The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman has said the series will “never” air a finale episode, even if it did one day end.
Rather than a big farewell sendoff, Selman said The Simpsons would simply air a regular episode — noting that the show had recently parodied the idea of a big finale in its 36th season premiere (an episode named Bart’s Birthday that featured numerous returning guest stars and sent up the finale of numerous other famous series).
“If the show ever did end, there’s no finale — it would just be a regular episode that has the family in it,” Selman told The Wrap, following the airing of its landmark 800th episode. “Probably a little Easter egg here and there, but no ‘I’m going to miss this place’.”
Selman continued by again voicing his view that The Simpsons exists outside of continuity or canon — even to the point that character deaths such as that of Marge Simpson don’t matter (something that the series itself has demonstrated is not always the case, particularly prior to his tenure, and that was contradicted yet again recently by a fellow Simpsons exec who discussed the permanent death of Alice Glick.)
“The show isn’t supposed to change,” Selman continued on. “The characters reset every week. It’s like Groundhog Day, but they don’t know it — and they don’t die that much.”
The Simpsons’ 800th episode includes a crossover with The Pitt, featuring various guest stars including Noah Wyle, plus Kevin Bacon and Boyz II Men. It also marks the occasion with a couch gag that finally pays off the fact that Homer gets hit by Marge’s car at the beginning of every episode (since the series’ opening credits were remade for HD).
— Out of Context Simpsons Couch Gags (@OOCCouchGags) February 16, 2026
How long can The Simpsons continue on for? The show has currently been renewed until its 40th season, which means it will remain on-air through until at least 2029. A second Simpsons movie is also on the way, set to debut on September 3, 2027.
Image credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
