No more Simpsons DVDs. [EDIT: More coming!]

[Daikun]

Better collect those existing season sets while you still can!

No More Simpsons Seasons Released on DVD - IGN

The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean has revealed that seasons of the animated sitcom will no longer be released on DVD.

Responding to fan queries on Twitter, Jean explained that it was no longer viable to keep the DVDs going as the "market is dying", thanks, in part, to piracy. He did, however, explain that episode commentaries - for many, the primary reason to buy the box sets in the first place - would still be recorded for FX.

For those who live outside the US and can't access FX or its Simpsons World app, the news is less than ideal. However, Jean has promised they will "keep pushing" to "get everything available to all".

We've reached out to Fox Home Entertainment to find out if the decision also pertains to Blu-ray (it seems likely it does).

 

[quiteliterally]

I stopped collecting after Season 8 anyway - still, speaking as one who prefers physical media, it is kind of a shame to know that they'll no longer be out there.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

I quit buying after season 12, but I don't believe "piracy" being the reason they aren't selling at all. More like the later seasons just aren't worth it.

The irony here is if there's ever an upcoming Simpsons season I want to purchase in physical form, piracy will be the only option now. Way to solve it, Fox.

 

[Daikun]

I quit buying after season 12, but I don't believe "piracy" being the reason they aren't selling at all. More like the later seasons just aren't worth it.

Yeah, I wasn't buying that excuse, either. It sounded like a scapegoat to just further demonize pirates than anything. Also, they probably wouldn't want to admit that their later/more recent seasons aren't nearly as popular as the older days of the show, and such DVDs likely didn't sell as well. Just blame piracy as a vague cover-up for very few people wanting them.

 

[Zanneck]

Nope - And I'm not even a fan of this show. This is just cowardice and failure to admit that this show needs to end (Badly!)... And I know for a fact that this is only going to increase piracy of the show, in general - which this is a pure justification for, bad as doing something like piracy is. Then again, the later seasons, as a whole, aren't really worth it, IMHO. In fact, only the first 8 seasons are what should be available as testament to how good said show once was...
Sorry Fox, you done goofed here. Immensely.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Fine, don't release them on DVD/Blu-ray, but at least put them on iTunes! There's no excuse for Fox's laziness on getting most of the show on that service. Currently all they have are seasons 1-3, 20-present (which I have zero interest in), and a few "best of" volumes.

If King of the Hill can get the entire series on digital, why can't you?

 

[GWOtaku]

My God. Maybe this market really is dying. This isn't just any cartoon show we're talking about, this is The Simpsons. I am flabbergasted.

 

[ABrown]

While I have no interest in purchasing the new Simpsons seasons on dvd, this does have me concerned a little. I'm just wondering how far down the road we are from seeing the end of dvds, and everything only being available digitally.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

I have no interest in buying The Simpsons, but at least they can do a print-on-demand type service. Or put them on iTunes.

 

[Dudley]

Yeah, I don't think piracy is entirely to blame. It's more because people don't like the show after a certain point. But DVD sales have been going down all over, as people prefer streaming or digital copies. Since all the episodes can be watched on FX Now, most people don't see the point of buying physical copies.

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Also as much as the seasons have been lacking quality as of recently they still put a lot of time into each season set with the interactive menus referencing all the episodes related to the seasons and getting back the cast to voice the various grunts for the gags associated there and what not. So I'm sure that makes them decently expensive for DVDs to make so I can see if the profit is not matching the work put into them they'd rather just stop making them. I have a feeling whenever the show does end for good (and who knows when that will be) they'll finish up with the season DVD sets then. Honestly I haven't collected them since season 11 myself and have only seen snippets of later season sets but I'd probably try and collect them all to finish the collection as it were when there is a collection to finish.

 

[MagicBox]

I stopped buying them after season ten because of the ridiculous, disc-scratching packaging they adopted for seasons eleven onward. Not the least bit consumer-friendly. I was holding out for a re-packaging, after which I would have happily continued buying them. Very disappointing to hear that they're being discontinued for vague reasons. Far less popular shows have thrived on DVD, even recently.

 

[Zorak Masaki]

They have said that they will be continuing to record commentary tracks. I assume that will be for the simpsons world website (if all the commentary tracks from all seasons become available, then a lot of fans who collected the box sets are going to feel ripped off, though to be fair, nobody in 2001 could predict streaming video).

 

[Classic Speedy]

I stopped buying them after season ten because of the ridiculous, disc-scratching packaging they adopted for seasons eleven onward. Not the least bit consumer-friendly. I was holding out for a re-packaging, after which I would have happily continued buying them. Very disappointing to hear that they're being discontinued for vague reasons. Far less popular shows have thrived on DVD, even recently.

The Blu-rays for seasons 13-17 don't have that crappy packaging; they're standard BD cases.

 

[John Pannozzi]

Jean says they might a complete series DVD set when the show finally ends.

 

[Daikun]

Jean says they might a complete series DVD set when the show finally ends.

I have a feeling he's joking there. The market will be long in the gutter before that happens.

 

[ToonJay723]

Physical releases are better, because it will always be there, whereas streaming services will take them down when they lose the rights to the shows. But if you only want to watch a series once and don't plan to revisit it later, then digital is fine.

EDIT: That would be 104 discs if they put they make a series box set.

 

[JTurner954]

If you really think it has to do with the quality of Simpsons episodes after "season :insert number:", think again.

Check out this article from The Digital Bits with the bigger problem:

Blu-ray & DVD News


Point being Fox is doing this for other properties as well - not just The Simpsons. They've also cancelled Blu Ray releases for The X-Files (with the show coming back, you'd think this wouldn't happen), 24, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and more. They're ceasing physical disc production entirely.

I heard this already happened with King of the Hill and some other company (Olive IIRC) continued disc production where Fox left off. It sounds like it's only a matter of time before other animated shows like Family Guy are next.

 

[Moto Pete]

This breaks my heart.....

 

[simpsonsfan]

I guess I better start collecting the season sets I want, Seasons 1-9, soon before they're too hard to find.