the industry

The Simpsons Will Air an Hour-long Episode, Finally Stealing an Idea From the Rest of TV for Once

THE SIMPSONS: Homer struggles to manage all of the parenting responsibilities that Marge usually handles in the “Orange is the New Yellow†season finale episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, May 22 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. THE SIMPSONS ™ and © 2016 TCFFC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CR:FOX
The Simpsons. Photo: FOX

After years of seeing its story ideas raided by other shows, The Simpsons will finally turn the tables: As Fox’s Dana Walden announced during the network’s TCA session on Monday, the long-running animated series will air its first hour-long episode in January 2017, poaching a conceit introduced by Cheyenne and used by shows as diverse as The Rockford Files, Twin Peaks, and Game of Thrones. Taraji P. Henson and Keegan-Michael Key will guest star in the episode, which will be a rap-themed Great Gatsby homage. This, of course, flies in the face of current hour-long TV rules, which mandate that all hour-long shows center on a brooding middle-aged detective who solves mysteries while encountering gratuitous female nudity.

The Simpsons to Air Hour-long Episode in 2017