Why 'The Simpsons' Iconic Intros Disappeared: Streaming Habits and Budget Cuts Revealed

The legendary animated series 'The Simpsons' has been on the air for almost 40 years, first on television and later on streaming services.

Viewers were accustomed to almost every episode of their favorite show starting with a unique intro: Bart always wrote different phrases on the board, Lisa improvised with melodies, and the final scene with the couch always had a surprise. But in recent seasons, viewers have been left without an intro, raising many questions.

And now we know what happened to the intros

In the Four Finger Discount podcast, showrunner Matt Selman named several factors why the team decided to drop the intros.

The first reason is that the freed 40 seconds of airtime "allow for a more elaborate and complete story." However, this sounds strange as, with an average episode duration of about 20 minutes, the specified time is unlikely to significantly impact the plot.

The second reason is more realistic but trivial — money. Creating unique intros requires an additional budget, but if it can be forgone, then why not do it — that's exactly what the producers of 'The Simpsons' decided.

And the third reason hides the main secret of the disappearance of the famous intros: now most viewers prefer to watch 'The Simpsons' on streaming platforms where there is a "skip intro" button that most people use. In such a case, creative intros make no sense and are a waste of time and money.

Therefore, the loss of part of 'The Simpsons' identity is the fault of 'The Simpsons' fans themselves.

Source: Four Finger Discount