Conan O’Brien has returned to The Simpsons for a fake “series finale” that kicked off the new season of the show.
*Episode spoilers ahead*
The season 36 premiere arrived on Sunday (September 29) with an episode that was dubbed the “series finale.” It was hosted by an animated version of former Simpsons writer O’Brien and saw characters entering a theatre to celebrate the show’s “ending”.
“It’s such an honour to be with you all for the series finale of The Simpsons,” O’Brien said during an opening monologue (via Variety). “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…Well, it’s true. Fox has decided to end The Simpsons. This show was such a special part of my early career, so being here means the world to me. Also, I left a sweater in the writer’s room in 1993. This is the only way they’ll let me get it back.
“This theatre is full of the many celebrities who’ve appeared on The Simpsons over the years and who have come to say farewell,” O’Brien continued. “And of course, we’re also joined by the stars of Fox’s many live action hits.” The screen then cut to Animal Control star Joel McHale, who was sitting alone.
As yet, Fox hasn’t renewed The Simpsons for a 37th season and speculation about the future of the show has been heated in recent months.
I’m finally back on The Simpsons this Sunday with a mind-blowing episode that has been 36 years in the making. I can’t imagine a bigger national event in the next five weeks.
— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) September 28, 2024
A premiere so important, @ConanOBrien got dressed up for it. #TheSimpsons Season 36 begins tomorrow night on @FOXTV, next day on @hulu! pic.twitter.com/HFmp911991
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) September 28, 2024
It’s the episode fans have waited for since 1989…#TheSimpsons Season 36 premieres this Sunday on @FOXTV, next day on @hulu. pic.twitter.com/0pj8RdlDoR
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) September 25, 2024
“Now, not many people know this, but Fox has been trying to end it for years,” O’Brien continued in his monologue. “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.”
It went on to show original cuts from several famous episodes including Bart the Darevil. “Many now classic episodes were originally conceived as series finales,” O’Brien added.
He then went on to joke that the show’s writers had used AI to come up with the scripts for the final episode with references to some of the show’s most famous series finales.
Later, it was revealed that the show “series finale” was a prank. Other guests in the episode included John Cena, Danny DeVito, Seth Rogen, Mark Proksch, Amy Sedaris and Tom Hanks.
The episode ended with scenes of The Simpsons characters parodying other famous series finales including The Sopranos and Breaking Bad.
In other news, Hank Azaria, the voice behind The Simpsons character Chief Wiggum, recently responded to Donald Trump‘s false claim that people are eating pets in a town called Springfield.
In a clip, which went viral, Azaria, as Wiggum in character, takes a call from a local Springfield resident concerned about people “eating dogs and cats”.
“Springfield Police Chief Clancy Wiggum, how can I can help you?” he begins in the post.
Chief Wiggum, Springfield PD, here… they’re doing WHAT? pic.twitter.com/KiK3srkb0i
— Hank Azaria (@HankAzaria) September 12, 2024
He continues: “People are eating dogs? What, d’you mean like hot dogs? Oh, cats! Mr Katz is eating hot dogs? No? People are eating dogs, and cats? People are eating dogs and cats in Springfield?… Are they good?”
It comes after Trump wrongly claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were “eating dogs” and “eating the cats” during the presidential debate in Philadelphia earlier this week.
His comments led to an onslaught of memes on social media with many using clips from The Simpsons to mock his words. Others used footage from an episode in Peep Show when Jeremy (Robert Webb) eats a dog’s leg.
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