If you’ve been an astute viewer of The Simpsons the past few seasons, you’ve probably noticed that the long-running TV show’s trademark couch gags are no longer a regular part of the opening credit sequence. Now, a showrunner for the animated series has offered an explanation as to why the once-staple feature is mostly missing from new episodes.
While speaking on the Australian Simpsons-focused podcast Four Finger Discount, showrunner Matt Selman divulged, “I wish we could have the time for a funny couch gag every episode, but I’m not going to cut the storytelling short to do so. I want to tell the best story we can, and to do that, we’re going to need twenty minutes and forty seconds.”
When the podcast host suggested that in this streaming age of “skip intro” it makes sense that the couch and chalkboard gags have been largely cut from The Simpsons, Selman responded, “If I had infinite money, I would put a couch gag in every episode that would just pop up on streaming, and you’d be surprised by it, but we have to put our money into what’s in the main product first.”
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He added, “But that ‘skip intro’ phenomenon you mentioned, we have a joke about that… in the episode Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition [a special premiering this Sunday, April 19th, on Disney+], so you’re thinking the way we’re thinking.”
The Simpsons is currently in Season 37, and has been renewed through Season 40. Watch the aforementioned conversation below.
The Simpsons are no longer using couch gags. Showrunner @mattselman explains why on our latest podcast: pic.twitter.com/baRqKVCBYY
— Four Finger Discount (@fourfingerpod) April 18, 2026