The End In 1990?

[Dandu386]

My dad told me that in summer 1990 he purchased some Simpsons merchandise that were deep discounted such as a postcard book and some T-shirts. Dad told me that after Season one, that the show was planning to be cancelled. Was this true?

[Dark Homer]

I wouldn't say the show was "planning" to be cancelled so much as everyone who worked on it in Season 1 knew there was high probability they wouldn't be renewed. Cartoons take a long time to make so Season 2 would have to have been greenlit around February or March 1990 at the very latest in order to produce new episodes in time for an October premiere. The deep discounts were probably because Bartmania was already dwindling down at that point, not because of cancellation scares if that's what you're thinking

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

I thought Bart-mania was still well alive into seasons 2 and 3.

[CousinMerl]

If I'm not mistaken, Bartmania was in full bloom during Season 2.

[Disgrunted Martian]

During the 1990s, there was no possible way the show could be cancelled! Bartmania was still riding high throughout and after 1990, so the "deep discounts" could've just been stuff on sale.

[Charlie]

If I'm not mistaken, Bartmania was in full bloom during Season 2.

Exactly. Apparently, even though it wasn't the first produced, "Bart Gets An F" was selected as the Season 2 premiere solely because Bart was the main character.

[biffwestwood]

I wouldn't say that FOX originally planned to cancel The Simpsons after the first season. It was likely that they weren't planning on renewing it for additional seasons. One thing for sure is that they didn't expect it to be one of the most successful TV shows of all time. Once they knew it, FOX needed to order the next cycle of episodes to be started as soon as possible so that they can premier season 2 in the fall since the first season had no holdover episodes.

The Simpsons wasn't even the first huge success of a TV show to almost never make it. CBS almost pulled All in the Family after airing the first episode. NBC first thought Saturday Night Live was a ridiculous concept that no one would like. FOX gave American Idol a chance only because Rupert Murdoch had a daughter who was a fan of the British version of the show.

[The Thompsons]

Cheers was also near the bottom of the ratings after its first season and was nearly cancelled.

Fox wasn't quite sure what they had in The Simpsons with prime-time animation not being successful in nearly a quarter of a century. They had every right to be tentative on the show's future but I think once Bart hit the cover of Rolling Stone in June 1990 "Bartmania" was in full bloom. This would turn into "Homermania" in around the third season. I agree with others as the main focus of the first two seasons was on Bart. I was one of the ones who had to turn my "I'm Bart Simpson Who The Hell Are You?" shirt inside out at school back then and had some of the same struggles Bart did in "Bart Gets An F". That season premiere really hit a nerve with me.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

If I'm not mistaken, Bartmania was in full bloom during Season 2.

I thought so.

[The Angry Animated Comedy Nerd]

Unless your Dad is matt groening.. the answer is no, that was just his guess.

[shoz999]

My dad told me that in summer 1990 he purchased some Simpsons merchandise that were deep discounted such as a postcard book and some T-shirts. Dad told me that after Season one, that the show was planning to be cancelled. Was this true?

A Lot of people back at The Simpsons staff didn't actually expected a second season, because The Simpsons were the "South Park" of the time. FOX was worried too thinking the audience would criticize it, would not be success, and would choose other shows with a better role model than Bart Simpson. However, it gained a huge audience, critics all over say that this is America's "Shakespeare", and it even beated the Bill Cosby Show, which the Bill Cosby Show was considered to be the greatest show at the time. The series is still alive today, and is going up to it's 25th season.

[derek]

you're saying that as if we think the show was actually cancelled after the first season.