Fox Entertainment’s president of scripted programming, Michael Thorn, celebrated the news in a statement to Variety. Thorn said, “With this trio of renewals, we celebrate excellence in animation on Fox, our wonderful, long-time partnership with 20th Television, and the brilliant creators and incredible voices behind these forever favorites.” He also pointed to the shows’ impressive longevity, saying that “three-plus decades of ‘The Simpsons,’ more than two decades of ‘Family Guy’ and over a decade of ‘Bob’s Burgers’ proves the enduring power of the animation genre on our network” as well as an “infinite fan affinity” for the shows.
Thorn is smart to emphasize the network’s commitment to animation in his statement, as that’s not something several of his contemporaries can brag about anymore. Since the Warner Bros Discovery merger last year, HBO Max has gutted its animation selections, while Netflix’s animation department has also seen major changes. HBO Max and Netflix have both unceremoniously ended several animated series that deserved better, so it’s not surprising that Fox would take the chance to reassert its own continued loyalty to the medium.
