives felt like something of a betrayal to viewers who stuck with the series through four decades, but didn’t subscribe to Disney’s streaming service.

Around the same time, one show that famously imitated The Simpsons managed to find a graceful workaround for this issue. Since 2024, Family Guy has produced Hulu-exclusive Christmas and Halloween specials every year, and they’re regularly among the show’s best outings. This means the specials inevitably garner the series more attention from critics and fans.

However, crucially, the fact that these outings are pitched as holiday specials and not ordinary episodes makes their absence from TV listings feel like less of a betrayal. With Family Guy, the approach is that network TV viewers get an entire season of new episodes, while Hulu viewers also get some extra holiday specials. The Simpsons needs to borrow this angle.

The Simpsons Season 36’s Disney+ Christmas Special Was Its Best Episode

Homer dressed as Santa getting stuck in a chimney while Ralph Wigum looks in a promo for The Simpsons season 36 O C'mon All Ye Faithful

Season 36 of The Simpsons already proved this with the show’s Christmas special. A standout two-parter that spoofed classic Christmas specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas while also telling a moving story of its own, “O C'mon All Ye Faithful” saw hypnotist Derren Brown visit Springfield for the holiday season.

Predictably enough, Brown’s good-natured attempts to inject some holiday cheer into the town’s populace resulted in all manner of absurdity as Homer ended up believing he was Santa. However, as this goofy plot unfolded, a sadder, more thoughtful storyline came to dominate the action of the special.

One of the most regrettably dark moments in The Simpsons' history came when the show killed off Ned Flanders’ wife, Maude, in a bizarre accident during a NASCAR race. This moment always felt jarringly grim, but it wasn’t until “O C'mon All Ye Faithful” that the show paid off the storyline.

The two-parter focused on Ned’s loss of faith after the deaths of his two love interests years apart, and it was unexpectedly poignant, moving, and original. As a character, Flanders is often reduced to a stereotypical Christian zealot, so it was compelling and unexpected to see the series sincerely explore his crisis of faith.

Family Guy’s Hulu System Is The Best Way To Handle The Simpsons’ Disney+ Exclusives

Peter and Lois as Cinderella and Prince Charming in Family Guy

Per the deal signed by the creators of The Simpsons and Disney, some episodes of every season will be straight to Disney+ exclusives. Family Guy inked a similar deal with Hulu, but by making their streaming exclusives into holiday specials, the show made it seem less like longtime viewers were missing out on ordinary episode releases straight to streaming.

Turning these streaming exclusives into holiday specials makes them feel more like special occasion extras, and less like non-streaming viewers are missing out on normal weekly episodes. Thus, although Family Guy is often accused of borrowing liberally from The Simpsons, this is one situation where the older show could learn from its more recent competitor.

If there is one thing that the critical acclaim of “O C'mon All Ye Faithful” proves, it is that The Simpsons can still pull off a great holiday special. As noted above, the Treehouse of Horror specials are still among the show’s most popular episodes, even as its viewership declines.

As such, a Disney+ Christmas special that brings The Simpsons’ original hero Bart into the spotlight would allow the show to make the most of its new streaming deal without leaving viewers feeling shortchanged back at its old home of Fox. In this instance, Family Guy is forging a path that The Simpsons needs to follow.

188 8.6/10

9/10

The Simpsons

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Family Animation Comedy Release Date December 17, 1989 Network FOX Showrunner Al Jean Directors Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller Writers J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O'Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel

Cast

See All

Dan Castellaneta Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
Julie Kavner Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)

Franchise(s) The Simpsons Genres Family, Animation, Comedy Creator(s) Matt Groening Powered by

Expand Collapse

Network TV
The Simpsons
Family Guy

Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Thread Sign in to your ScreenRant account

We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.

Do you think it's fair for long-running shows like The Simpsons to start releasing episodes exclusively on streaming platforms, leaving some fans behind?

Cathal

Cathal

Cathal #JD414179 Member since 2023-10-24 0 Reviews 0 Ratings Following 0 Topics 0 Users Follow Followed 0 Followers View 10 minutes ago Some argue that moving to streaming is a natural evolution as viewer habits change, while others feel it betrays the show's legacy and loyal fanbase who have watched for decades on traditional TV. There are valid points on both sides - streaming deals are lucrative for the show and allow more creative freedom, but risk alienating viewers who don't subscribe to the service. Reply / Post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.

Your comment has not been saved

Send confirmation email

This thread is open for discussion.

Be the first to post your thoughts.