The Simpsons Creator Matt Groening Knows Why The Sitcom Never Got A Spin-Off

Matt Groening is responsible for one of television's most enduring sitcoms. "The Simpsons" was never supposed to run for more than 13 episodes. Instead? Its run has stretched for nearly 40 years with no end in sight. When shows experience that level of success, spin-offs tend to be a thing. "Family Guy" had "The Cleveland Show." "Rick and Morty" now has "President Curtis." So, why didn't the town of Springfield ever produce any spin-offs? Groening has the answer.

In a February 2026 piece by the New York Times timed to the release of the show's landmark 800th episode, the creator addressed the spin-off question. "The Simpsons" considered not one but two separate Krusty the Clown spin-offs. Instead, we got "The Critic," a show that wasn't connected to Homer and the gang, though its lead character was eventually involved in a crossover. So, why didn't those Krusty shows proceed? Here's what Groening had to say about it:

"I thought it'd be conceptually hilarious to do a live-action spinoff of an animated show, with Dan Castellaneta in clown makeup. Fox said, 'Does it have to be live action?' I said, 'OK, let's do it animated.' But we couldn't make the deal. There haven't been any spinoffs of 'The Simpsons' in part because the original show has been so lucrative that no deal can be made. Too many people have dollar signs in their eyes."

In short (and oddly enough) "The Simpsons" was sort of a victim of its own success in this regard. While Groening didn't name names, any number of the hands in the pot saw these proposed spin-offs as an opportunity to cash in. That, in effect, killed a spin-off from ever happening.

Speaking specifically about the notion of a Krusty the Clown show, that does make sense. He's a central character in the universe of "The Simpsons" but not one who is as utilized as Homer or Bart, for example. There's the inner workings of his TV show, his messy life outside of fame, and any number of things we know about Krusty that could serve as a springboard into a solo series.

"The Simpsons" scrapped a twist that would have changed Homer and Krusty forever, but even the proposed "Home is actually Krusty" twist demonstrates that there is meat on those bones. Alas, the dollar signs in many eyes as alluded to by Matt Groening made it so that Krusty, nor any other characters for that matter, could ever get the chance to lead their own series. The town of Springfield has many residents and surely at least one of them could sustain a show on their own.

In any event, the franchise has managed to expand without a spin-off series. "The Simpsons Movie" was a box office hit that embiggened a cromulent franchise, so to speak. In more recent years, the characters have been utilized in exclusive shorts for Disney+, generally tied to the release of big movies or holidays. There have also been video games and theme park expansions as well.

Looking ahead, "The New Simpsons Movie" recently debuted new footage of a Homer chase sequence at D23. No trailer has been released online yet but it's due to hit theaters in September 2027. Meanwhile, the show has been renewed on Fox for several additional seasons, so it won't be going off the air in the foreseeable future.

"The Simpsons" is streaming on Disney+.