US network FOX are holding on tightly to their animated output (along with welcoming back an old friend), as they sign a mega-deal with Disney for 4 more seasons EACH of ‘The Simpsons’, ‘Family Guy’, ‘Bob’s Burgers’ & ‘American Dad!’
The unprecedented four by four deal will take ‘The Simpsons’ to Season 40, ‘Family Guy’ to Season 27, ‘Bob’s Burgers’ to Season 19 & welcomes back ‘American Dad!’, which had been airing on TBS in the US, back to its original network, taking it to Season 23. The pickups for four seasons of all four shows is for 15 episodes per season, so an additional 60 episodes for each show. That is a slightly lower episode count for some of the shows, however, they have all been reducing their seasonal episode count in recent years, so this isn’t hugely unexpected.
“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,” said Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network.
The fact these shows have been renewed isn’t all that shocking, given Fox wants to retain its position as the US home of adult animation. Also, the fact that ‘Family Guy’ and ‘Bob’s Burgers’ are two of the most-streamed shows in the USA, ‘Family Guy’ is Fox’s most-streamed show, and ‘The Simpsons’ (along with ‘Family Guy’ and ‘Bob’s Burgers’) are among the Top 10 comedies for the 18-49 age bracket. What is a little eye-raising is the unprecedented size of the deal.
“The longevity of this agreement reaffirms our commitment to the successful partnership we’ve built with the incredible team at Disney,” adds Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment. “This collaboration has and will continue to generate meaningful long-term value and strategically build audiences from Fox to Hulu to fans worldwide.”
‘The Simpsons’, ‘Family Guy’, ‘Bob’s Burgers’ & ‘American Dad!’ all premiere on Disney+ in the UK. If you want to keep track of these or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
