Al Jean, the showrunner of The Simpsons, defends the series’ later seasons from criticisms. Created by Matt Groening, the adult animated classic The Simpsons originally aired in 1989.
The series, which follows the titular family’s comedic and oft-dysfunctional exploits, has gone on to spawn a whopping 731 episodes, with season 34 set to continue its lengthy run. The Simpsons has gone through many showrunners over the years, but Al Jean, who has been around since the start, has helmed the series since season 13.
Due to its impressive run, The Simpsons has become a crucial part of pop culture due to its memorable characters and catchphrases, meta humor, cultural commentary, and strangely accurate predictions of the future.
The series has also garnered critical acclaim, winning 34 Emmy Awards and an Oscar nomination for the franchise’s 2012 short film. Celebrity cameos and Simpsons collaborations with musicians such as Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny have opened the show up to new audiences and maintained its cultural relevance, but many viewers feel the quality of the series has dropped in the last couple of decades.
While speaking with ComicBook.com, Jean addresses the comments made by fans that The Simpsons’ quality has declined over the years. Stating his pride in the franchise’s recent installments, he says that the audience’s standards have gone up since the season’s first seasons. Check out his full quote below:
“I have, but the bar seems to move the later people are born. And, obviously, I have a big stake in all the seasons, but we’re nominated for two Emmys this year, and the episode, which I didn’t have much to do with, that’s nominated for the series is fantastic.”
“I think it’s as good as anything we’ve ever done. And quite objectively I say that. We’re also nominated for a short and that’s a thrill, too, for the Billie Eilish short. So I can’t be objective, but I know we work as hard and we care as much as we ever have.”
Jean’s comments aptly point out that the quality threshold for ‘good television’ has changed in recent years, partly due to the mountain of content available to watch and stream and the influence of witty shows like The Simpsons itself.
Jean’s mentions of the awards The Simpsons was nominated for this year also displays that the showrunner isn’t the only one who appreciates the series’ direction. He addresses that he is somewhat biased, but the pride he expresses in the show as someone who has been involved since those beloved early seasons is a good indication that The Simpsons hasn’t changed as much as fans may think.
After more than 30 seasons, it’s inspiring to hear Jean stand so fully behind the show, and his confidence in the creators’ work bodes well for season 34. Some details for the new season of The Simpsons have already been teased, such as guest appearances from Melissa McCarthy and Simu Liu, a Stephen King’s It parody in one of the season’s Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials, and even an episode in which the reason behind The Simpsons predicting the future is revealed.
With such an exciting slate of events to look forward to, perhaps The Simpsons season 34 will be able to get viewers nostalgic for the early seasons back on board when it airs later this month.