Key Takeaways

• Quality Debate: Many fans believe The Simpsons declined after season nine.
• Longevity Insight: Co-showrunner Matt Selman emphasizes the importance of originality and character development.
• Upcoming Milestone: The 800th episode is set to air in February and will involve a significant storyline with the dog.
• Season Themes: The premiere episode explores themes of nostalgia and modern trends like thrifting.

The general consensus as to when The Simpsons dropped off in quality (although it is still up for debate) is after season nine. And just as a reminder, it’s headed into season 37! And while even the biggest Simpsons defectors have to be curious about the 1,000th episode, we still have to get to the 800th, which will arrive with the season’s 10th episode. So what keeps the team inspired even though many believe The Simpsons has seen the Worst. Decline. Ever?

The Simpsons co-showrunner Matt Selman – who joined the writing team in 1997 and so witnessed the drop-off first-hand, writing the season 9 finale himself – recently chatted with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the season 37 premiere. As he said of The Simpsons’ longevity, “We’re closing in on 800 episodes. The trick is to tell stories that feel like they’re from a show that is not in its 37th season, right? And also to avoid feeling like we’re repeating ourselves, or just doing episodes that don’t have a personality, or have nothing to say. One way to do that is to dig deeper into the town: the silly, soulful, sad, stupid people of Springfield…The most important thing to like for any show, especially The Simpsons, is the state of your characters. The next most important thing is to deliver originality to the viewer. And originality usually comes from real life — the new things that have happened in real life.” As for how this ties into the season premiere, “Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother,” Selman added, “So like, dad TV is a new thing. Thrifting is sort of a new thing. Nostalgia for the ‘90s is sort of a new thing. That’s our job. And that’s why the premiere does that.”

That takes care of the premiere, but what about The Simpsons’ 800th episode itself, no doubt the biggest of the season? “It’s in February. That I can tease. I probably shouldn’t tease anything. I don’t think they want me talking about the 800th yet. I’ll say this: It involves the dog. That’s a big tease. How about this, I’ll give you a little more: The dog gets fat.” Hate to tell you, Matt, but The Simpsons already did a short about Santa’s Little Helper putting on weight 10 years ago…So much for not repeating yourselves!

Do you still watch The Simpsons? At what point did you stop tuning in?