Simpsons World is now a thing of the past.
FX Networks previously said that Simpsons World would shut down once Disney+ launched. And because the much-anticipated streaming service went live on November 12th, Simpsons World no longer exists.
Launched in 2014 and available through a mobile app and a variety of streaming services, Simpsons World was considered by fans the best place to stream episodes of The Simpsons as it only required a cable login. Now, 661 of the 662 episodes of the first 30 seasons of the animated series are available to stream exclusively on Disney+.
While Disney+ only costs $6.99 a month (or $69.99 a year), the loss of Simpsons World is disappointing for fans. Not only because The Simpsons on Disney+ doesn’t have any bonus features such as audio commentary from the Fox-published DVD sets, but more importantly because episodes of the show can only be streamed in the 16:9 aspect ratio, rather than the preferred 4:3 perspective. This is a huge let down for fans, as some visual jokes are lost with the 16:9 ratio. Below is an example of a great visual joke that was lost due to the cropped widescreen format.
All the classic Simpsons episodes on Disney+ are in cropped widescreen format — this means you miss out on tons of great visual jokes, like how Duff, Duff Lite and Duff Dry all come from the same tube. pic.twitter.com/cTy9adulFl
— Tristan Cooper (@TristanACooper) November 12, 2019
Good thing this concern has already reached Disney+, and the streaming service said that it will be giving users the option to change the screen ratio for the show starting next year.
“We presented The Simpsons in 16:9 aspect ratio at launch in order to guarantee visual quality and consistency across all 30 seasons,” a Disney+ spokesperson said in a statement to The A.V. Club. “Over time, Disney+ will roll out new features and additional viewing options. As part of this, in early 2020, Disney+ will make the first 19 seasons (and some episodes from Season 20) of The Simpsons available in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, giving subscribers a choice of how they prefer to view the popular series.”
Sadly, the aspect ratio issue isn’t the only The Simpsons-related concern Disney+ subscribers have. As mentioned above, only 661 of the 662 episodes of the first 30 seasons are available on the streaming service, and the one episode missing on the streaming service is the show’s third season premiere, titled Stark Raving Dad.
Though the decision to not include the episode on Disney+ is unclear, Stark Raving Dad has become a topic of conversation since it premiered in 1991 due to its prominent cameo appearance from the late controversial pop star Michael Jackson.