The Simpsons season 36 faces a growing problem that could change its future as Disney change looms

While The Simpsons Season 36 is arriving at a critical high point for the sitcom, the long-running show has another problem to tackle. The Simpsons will never replicate the critical success of the show’s Golden Age. Running from seasons 3 to 10-12, the Golden Age of The Simpsons is one of the most influential eras of television comedy in the history of the medium. The style pioneered by The Simpsons During this era helped shape the landscape of sitcom writing. However, this does not mean that The Simpsons Season 36 is doomed to suffer bad reviews upon its release.

rather, The Simpsons has enjoyed something of a critical revival in recent years. While everything after season 12 was universally agreed to be a step-down from the show’s Golden Age, seasons 30-33 were particularly underwhelming. This resulted in a change in the show’s writing style during season 34, prioritizing character development over the sheer number of jokes. As a result of this shift, The Simpsons Seasons 34 and 35 earned the show’s best reviews in years. The Simpsons The worst episode of season 35 proved that some problems remain, but the show’s critical standing has vastly improved.

The Simpsons season 35 saw its ratings drop (again) despite critical success

The viewership of the classic sitcom has gradually waned for years

Despite the bit of positive news, The Simpsons Season 36 still has another problem to face. The ratings of The Simpsons have been declining steadily for years nowFrom an average viewership of 5 million in 2013’s season 25 down to just 2 million in season 35. Although the show commanded a viewership of 27.8 million in its first season, it’s hardly fair to compare the 1989 season with the show’s last result . The Simpsons It was on the air for 35 years and, in that time, the contours of the television industry have changed immeasurably.

That said, The Simpsons to retain only 40% of its viewers in 2013. The Simpsons Season 36’s Competitors, from Bob’s Burgers to Family guyhave also struggled to hold on to their audience shares in recent years. This can be seen as a good thing for the series, as it means The Simpsons is not uniquely impacted by disinterested viewers changing the channel. However, the longevity of The Simpsons This is both a blessing and a curse. Not similar Family guy And Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons Has been since the ’80s. Viewers can hardly imagine the potential future cancellation of the show.

The Simpsons season 36 is likely to struggle with declining ratings

The unprecedented longevity of The Simpsons doesn’t help

ironic, The Simpsons Being a pop culture touchstone arguably makes the show more vulnerable to cancellation. Viewers are less likely to tune into a show that seems like it will never die, let alone fight for its renewal. Since The Simpsons Seems too big to fail, this view does not inspire a loyal fan base to protect its future. With season 34 boasting an even smaller average viewership of just 1.83 million, that could be an issue. The Simpsons Season 36’s Christmas episode may be a nostalgic, family-oriented special that might reignite interest, but the weekly outings are another story.

A glance over The Simpsons Season 35’s ratings prove that eventful episodes are central to the show’s future. The season premiere earned 3.58 million viewers, only for the next three outings to barely attract more than 1 million viewers each. Season 34, episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror XXXIV,” earned a massive 4.38 million, but the show’s viewership dropped to below 2 million for the next two episodes. Episode 10, “Doing the Wrong Thing,” managed a season-high of 5.41 million, but its December 24 air date was pivotal to its success. The following eight episodes failed to earn even 1 million viewers.

Low ratings make the divisive change of The Simpsons Season 36 easier

The Simpsons could graduate to Disney+ with its smaller audience

The solution seems to be clear to the creators of the show. Since event episodes are so vital, likely because the holidays inspire long-time fans to revisit the series due to nostalgia, the show should lean into that tradition. Indeed, The Simpsons Season 36’s holiday offerings include a two-part Christmas special, two separate Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes, and a Halloween short. There is only one problem with this approach. Most of the outings will be released exclusively on Disney+, Disney’s streaming service. This risks the show’s most loyal fans, many of whom may not be subscribers to the service.

So far, every episode of The Simpsons is broadcast on television. The show began producing Disney+ exclusive shorts after Fox’s merger with Disney, but they were mostly used to promote the MCU and Star Wars. The shorts were never essential viewing for fans and none of them came close to a full episode’s runtime. Thus, the choice to release the two-part Christmas special of Season 36 on Disney+ could be a sign of things to come. With a dwindling viewership but a loyal fan base, The Simpsons Is the kind of intellectual property that can cause viewers to pay for the subscription service.

Could The Simpsons Ever Be Cancelled?

How much longer will the show run for?

Even as the show’s 36th season begins to migrate online, It is hard to imagine The Simpsons Ever getting cancelled. The show may gradually ease its way to Disney+, although the rest of Fox’s animation lineup does not boast significantly better ratings than the series. If The Simpsons were to be cancelled, it would likely come after a complete transition to Disney+ and would be unlikely to rule out the possibility of future specials and shorts. The Simpsons It remains one of Disney’s most recognizable brands, even if the show doesn’t seem like a competitor to blockbuster franchises like the MCU.

After so many great episodes of The SimpsonsIt seems as if the show could never end. However, its gradually declining ratings are a real problem and its shift to Disney+ should not come as a major surprise. Despite its legendary Golden Age and its current critical resurgence, The Simpsons Is still a TV show at the end of the day. The series is a pop culture staple, but it’s also the subject of the capricious whims of TV executives and audiences. As such, viewers should prepare for the possibility of The Simpsons Finally, even this fate still feels far away.