Fox renews these iconic animated series for four more seasons, details explored

Fox Entertainment has committed to long-running shows with its four-season pickups for four animated cornerstones, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob's Burgers. The animated sitcom American Dad! was the fourth to receive a four-season order after being on the back burner for 11 years. It is now expected to return to the network sometime between 2025 and 2026.

The four-season renewals, which are expected to secure the network's broadcast run until 2028 or 2029, were announced by the TV network president, Michael Thorn, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Thorn referred to these "iconic comedies" in his statement about the renewal, according to Animation Magazine, saying:

"This new deal celebrates the eternal popularity of these iconic comedies, as well as the enduring, prolific relationship we continue to enjoy with our friends at 20th Television Animation and the brilliant creators—that goes double for Seth this time around—and incredible voices behind these contemporary classics."

Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade stated on Wednesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter, that the longevity of the shows' renewals "reaffirms our commitment to the successful partnership we've built with the incredible team at Disney."

Additionally, Disney+ and Hulu will continue to be the exclusive streaming homes for the four animated series for global audiences.

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Fox's latest renewal extends The Simpsons' standing as the longest-running scripted Primetime series

The Simpsons already holds the title for the longest-running animated sitcom, boasting a record-breaking 31 seasons and 684 episodes, according to Guinness World Records. The show, which focuses on a "dysfunctional nuclear family from Springfield," has continued to extend its legacy since then, and it will keep doing so with Fox's recent four-season renewal.

The animated series is now in its 36th season, with its finale anticipated on April 22, 2025. With the television network's announcement, The Simpsons will reach another milestone with seasons 37 through 40. According to Deadline, each new season is expected to feature 15 episodes, which aligns with Fox's trend of favoring shorter runs.

In recent years, The Simpsons has also reduced the length of its seasons from the traditional 22-episode format. The last season to consist of 22 episodes was season 34, while seasons 36 and 37 are shorter, with 18 and 17 episodes, respectively.

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More about the "historic four-season order[s]" for Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and American Dad!

Fox's new deal also extends the run for Family Guy into its 24th through 27th season and Bob's Burgers into its 16th through 19th seasons. Both have consistently ranked in Nielsen's weekly top 10, with 42.22 billion minutes viewed for Family Guy and 36.79 billion minutes viewed for Bob's Burger last year, according to Animation Magazine.

Meanwhile, the renewal brings American Dad! back to Fox, where it first premiered in 2005. Created by Mike Barker, Seth MacFarlane, and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! aired for nine seasons on the network before moving to TBS in 2014. It continued for several seasons there, wrapping up its latest run on TBS in late March.

For its return to Fox, the show will cover its 20th through 23rd season on its original streaming platform. Similar to The Simpsons, Deadline has also reported that the renewals for the other three animated shows include 15 episodes for each season.

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In addition to the four animated shows, the network is adding new seasons for Krapopolis and Grimsburg to its lineup. Stay tuned for more news and updates on anticipated shows as the year progresses.