Channel 4 has confirmed a legendary TV shows will be leaving the broadcaster in just a matter of weeks, despite celebrating a whopping 20 years on screens.
The sudden change will see the animated series moving from its traditional teatime slot on Channel 4 to the broadcaster’s sister channel E4 from January.
The Simpsons, which has been a staple of evening viewing, airing at 6.30pm every weeknight for more than a decade, will now move to a new home.
The famous show will now stream new episodes first exclusively on Disney+ but for those who don’t subscribe, they can still watch their favourite show just a few seasons behind.
Instead of tuning in on terrestrial TV, Simpsons fans will now have to watch the show on Channel 4’s online streaming platform, where they will appear for a limited run, before being held exclusively by Disney+.
Disney+ will start airing episodes from season 36 in the spring – at the same time as the US and every episode of the show will be available on Disney+ along with the hit 2007 film The Simpsons Movie.
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Channel 4 has confirmed a legendary TV shows will be leaving the broadcaster in just a matter of weeks despite celebrating a whopping 20 years on screens
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The Simpsons, which has been a staple of evening viewing, airing at 6.30pm every weeknight for more than a decade, will now move to a new home
Polly Scates, the Head of Acquisitions at Channel 4 said: ‘The Simpsons and Channel 4 have a historic relationship, and I’m delighted that we will continue to bring this much loved and iconic series to our audience.
‘In an evolving market, collaboration has never felt more important, and it’s been a pleasure working with Disney Entertainment to bring the latest seasons to UK viewers, who can now watch the show on E4 and C4 Streaming once it has aired on Disney+.’
The announcement came on the 35th anniversary of the show, with the channel celebrating the programme almost four decades after it first aired on December 17, 1989.
The show has been a firm favourite over the years and has kept fans coming back for more with its loveable characters and chilling predictions – many of which have come true.
In the show’s 2000 episode Bart to the Future, Lisa Simpson becomes President of the United States and references the presidency of Donald Trump.
Sixteen years later, Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States, making this one of the most famous predictions from the show.
In another eerie prediction, the show seemingly foresaw the Ebola outbreak of 2015.
The show has been a firm favourite over the years and has kept fans coming back for more with its loveable character and chilling predictions – many of which have come true including Donald trump’s presidency
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In another eerie prediction, the show seemingly foresaw the Ebola outbreak of 2015
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Sir Richard Branson enjoying a spaceflight went viral in 2021 after the businessman, 73, launched himself towards the stars
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And the footage looked strangely similar to a scene in a 2014 episode of The Simpsons called The War of Art, from the show’s 25th series
In a scene from the 1997 episode, Lisa’s Sax, Marge Simpson can be seen holding a book titled Curious George and the Ebola Virus.
Although Ebola was first discovered in 1976, Ebola had its largest outbreak on record in 2014 and 2015, which resulted in over 11,000 deaths across the globe.
And in another odd coincidence, in the episode Lisa’s Wedding, which aired in 1995, characters are seen using watch-like devices to communicate.
This prediction came true with the advent of smartwatches like the Apple Watch and other wearable tech.
And images of Sir Richard Branson enjoying a spaceflight went viral in 2021 after the businessman, 73, launched himself towards the stars, in a bizarre case of real life imitating art.
The entrepreneur successfully earned his astronaut wings after travelling to the edge of space on board a Virgin Galactic flight, making him the first spaceflight founder to travel to space on his own ship.
Video of the magnate was beamed back to earth as he experienced weightlessness and floated around the cabin of the vessel.
The footage was strangely similar to a scene in a 2014 episode of The Simpsons called The War of Art, from the show’s 25th series.
