History is made as The Simpsons Season 29 and 30 will leave Gunsmoke in the dust
The Simpsons Season 29 and 30 will make TV history. James Arness will be a Thing from the past. The classic animated series is still showing strong ratings averaging 7.2 million viewers a week, so Fox has decided to renew it to 669 episodes, the largest number of episodes for any scripted television series in history. The record is currently held by the western series Gunsmoke.
"Take that Gunsmoke!,” Homer Simpson said in a statement from Fox. “You lost a race you didn't even know you were running!"
The Simpsons was the first animated series to win a Peabody Award. It won 32 Emmy Awards, 34 Annie Awards, a 2016 People’s Choice Award, a 2016 Environmental Media Award, and was nominated for an Oscar.
"This is yet another record-setting moment for what is truly a landmark series," Fox Television Group top execs Dana Walden and Gary Newma said in a joint statement. "The Simpsons has meant so much to the network, the studio and everyone at Fox, and its continued cultural impact around the globe is a testament to the combined brilliance of Matt, Jim and Al. Congratulations to everyone who works on this groundbreaking series—from the voice cast and producers to the writers and production team—you comprise one of the greatest collections of creative talent in the history of the medium. And to the millions of Simpsons fans around the world, thank you for watching all these years. We're happy to tell you there's lots more to come."
The Simpsons will be continue to be executive produced by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean serve as executive producers. The six main voice actors signed a four-season deal that ran through season 30 last year.
The Simpsons Season 29 Release Date
Fox hasn't announced a firm date yet, but we expect it back in September, as usual...unless they make us wait for the Treehouse of Horror in October.