“The most important thing when you’re thinking about the number of episodes of The Simpsons is not to think about it,” jokes showrunner Matt Selman, who first joined the writing staff of Fox’s long-running animated series in 1997. Of course, he’s talking about the upcoming 800th episode, which also serves as the first half of the show’s Season 37 finale, “Irrational Treasure,” airing Sunday, February 15.
Selman admits it can be “not creatively freeing” to focus on the behemoth of stories behind them. Instead, he looks ahead: The show has already been renewed through Season 40, which will keep the Springfield citizens on the air through 2029.
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