As “The Simpsons” prepares to launch its Season 36 this fall on Fox, that won’t be the only place to catch new episodes of the long-running animated series. The executive producers behind “The Simpsons” revealed on Saturday at the D23 convention in Anaheim that four new episodes will exclusively air this upcoming season on Disney+.
The new episodes include a new Christmas-themed two-parter, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” premiering on Dec. 17 — timed to the 35th anniversary of the very first “Simpsons” episode, the similarly holiday-themed “Simpsons Roasting Over An Open Fire” in 1989.
The other two episodes, titled “The Past and the Furious” and “Yellow Planet” will also air in the “months ahead,” Disney+ said. And in October, a new exclusive “The Simpsons” short that is Halloween-themed will also premiere on Disney+.
Disney+ has run several exclusive “The Simpsons” shorts on the streamer, including “The Force Awakens from Its Nap,” “The Good, the Bart, and the Loki” and “Plusaversary” in 2021, followed by “When Billie Met Lisa,” “Welcome to the Club” and “The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in ‘Feliz Navidad’” in 2022, “Rogue Not Quite One” in 2023 and “May the 12th Be with You” in 2024.
But this reps the first time “The SImpsons” has produced an entire exclusive episode for Disney+ — which might stir some further questions about the future of the show on Fox. Another 20th TV Animation show on Fox, “Family Guy,” is also producing original Hulu episodes in addition to its Fox run.
Matt Groening, Matt Selman, Al Jean, Mike Price, Brian Kelley, David Silverman and star Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) announced the news on stage at D23 during a panel for “The Simpsons.”
The panelists also announced that the Season 35 episodes (18 total) that aired last season on Fox will premiere Oct. 2 on Disney+.
Just a few weeks ago at San Diego Comic-Con, “The Simpsons” revealed some of its Season 36 plans, including a partnership with Stoopid Buddy (“Robot Chicken”) to take on “Venom” in this fall’s annual “Treehouse of Horror” extravaganza. “Treehouse of Horror” won’t be the only spooky “Simpsons” event this season, as the producers announced that a “second scary trilogy” will focus on a trio of stories inspired by Ray Bradbury. Dubbed “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” Selman said the stories will be “dark and funny and in the Halloween spirit.”
Here’s a poster for the premiere of Season 35 on Disney+:
