It sounds like it could be one of Homer’s hilarious and destined-to-fail schemes. Or it’s apropos of Monty Burns, looking to profit in any possible way.
Whatever your thought process, it’s an attention-grabbing scheme, and one sure to capitalize on the huge audience for Fox’s 22-season (and still counting) saga from Springfield.
News Corp. is considering diverting its immense arsenal of Simpsons programming to a dedicated channel. The company’s chief operating officer Chase Carey hinted at the idea at an entertainment conference last week. According to the Los Angeles Times, Carey noted that News Corp. has had “a number of meetings” to figure out how best to continue profiting from their Simpsons library. He brought up the thought of an all-Simpsons channel, saying it wasn’t a lock. But at the very least, the possibility was being entertained. We can just imagine Homer’s cheers of “Woohoo!”
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“[T]his is a unique franchise…and it provides us a unique opportunity to do some interesting things with it,” Carey vaguely mentioned days later in New York, leaving the door open to much speculation. After all, The Simpsons is a timeless television show, maintaining its funniness and freshness even after 22 years.
The show’s 23rd season kicks off Sunday night, and with the show’s creators on the hook for at least this year, there are no imminent plans. But Carey “We think there is a bigger opportunity than just a second syndication cycle,” he said. “We have an opportunity to do something truly unique.”
The dysfunctional yet lovable inhabitants of 742 Evergreen Terrace could be on TV 24/7. That’s a lot of Duff Beer and donuts.
Nick Carbone is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @nickcarbone. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.