Entertainment TV 'The Simpsons' Showrunner Reveals How He Wants the Hit Series to Eventually End The Simpsons, which premiered in 1989, is currently in its 33rd season By Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE's digital TV team. While at the brand, she's had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 16, 2021 04:00PM EST Photo: Matt Groening/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean has some ideas for the long-running animated series' eventual conclusion. In a recent interview with Radio Times, Jean said he wants the series finale to tie into the show's very first episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." "I mentioned that there would be an ending where the last episode, they'd be going back to the Christmas pageant from the first episode, so that the whole series was a continuous loop," he said. "That's how I would end it, if I had to." But Jean doesn't see the acclaimed sitcom ending anytime soon. "To be honest, the talk of ending, especially as we're doing really well on Disney+ in the U.S. and the U.K. and other countries in the Americas, I don't see anybody going, 'Let's wrap it up, or figure out how to get out of it' at the moment,'" he said. The Simpsons premiered in 1989 and is currently in its 33rd season, having recently aired its 700th episode. The Fox series follows the daily shenanigans of the working-class Simpsons family, led by Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta). The Simpsons Finally Gives Gay Character Waylon Smithers His Own Love Story Matt Groening/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock In the Radio Times interview, Jean confessed to having "calculated" when the series would hit 1,000 episodes: "That's 12 more seasons." "I'll just be saying, I'll be very happy to be here in 12 seasons' time," he said. "[But] it's not just a hop, skip and a jump. It's a little further than that." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Simpsons has been renewed through season 34, keeping it on the air until at least 2023. But Jean previously told Variety he's not sure how much longer the show will last. "We're going to definitely do 757 [episodes]," he said in March. "I wouldn't say that's the end but I don't know how much further we can go." As for Simpsons creator Matt Groening's thoughts? "I don't see any end in sight. It's always possible," the animator told USA Today in 2018. "I live in denial of death, much less the cancellation of The Simpsons." The Simpsons airs Sundays (8 p.m. ET) on Fox.