How the hell is The Simpsons STILL making new episodes?

The Simpsons is currently on Season 30. 30. FUCKING 30. Most shows don't get to last that long, and there's a crystal clear reason as to why. The Simpsons was killing it in the 90's, but nowadays the episodes are lacking in both good humor, AND good storylines. I'm not even sure if half of the memorable character's voice actors even EXIST anymore, that's how old the show is. I heard that the voice actor for Edna Krabappel died, and that Apu was written off the show.

Besides my mini-rant about modern episodes of The Simpsons, let's get to the main point: Simply how does The Simpsons still exist? A show shouldn't be able to become a shell of it's former self FOR THIS LONG without being finally put down. HOW is FOX or Matt Groening or FXX or whoever, still able to afford new episodes every year if nobody is watching it anymore?

More importantly, how long is The Simpsons going to last, from this point in time onward, before it finally dies it's inevitable death?

Who knows what adventures they'll have between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?

21 minutes ago, crazyflyingdonut said:

 FUCKING 30.

Man, watch your language, there are children here.

Answer to your topic-question: $$$

Last I remember they were still pumping out new episodes due to Korean animators being so cheap... by so cheap I mean last I heard was $2 million animation budget per episode and the voice cast is at $1 million per episode. The guy that plays Burns wanted to retire... but money keeps getting thrown at him.

By "nobody watches it" you mean 3+ million people watch it. and it's literally 1 - 2 million more people than watch Family Guy... then sure "nobody watches it." It's the #3 show in their demographic... after football.

24 minutes ago, geo said:

Last I remember they were still pumping out new episodes due to Korean animators being so cheap... by so cheap I mean last I heard was $2 million animation budget per episode and the voice case is at $1 million per episode. The guy that plays Burns wanted to retire... but money keeps getting thrown at him.

 

By "nobody watches it" you mean 3+ million people watch it. and it's literally 1 - 2 million more people than watch Family Guy... then sure "nobody watches it." It's the #3 show in their demographic... after football.

Okay, so enough people still watch the show to keep it going.

Do they enjoy it or do they only like it ironically?

The Simpsons is not a show that people enjoy ironically. It's still fairly decent, just nowhere near as good as it was in years past. 

1 hour ago, crazyflyingdonut said:

Okay, so enough people still watch the show to keep it going.

 

Do they enjoy it or do they only like it ironically?

You may want to ask a Simpson's board. I know we're all here for a 90s game and Simpson's started the game... but let me turn it back around...

We should head over to a Simpson's forum and ask: Do people like Doom (1993) or do they only like it ironically?

The Simpsons may not be as good as it once was but it's still better than so much of that reality t.v. rubbish.

I thought the episode where they moved to Boston was p good. 

Why the series is still going on, I don't even get... And when they stop making episodes for this TV Series? I didn't meant to be offensive, but I think the "classic" Simpsons is better than the "modern" Simpsons.

I couldn't stand it anymore during season 12 and didn't watch any further.

2 hours ago, Blind Joe Death said:

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll see myself out.

Nice edit :v.

But we all know Doom is immortal, people will still make new content for the series by 3019.

4 hours ago, Blind Joe Death said:

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll see myself out.

Look into my eyes

Simpsons is temporary,

But DooM is ETERNAL.

17 hours ago, Gez said:

We already know that the Simpsons will survive the English language, and also humanity, as we know them. We had this sneak peek of the far future:

 

 

That was actually slightly disturbing to watch.

7 hours ago, Blind Joe Death said:

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll see myself out.

No, come back! That was funny!

21 hours ago, Gez said:

We already know that the Simpsons will survive the English language, and also humanity, as we know them. We had this sneak peek of the far future:

 

 

I'm getting some serious Don Hertzfeld vibes from that. And sure enough, looked around and he was a guest animator! That's pretty cool, actually.

hope you don't mind a late post...

the reason is $. they'll keep milking the franchise as long as it's profitable, without regard for artistic integrity, which is why they didn't pull the plug long ago.

for future reference, an official Simpsons guide:

Golden Age: Seasons 1-7, the core being 2-6. the show was still getting its bearings in the first season, and cracks begin to show in season 7.

Decline: Seasons 8-11. there's a downward spiral as the original talent (who made the Golden Age what it was) leave the staff. there's still some good stuff, but now it's mixed with bad. Behind the Laughter works perfectly as a finale, you can consider that the end of what was left of the Simpsons.

Zombie Simpsons: Seasons 12+. a wasteland of soulless animation and pop culture references, with the occasional decent episode.

Last week I only watch Bob's Burgers. I was too busy playing Overwatch to care about Simpsons or Family Guy. But I stopped playing for Bob's Burgers.

On 1/11/2019 at 1:16 PM, geo said:

Last I remember they were still pumping out new episodes due to Korean animators being so cheap

The biggest issue, above all else, is the treatment of the characters as self-aware entities in a cartoon; they are parodies of parodies and essentially exist to lampoon their own archetypes, with ham-fisted dialogue, easy references and constant fourth-walling. Equally as damning is the stiff animation, composed of library assets that can be swapped out to cut down on the amount of original frames. This is especially evident when a character has a strong emotional response; it looks flat, inflexible and expressionless. 

The best Simpsons quote I've heard in the last 16 years is this: "Bart, get out! I'm piss!"

10 years later and I'll be asking the same question when the Pokémon anime is still going...

Also, if the Simpsons stay around for 10 more seasons, you have Disney to blame. Because they now own FOX, remember?

In the future, the show might exist as endless procedural nightmares, with the long-dead voice actors' dialogue being replaced with eerily convincing algorithms.

On 1/12/2019 at 1:47 AM, seed said:

 

Nice edit :v.

 

But we all know Doom is immortal, people will still make new content for the series by 3019.

Doom content now is made by entirely different people with different philosophies from the original. If Id made Doom maps year after year for a quarter century, they, like The Simpsons, would get progressively more predictable and boring.

Just now, HavoX said:

10 years later and I'll be asking the same question when the Pokémon anime is still going...

 

Also, if the Simpsons stay around for 10 more seasons, you have Disney to blame. Because they now own FOX, remember?

I've always liked Pokemon, but my interest in it never extended much beyond the original Game Boy games and the first season of the anime. Even when I was really into the phenomenon, I never would have believed that it would have lasted for more than three years.