The Simpsons Concludes After 35 Years: Showrunner Reveals Series Finale Details

'The Simpsons' showrunner reveals how they pulled off the 'series...

The man in charge of "The Simpsons" has a lot to say about the show's latest twist. The animated series dubbed its Season 36 premiere (which aired Sunday) its "series finale" -- only to reveal that the entire storyline of the episode was generated by AI. Showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman told PEOPLE in an interview published Monday how the idea for the episode came to be. "I was in New Zealand and then the writer's strike ended, so I started immediately working on the show again in New Zealand a year ago," he explained. "And part of that was doing press for season 35, which was about to start. And the question you always get doing press is what would you do for a last episode of the show?" "I always felt like there was no good answer to that question because the show was never meant to end," he added. It was meant to go on forever. It was meant to make fun of the idea of last episodes and everything we do, every episode is both a first and a last episode of the show." Selman, 53, said that while he doesn't remember who pitched the concept for the Season 36 premiere, he immediately loved the idea of starting the episode with an animated Conan O'Brien hosting a star-studded gala that involved a lengthy monologue about the show allegedly ending. "There was no one better than Conan who both speaks as part of the show as an outside hilarious person," Selman said about O'Brien, 61, who used to write for the show. "No other person in the universe occupies those two roles so perfectly," the TV writer went on. "So if he had said no, I don't know what we would've done. He was a super sport and was willing to make fun of himself. I think he showed it to his son to make sure young people thought it was funny." The episode, titled "Bart's Birthday," explores AI-generated scenarios for the end of the show, including Mr. Burns dying, Moe's shutting down and Principal Skinner retiring. There were also animated re-creations of the final scenes from popular shows like "Game of Thrones," "Succession," "The Sopranos," "Breaking Bad" and "Frasier." But Bart eventually snaps out of the AI illusion, putting an end to the faux "series finale." Selman said he's "really hardened by the fact that so many people have wanted to talk about" the episode and "thought it was kind of an audacious idea to have our season premiere be the series finale because there's no better only we could do that." He then shared another "crazy idea" for the show: "every episode of 'The Simpsons' should be both the pilot and the finale" -- though he acknowledged that would be "a little confusing" for viewers. "You want every episode to be a big transformative cinematic journey," Selman explained. "And then of course, no rational family could have 800 of those journeys actually happen to them while they don't get older while 35 years have gone by." Selman has worked on "The Simpsons" since 1997. The six-time Emmy Award winner currently serves as the showrunner alongside AI Jean. Matt Groening, the creator of the series, told USA Today in 2021 that "there's no end in sight" for the show. "Anytime I speculate on the show ending, the people who work on it and diehard fans get very upset," he said.

Unpacking 'The Simpsons' Unexpected 'Series Finale'

The Simpsons left fans baffled on Sunday night when the legendary sitcom announced that the episode kicking off the 36th season was in fact the series finale. The episode, entitled "Bart's Birthday," was billed as "a special Fox presentation" to add a bit of legitimacy to the prank. It begins with former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien presiding over a group of celebrities attending "The Simpsons Series Finale" at the Dolby-Mucinex Theatre. "Why end The Simpsons now?" O'Brien asks the crowd. "Now, not many people know this, but Fox has been trying to end it for years," he claimed. "When the very first episode aired in 1989 the viewers agreed on one thing: It wasn't as funny as it used to be, and their expressions of hatred could serve as a history of modern communication technology. Fox executives, unaccustomed to criticism of any kind, immediately caved to public pressure and decided to end 'The Simpsons' in 1990." O'Brien then runs clips from several iconic episodes, like 1990's "Bart the Daredevil" and 2000's "Little Big Mom," in which Homer suffers grievous but non-fatal injuries. "Many now-classic episodes were originally conceived as series finales," O'Brien tells the audience. But for many reasons, including Rupert Murdoch's helium budget and the success of The Simpsons Movie X-rated parody, the show went on. But now that Fox has rebranded itself as a dating service for cow tippers," O'Brien says as a still from the network's Farmer Wants a Wife flashes behind him, "the time has come to finally end The Simpsons." The host goes on to explain that ChatGPT has been employed to write the finale to provide a conclusion that satisfies fans without tarnishing the show's legacy. The rest of the episode plays out with a bug, or on-screen watermark, telling viewers they're watching the Simpsons series finale. Following O'Brien's intro, the story plays out in an AI-simulation of a Simpsons episode in which many prototypical "series finale" events take place, such as Mr. Burns (accidentally) signing his factory over to the employees and Moe shuttering his tavern. Principal Skinner announces he's taking a new job overseeing an obedience academy in Sacramento, setting the ground for a spin-off series. "I'll no doubt find a new cast of eclectic characters to interact with," he says during his retirement speech. "Also, Groundskeeper Willy will be my roommate." But at the end of the episode, Bart is able to snap Springfield out of the AI-pocolypse by refusing to blow out his birthday candles. This leads Homer to strangle his young son, snapping everyone back to reality. The episode ends with O'Brien asking ChatGPT, "Do you have 800 more episodes in you?" In short, The Simpsons is not ending. Additionally, it doesn't appear that any significant part of Sunday night's episode was completed using AI. The exact reason for the prank is unclear, but it may have to do with The Simpsons' uncertain future at Fox. The network has yet to greenlight the show for a 37th season, which some industry insiders see as an ominous sign. The release of several special Simpsons episodes to Disney+ this fall likewise has some predicting the iconic series may soon move from its native network. For now, though, nothing is changing. New episodes of The Simpsons air every Sunday night on Fox as they have for the last 36 years.

Is 'The Simpsons' ending? Why the show aired its 'series finale' Sunday

Watch as Lizzo gets animated on the Season 34 finale of "The Simpsons" and brings Sasha Flute to jam with Lisa on the saxophone. Not quite: The hit animated series aired its "final episode" on Sunday night, but in actuality, it was a meta-way to start the Season 36 premiere. Titled "Bart's Birthday" and presented as a "Fox special presentation," the episode kicked off with animated celebrities shown rolling into the "Dolby-Mucinex Theater" for the occasion, hosted by Conan O'Brien. "It's such an honor to be with you all for the series finale of 'The Simpsons,'" O'Brien says to the onlooking crowd, flanked with animated versions of stars who have appeared on the series, including Seth Rogen and Mr. T. "I knew I was the right man for the job because I've hosted the last episode of three of my own shows, and counting." He continued: "Well, it's true. Fox has decided to end the Simpsons." O'Brien then continues the faux obituary for the legendary Fox sitcom. "Not many people know this, but Fox has been trying to end it for years," O'Brien's character says. "When the very first episode aired in 1989, the viewers agreed on one thing: It wasn't as funny as it used to be. Fox executives, unaccustomed to criticism of any kind, immediately caved to public pressure and decided to end 'The Simpsons' in 1990." 'The Simpsons' writer reacts to viral 'prediction': Is Kamala Harris going to be president? O'Brien's character aired clips from what he says were unaired series finale attempts before presenting the "final" episode, which was created using artificial intelligence and includes several dramatic attempts to wrap up the show's storyline, including Moe's shutting down and Mr. Burns dying. A longtime 'Simpsons' character was killed off. Fans aren't taking it very well By the end of the episode, Bart becomes self-aware and realizes his birthday means he will turn 11. (Bart has been 10 years old since the series began.) He refuses, leading to Homer strangling him and the show glitching and resetting. With everything then back to normal, the "series finale" is no longer. "The Simpsons" remains America's longest-running animated series, sitcom and scripted primetime television series. The first episode aired Jan. 14, 1990. Though the series may not be as popular as it was in its heyday in the 1990s, the show is still known for its sometimes uncanny way of predicting the future, at least according to fans.