The Simpsonsare one of the most recognizable names in pop culture history. Created by Matt Groening and originating as a series of shorts onThe Tracey Ullman Showin 1987, the concept spun off into its own primetime animated series on Fox in 1989. Taking place in the fictional city of Springfield, the Simpsons family consists of loving but dumb dad Homer, stay-at-home mom Marge, troublemaker son Bart, genius daughter Lisa, and baby Maggie. It has been a massive hit with critics and audiences over the years and winner of multiple Emmys, and the series' quotes and catchphrases have become part of the cultural lexicon. Even if someone has never seenThe Simpsonsthey likely know “D’oh!” or “okily dokily do.”
After being on the air for almost two decades,The Simpsonsfinally made their way to the big screen in 2007’sThe Simpsons Movie. With a series as popular and well known asThe Simpsons, the movie was a highly anticipated event with the promotional material keeping the plot a mystery.The Simpsons Movieopened to an impressive $74 million in its opening weekend going on to a domestic total of $183.1 million domestic and a worldwide gross of $536.4 million making it the eighth highest grossing movie worldwide for the year.
The Simpsons Moviein many ways felt like the natural endpoint for the series. It was the massive event of the series fans had been waiting years for, and by the time the movie opened there was a common critique thatThe Simpsonsseries had gone downhill and stopped being funny at various points throughout its run. With all that, shouldThe Simpsons Moviehave been the final entry in the franchise, or was it right to continue?
The Simpsons Up to That Point
By the timeThe Simpsons Moviepremiered, the series had been on for 18 years. While it still had a large loyal fanbase and was a consistent hit in the ratings, the feeling among longtime fans had been that the series had lost its way, with the most common episode cited as the turning point for the series' decline in season nine’s episode “The Principal and the Pauper.” Yet even then the series kept going strong and added many new elements to the series that kept it fresh like making Lisa a Buddhist, killing Maude Flanders, and the introduction of Apu’s wife Manjula just to name a few.
Development onThe Simpsons Moviedates back to the early days of the series, with the season four premiere “Camp Krusty” at one point considered for the feature film. Other potential ideas ofThe Simpsons Movieincluded rescuing a family of manatees which became the episode “The Bonfire of the Manatees,” and a premise whereThe Simpsonsrealized they were fictional characters in a television show which became the basis ofThe Simpsons Gamewhich was released in 2007 a few months afterThe Simpsons Movie. The film entered pre-production in 1997, with the cast officially signing on in 2001 and writing on the project truly beginning in earnest in 2003.
Simpsons Ending On a High Note
By the timeThe Simpsons Moviehit in the summer of 2007, it felt like an event years in the making. The film’s first teaser was released in March 2006, more than a year before it opened. The film received positive reactions from critics and audiences, and there were plenty of easter eggs for longtime fans. The movie hit many major emotional climaxes for the characters that had been sprinkled throughout the series including Homer and Marge’s marriage, Homer and Bart’s complicated father/son dynamic, and Lisa finally getting the boy of her dreams. It felt like the natural endpoint for the series.
Related:The Simpsons: When Should the Iconic TV Show End?HadThe Simpsons Moviebeen the end of the series, the series' overall legacy might have been as a pop culture institution that might have lost its way in the middle but went out on a high note. However, the series went on, and the criticism of the series has only grown in the years since, with many fans thinking thatThe Simpsonsshould have ended years ago.
The Simpsons Would Have Avoided Some Controversy if it Ended
The Simpsons Moviebeing the end might mean many great episodes of the later seasons would not have aired, but it also means thatThe Simpsonscould have avoided its biggest public controversy, specificallyThe Problem With Apu.
The Problem With Apuwas a 2017 documentary written by and starring comedian Hari Kondabolu that focuses on the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and explores encounters with negative stereotypes, minstrelsy, and racial microaggressions against people of Indian and South Asian heritage. The short documentary received positive reviews and sparked a discussion regarding white actors voicing minority characters. WhileThe Simpsonshas historically been a forward-looking and positive series, both the show’s internal response in the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished” as well asThe Simpsons’creator Matt Groening’s response to the incident were less than ideal. Hank Azaria, the voice actor of Apu, eventuallystepped down from the role andmade multiple apologies, as he never meant for the character to cause any harm.
Related:The Simpson: Best Predictions in the Series That Actually Came TrueWhile the issues regarding white actors voicing characters of color would have been addressed, it would have been treated as an issue of the past the series never grappled with. Yet the show’s continued presence on the air meant that the series had to tackle and address the changing landscape, and while the series made the right call in June 2020 to no longer have non-white characters voiced by white actors, the series’initial attempts to deflect that criticismis likely the first real blemish on the show’s rather forward-thinking progressive attitude.
Maybe It’s Good The Simpsons Hasn’t Ended
Here is an interesting aspect of time. WhenThe Simpsons Movieopened in theaters it was released between seasons 18 and 19, with the opening episode of season 19 featuring a coach gag acknowledging the events of the movie.The Simpsonsare now in its 33rd season, meaning there is almost as much distance betweenThe Simpsons Movieand today as there was when the series premiered on Fox and the premiere of the movie, and stillno word on a sequel.
Throughout the series' 33 seasons on the air, the world has changed drastically.The Simpsonshas been on the air through six presidential administrations, a world of changing technology, and a global pandemic; after all, it’s thelongest running primetime series, the longest running sitcom, and the longest running cartoon in American history. Yet through it all,The Simpsonshas always been there and while old fans might have dropped the series, young fans are finding it. The series is still so popular that the all-day(s) marathon on FXX was a big cultural deal, and the series is now a major part of Disney+ following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
While many series and movies have been rebooted,The Simpsonshas stayed the same. The world is constantly changing, and the future is always uncertain, but there is some comfort in knowing that Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and the citizens of Springfield will always be there to welcome viewers back.
