The Simpsons creator Matt Groening responds to series’ decline in viewership numbers

Cartoonist also offered a ‘piece of advice’ to viewers who have stopped watching

Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, has spoken out in defence of the long-running cartoon’s later seasons.

The series was recently renewed for two years, in a deal which will take it up to the end of its 34th season.

However, the animation, which was a global sensation in the early 1990s, has long faced accusations from fans that the quality has dipped from its seminal heyday.

Speaking to USA Today in a recent interview, Groening said: “I give a piece of advice to people who grew up with The Simpsons and maybe think it’s not for them anymore. Check it out again: The satire and the quality of animation is fantastic. I’m really proud of the group’s efforts.”

Asked about the series’ decline in viewership ratings from its earlier seasons’ peak, Groening said: “I don’t think about that stuff at all.

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“I think about the intensity of our fans’ reactions and trying to make them really happy. If big numbers come with it, that’s great,” he continued. “If they don’t, well, let’s keep that a secret.”

One of the things that has drawn the ire of fans as The Simpsons has grown old is the shifting continuity: while the characters’ ages remain the same, the year in which the series is set moves forward in tandem with our own.

A recent episode featured a scene in which Homer is depicted as a teenager in the 1990s – making him younger than Bart was when the series began.

A still from the latest episode of The Simpsons (Fox)

However, series stalwart Matt Selman defended the scene, writing on Twitter: “The Simpsons is a 32-year-old series where the characters do not age, so the ‘canon’ must be elastic / contradictory / silly.

“This does not mean other beloved classic @TheSimpsons flashback shows didn’t happen. None of this happened. It’s all made up.”

Previous seasons of The Simpsons can be watched on Disney Plus.