And now, it has set a television record. The show was renewed for a 29th and 30th season, which means that by the end of 2019, The Simpsons will have aired 669 episodes. That’ll break the record of most episodes of a scripted series ever. The current record is held by Gunsmoke, a Western drama series that ran from 1955 to 1975 and had 635 episodes. “Take that, Gunsmoke!” said Homer Simpson in a statement. “You lost a race you didn’t even know you were running!” The Simpsons already holds the record for the longest-running scripted series, and they’ll soon add another entry in the record book. Thanks to the continued success of the show – the 600th episode received a 3.6 live +7 rating among 18-49 year-olds, which means 3.6% of people in that demographic watched that particular episode – FOX has offered renewals in increments of two seasons, instead of the more common annual renewals. NCIS is another show that got a two-year extension, but it’s typically a rare achievement. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the show’s executive producers, and the program is currently in its 28th season. In addition to the record-breaking number of episodes, The Simpsons have spawned multiple albums, a film, and an entire area at Universal Studios, where guests can grab a drink at Moe’s Tavern or chow down at Krusty Burger. If the cast comes back at the same pay rate, FOX will owe $78 million ($300,000 per episode) to its core cast of Castellaneta, Shearer, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, and Hank Azaria.
