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The Simpsons vs Doctor Who - running episode count |
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#1 |
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The Simpsons vs Doctor Who - running episode count
One of my other favorite shows, besides Doctor Who, is The Simpsons. The Simpsons was recently renewed for Seasons 27 and 28. This will make its run longer than Doctor Who's initial run. In the US, this is quite a record for this type of program.
While Doctor Who still currently has more seasons (counting the 8 Series), it is interesting to think about the relative episode count. Doctor Who: 813. (Counting only the main show, not the spin-offs, un-aired episodes (Shada), animated episodes or webisodes, just the main show. The number does, of course, count episodes that were made and aired, but then lost). The Simpsons: 574. (This does not count The Simpsons movie or cross-over episodes like the one with Family Guy. Once again, just the main show.) Now, Doctor Who obviously has more episodes than The Simpsons. However, much of that is front loaded from the 1960's when there were 40+ episodes in a season. The recent years have had 12 or 13 episodes (or, some, just 4 or 5 episodes). Thus, The Simpsons is slowly, but surely catching up to Doctor Who in the total number of episodes. Let's look at the math: 813-574=239. The Simpsons is behind Doctor Who by 239 episodes. Now, if both of them continue on their current pace (averaging the episode count from the last 10 years - Doctor Who having 116 episodes in the last ten years (for an average of only 11.6 episodes per year) and The Simpsons having 218 episodes over the last ten years (for an average of 21.8 episodes a year)), then The Simpsons are catching up at the rate of just over 10 episodes (10.2 to be exact) per year. Thus, being 239 episodes behind, at this rate, it will take The Simpsons approximately 23 and a half years to catch up and pass Doctor Who in the episode count. While it is unlikely that both shows will still be on in 24 years, it is actually possible. Also, I don't see the episode count disparity changing drastically off of these numbers unless one show or the other is cancelled. While the number of Doctor Who episodes has varied wildly over the years, the number of episodes per year (not counting the split seasons, the Specials year, the TV Movie year or the years when it was off the air - basically the regular years of production) has only gone down. The number of episodes in regular years went from 40+ in the 1960's to apx. 25 in the 1970's to 14 in the mid-1980's. The number of episodes in a regular year has pretty much stayed consistent since this time at about 13 or 14. For The Simpsons, the number of episodes has remained remarkably consistent since Season 2 at about 22 episodes per year. Thus, since I hope that both of my favorite shows run forever, I look forward to The Simpsons passing up the Doctor Who episode count (while both shows are still running) sometime in 2039. Any thoughts on this fun and silly numbers exercise? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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I'm impressed.
Both by the sheer trivia of the matter, and by the fact that you've gone so deeply into the maths. I love this sort of pointless exercise! Long may both series continue! Nice work.
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#3 |
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I guess my only thought is that each New Who episode is twice as long as a Simpson's episode.
So we're basically getting the same amount of Doctor Who each year as we were in the classic era, but across 13 episodes rather than (approx) 26. That doesn't help a comparison based purely on episode numbers, but would if you were looking at actual minutes-per-year. Also, I seem to remember an issue a few years back about the Guinness Book of Records stating StarGate was the longest continuously running sci-fi show on TV. |
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#4 |
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Stargate shouldn't have had that record. 10 years is not more then 26.
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#5 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Clearly Moffat and co aren't doing a good enough job. We need 22 episodes a year so it can beat Simpsons.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Quote:
Clearly Moffat and co aren't doing a good enough job. We need 22 episodes a year so it can beat Simpsons.
![]() ![]() Do you have ruin every thread with your mindless drivel? |
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#7 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Quote:
Have you read the OP? Doctor Who IS beating the Simpsons.
Do you have ruin every thread with your mindless drivel? |
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#8 |
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DB, by the looks of it I'm afraid to say that you've painted yourself into a corner, a cry wolf scenario due to many of your posts, that any attempt to be humourous (even with smiley) is taken as a bona fide opinion written in stone.
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#9 |
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Join Date: Mar 2012
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Quote:
I guess my only thought is that each New Who episode is twice as long as a Simpson's episode.
So we're basically getting the same amount of Doctor Who each year as we were in the classic era, but across 13 episodes rather than (approx) 26. That doesn't help a comparison based purely on episode numbers, but would if you were looking at actual minutes-per-year. Also, I seem to remember an issue a few years back about the Guinness Book of Records stating StarGate was the longest continuously running sci-fi show on TV.
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#10 |
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As a note to this thread, the count stands now at:
Doctor Who: 826. The Simpsons: 586. This leaves the count almost exactly as it was when I first started this exercise. However, with an entire year being skipped by Doctor Who, The Simpsons will catch up by about 24 episodes in 2016. The Doctor Who years in fallow don't help the count at all. |
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#11 |
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Doctor Who has longer episodes, well at least in new who, and some in the 6th doctor's era.
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#12 |
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Quote:
Doctor Who has longer episodes, well at least in new who, and some in the 6th doctor's era.
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#13 |
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The longevity question is interesting with The Simpsons. Will they can it when the lead actors retire, or replace (re-generate?!?) with a new person offering a similar voice. Harry Shearer (various inc Monty Burns, Skinner, Flanders) at 72 and Julie Kavner (Marge) at 65 are the oldest of the core voice actors. I can imagine someone comfortably carrying on doing that sort of work into their late 70s, and the show could persist if side characters are lost. It will be interesting to see what happens when one of The Simpson family decides they can't or won't continue!
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#14 |
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Quote:
The longevity question is interesting with The Simpsons. Will they can it when the lead actors retire, or replace (re-generate?!?) with a new person offering a similar voice. Harry Shearer (various inc Monty Burns, Skinner, Flanders) at 72 and Julie Kavner (Marge) at 65 are the oldest of the core voice actors. I can imagine someone comfortably carrying on doing that sort of work into their late 70s, and the show could persist if side characters are lost. It will be interesting to see what happens when one of The Simpson family decides they can't or won't continue!
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#15 |
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Deleted
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#16 |
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What about WWE Monday Night RAW?
The longest weekly episodic TV show in recent times, with more than 1000 episodes. |
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#17 |
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Quote:
I don't imagine it will last too much longer, it has been going on for too long for a few years now.
I can't imagine it will be much longer than 30 seasons. |
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#18 |
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Quote:
What about WWE Monday Night RAW?
The longest weekly episodic TV show in recent times, with more than 1000 episodes.
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#19 |
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Quote:
What about WWE Monday Night RAW?
The longest weekly episodic TV show in recent times, with more than 1000 episodes.
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#20 |
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Join Date: Jun 2009
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Quote:
The longevity question is interesting with The Simpsons. Will they can it when the lead actors retire, or replace (re-generate?!?) with a new person offering a similar voice. Harry Shearer (various inc Monty Burns, Skinner, Flanders) at 72 and Julie Kavner (Marge) at 65 are the oldest of the core voice actors. I can imagine someone comfortably carrying on doing that sort of work into their late 70s, and the show could persist if side characters are lost. It will be interesting to see what happens when one of The Simpson family decides they can't or won't continue!
If Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, or Yeardley Smith either died or became too unwell to continue, then yes, cancellation is certain. They're not going to recast a Simpson. |
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#21 |
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Quote:
As a note to this thread, the count stands now at:
Doctor Who: 826. The Simpsons: 586. This leaves the count almost exactly as it was when I first started this exercise. However, with an entire year being skipped by Doctor Who, The Simpsons will catch up by about 24 episodes in 2016. The Doctor Who years in fallow don't help the count at all. And will take over Dr Who in 7 eps. |
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#22 |
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If you add all the live action Star Trek TV series together (kinda cheating, I know) it has 704 episodes. Assuming the new spin-off could reach 10 seasons of 26 episodes, Trek would just pass DW.
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#23 |
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Quote:
What about WWE Monday Night RAW?
The longest weekly episodic TV show in recent times, with more than 1000 episodes. You can't compare that with Doctor Who, or The Simpsons for that matter, as it's on all year round virtually every single week. Although it notionally has "seasons" it's never actually off-air, so not the same kind of show at all. Off topic, but I always thought WWE's hyperbole was just that, as it usually is. It may well be one of the longest continuously running shows in the States, but as far as world television records go just to quote one possible example Top of the Pops, which was a comparable constantly running weekly entertainment show, clocked up well over 2000 editions over more than 40 years!
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#24 |
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Join Date: Jun 2015
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They should have cancelled The Simpsons after Season 8. It's gone on far to long and they're recycling the same jokes again and again.
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#25 |
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O.k... The Simpsons has now been renewed for Seasons 29 and 30.
When I started this list, the count was: Doctor Who: 813 The Simpsons: 574 Total difference: 239 Currently, the count is: Doctor Who: 826 The Simpsons: 602 Total difference: 224 After a year and a half, The Simpsons has caught up by 15 episodes.
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