The Simpsons reaches finish of an period as main change introduced

After 20 years, The Simpsons will no longer be shown on Channel 4 as the broadcaster opts to move the beloved animated show from its regular weekday slot.

The Simpsons, which celebrated its 35th anniversary on 17 December and has bizarrely predicted real-life events for more than three decades, has been shown in the UK on Channel 4 since 2004 but it was announced on Tuesday that from January it will no longer air at its 6:30 pm weekday slot.

Instead, The broadcaster has chosen to move the animated sitcom to E4, starting with season 32. Meanwhile, new seasons of the show, including season 36, will premiere on Disney + before airing on E4. The new seasons will also be available on Channel 4’s streaming service for a limited time.

Explaining the decision, Polly Scates, Head of Acquisitions at Channel 4, said that the move was embracing the “generational shift that is taking place in TV viewing to reach younger viewers, who engage with both the popular entertainment channel E4 and streaming platforms.”

“The Simpsons and Channel 4 have a historic relationship, and I’m delighted that we will continue to bring this much loved and iconic series to our audience.”

“In an evolving market, collaboration has never felt more important, and it’s been a pleasure working with Disney Entertainment to bring the latest seasons to UK viewers, who can now watch the show on E4 and C4 Streaming once it has aired on Disney+.”

It comes after voice actor Pamela Hayden announced her retirement from the hit Fox sitcom after 35 years.

Hayden, who’s credited for featuring in nearly 700 episodes of the long-running animated series, is best known as the voice behind Bart Simpson’s bespectacled friend Milhouse Van Houten; however, she’s also played dozens of other characters, including Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders and Malibu Stacy.

The latest season of the show also addressed speculation about its potential finale. Viewers were left somewhat startled as the long-running animated series’ 36th season was launched with an episode branded its “series finale”.

However, despite some confusion among viewers, the episode was actually a parody of what makes an effective finale, and imagined what the perfect ending of The Simpsons would look like – as written by AI.

Throughout the episode, there were animated recreations of final shots of shows including The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Succession.