‘The Simpsons’ showrunner reveals how the show will end
By Lauren Sarner
He’s got his exit from Springfield planned.
“The Simpsons” shocked viewers in October when the long-running animated series called its Season 36 premiere its “series finale” — only to reveal that the entire storyline of the episode was generated by AI.
It wasn’t the real finale, but showrunner Matt Selman told The Post, “The discussion that it would be so hard to do a last episode is what led to the fake series finale. That it’s sort of an impossible thing.”
“The show isn’t meant to end,” he continued. “To do a sappy crappo series finale, like most other shows do, would be so lame. So we just did one that was like over the top.”
Homer Simpson in "The Simpsons."
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Homer Simpson in “The Simpsons.”
20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Marge Simpson (voice: Julie Kavner), Homer Simpson (voice: Dan Castellaneta) in "The Simpsons."
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Marge Simpson (voice: Julie Kavner), Homer Simpson (voice: Dan Castellaneta) in “The Simpsons.”
20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
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Matt Selman at The Walt Disney Company Post-Emmys Celebration on January 15, 2024.
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Matt Selman at The Walt Disney Company Post-Emmys Celebration on January 15, 2024.
ABC via Getty Images
Selman was talking to The Post for the show’s Christmas special, “O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” which is now streaming on Disney+. The special follows the chaos that ensues as Homer is hypnotized into believing he’s Santa Claus.
For the show’s real series finale, Selman would want it to just be “a regular episode.”
“The characters in this crazy show don’t age … I think later we’ll just pick an episode and say that was the last one. No self-aware stuff. Or, one self-aware joke.”
Homer Simpson (voice by Dan Castellanata), Bart Simpson (voice: Nancy Cartwright), Lisa Simpson (voice: Yeardley Smith), Maggie Simpson, Marge Simpson (voice by Julie Kavner), Abe Simpson (voice: Dan Castellaneta).
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Homer Simpson (voice by Dan Castellaneta), Bart Simpson (voice: Nancy Cartwright), Lisa Simpson (voice: Yeardley Smith), Maggie Simpson, Marge Simpson (voice by Julie Kavner), Abe Simpson (voice: Dan Castellaneta).
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
He said he’d like it if the show’s last episode was just “a really good story about the family.”
Emmy-winning “The Simpsons” writer Carolyn Omine told The Post about the eventual series finale, “I’ve heard a few people say ‘I think it should be this’ or ‘I think it should be that.’ And it’s hard, because what the show is kind of keeps changing. So it can’t be the idea you’ve had in your pocket for a while.”
The residents of Springfield -- including Lisa, Homer, Bart, Marge and Maggie
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The residents of Springfield — including Lisa, Homer, Bart, Marge and Maggie.
Matt Groening
Carolyn Omine, Tim Long, Matt Selman, Hank Azaria and Matt Groening attend "The Simpsons" panel during New York Comic Con at Jacob Javits Center on October 19, 2024.
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Carolyn Omine, Tim Long, Matt Selman, Hank Azaria and Matt Groening attend “The Simpsons” panel during New York Comic Con at Jacob Javits Center on October 19, 2024.
Getty Images
Matt Selman attends "The Simpsons" holiday special world premiere screening for Disney+'s "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" at El Capitan Theatre on December 13, 2024
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Matt Selman attends “The Simpsons” holiday special world premiere screening for Disney+’s “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” at El Capitan Theatre on December 13, 2024.
Getty Images
Selman added that so many people’s ideas for a series finale “are based on having watched other last shows.”
“And I don’t think it should be a response to the litany of last shows that already exist. We covered that area,” he explained, referring to the fake-out “series finale” episode.
He joked: “[The last episode will be] a parody of ‘A Christmas Carol’ with [Mr. Burns] as Scrooge. The laziest idea!”
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