Two weeks ago Disney wowed its fans at their D23 Expo. Among other things they revealed a lot of Star Wars and Marvel content and announced a bunch of movies in the works as well as programs for their streaming service.
Yet buried underneath all of that were comments made by Executive Producer Matt Selman who revealed that the Fox-Disney merger would likely result in new content:
“I think Disney would be supportive of anything we wanted to do. Maybe a crazy limited series with a side character or a movie that we surprised you with. They’ve been really creatively supportive and this is going to afford so many new ways to do the show than just the traditional format.”
PHOTO SOURCE: The Simpsons, Disney
So it sounds like the two sides have had discussions about the future of the show and what more could be done with it. I’m sure they’ve seen the dwindling audience numbers and less than stellar critical reviews which probably influenced these back door talks.
It also fits with what Disney is doing to Star Wars and Marvel, ie. branching out and creating content from the side characters and periphery stories. The Simpsons has plenty of side characters to support such a move and despite the waning interest in the main show a spin off might be just what the doctor ordered.
The show already dabbled in the idea back in season 8 with ‘The Simspons Spin-off Showcase’. That episode delivered Chief Wiggum P.I., a clever take on the bumbling police officer in New Orleans. The segment just felt like a more natural fit for the cop as he stumbled through his new digs. A longer form version of this could work.
PHOTO SOURCE: The Simpsons, TCFFC
But there are so many side characters that choosing one would be nearly impossible. Some characters though work well in pairs. After the viral success of steamed hams last year a Skinner and Chalmers spin-off would be hilarious as their scenes are always a riot. Others that could work are Lenny and Carl, Smithers and Mr. Burns, Radoactive Man and Fallout Boy, Patty and Selma etc.
Some are good enough that they could carry a show on their own. Characters like McBain, Dr. Nick, Sideshow Bob, Fat Tony (although a prequel version since his character died), Mayor Quimby, Lionel Hutz/Troy McClure (if they decide to bring them back) and Comicbook Guy come to mind. The possibilities are almost endless.
The new season of The Simpsons kicks off September 29, 2019. Make sure to keep it locked on TGON as we’ll have you covered.
