‘Simpsons’ forever: Fox renews series for Seasons 29 and 30, making it the longest scripted TV show ever
In times of great upheaval, it feels good to have something consistent to rely on. And Fox just ensured that “The Simpsons” will be there for us with a 29th and 30th season, making it the longest-running scripted TV show ever.
The series that humbly began as occasional shorts during “The Tracey Ullman Show” on the network will complete its 669th episode with this series order, which breaks the mark held by “Gunsmoke,” the durable western that was on the air from 1955 to 1975.
“Take that, ‘Gunsmoke’! You lost a race you didn’t even know you were running!” said a curiously ageless Homer Simpson in a statement released by the network announcing the news.
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Created by Matt Groening, who began his career as a cartoonist with his “Life in Hell” strips that ran in the Los Angeles Reader in the early ’80s, “The Simpsons” has racked up 32 Emmy Awards during its run and has long been considered one of television’s most influential shows. The series has spawned a 2007 movie, rides and attractions at Universal Studios and countless conversational references among its fans. Homer’s oft-used expletive “doh” was even added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001.
In a year that has weathered the losses of David Bowie, Prince and Muhammad Ali, knowing “The Simpsons” will remain in Springfield for our viewing entertainment for another two years is comforting.
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