The Simpsons Season 38: Everything You Need to Know
By Daniel Walker
The Simpsons has entered its 38th season, bringing new stories, guest stars, and another round of Springfield adventures. The new season premiered on September 27, 2026, with "The Children's Book Job," followed by "Diary of a Chimpy Kid." From the latest episodes to plans for Season 40 and the upcoming movie sequel, here's what to know about The Simpsons Season 38.
Part 1. The Simpsons Season 38 at a Glance
Season 38 lands as another milestone installment in TV history, keeping Springfield fresh while honoring its long-standing comedic roots. Audiences can look forward to inventive parody episodes, unexpected guest cameos, and sharp commentary on modern culture. The second episode of the season, "Diary of a Chimpy Kid," sets a humorous tone early on by taking a clever swipe at popular children's book series and family dynamics.
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | The Simpsons |
| Season | Season 38 |
| Premiere | September 27, 2026 |
| Network | FOX |
| Genre | Animated comedy / sitcom |
| Episode 1 | The Children's Book Job |
| Episode 2 | Diary of a Chimpy Kid |
| Main Cast | Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, etc. |
| Executive Producers | James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Matt Selman |
Part 2. What to Expect From The Simpsons Season 38?
Rather than following one continuous storyline, Season 38 continues the show's familiar format of standalone stories built around Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and the wider Springfield community. The season also mixes celebrity guest voices, pop-culture references, unusual premises, and the show's long-running tradition of experimenting with different animation styles.
The Season 38 Premiere: "The Children's Book Job"
The premiere centers on Marge's attempt to save Springfield Elementary by bringing a reclusive British children's author to the school's book fair. Homer is assigned to pick her up from the airport, but his plan quickly goes wrong, sending the two characters into a chaotic chase across Springfield.
Emma Thompson voices Constance Clavinger, the eccentric children's author, while Colin Jost appears as a fictionalized version of himself. Showrunner Matt Selman has also teased the episode's visual experiments with classic children's-book art styles.
The episode is particularly interesting for longtime fans because its title and theme recall an earlier Simpsons episode from Season 23-a connection we'll look at later.
"Diary of a Chimpy Kid"
The second episode moves away from books and into a very different kind of family adventure.
In "Diary of a Chimpy Kid," Bart and Lisa adopt an abandoned baby chimp and quickly discover that they have very different ideas about how to care for it. When the chimp is abducted by a private wild animal zoo, the family sets out to rescue him.
The episode is scheduled to air on October 4, 2026, at 8:00-8:30 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
More Episodes and Guest Stars
More Season 38 stories will continue to introduce new Springfield situations and guest voices. Confirmed or announced guest appearances include Emma Thompson, Colin Jost, Ike Barinholtz, Rachel Bloom, Tiffany Haddish, Gustavo Dudamel, and others.
Another major seasonal tradition will also return with "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII." The upcoming Halloween special is expected to include a stop-motion sequence inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas, along with other horror-themed stories.
Part 3. What Are the Future Plans for The Simpsons?
Season 38 is only part of the current Simpsons roadmap. The series already has plans extending beyond this season, including additional television seasons and a new feature film.
The Simpsons Is Renewed Through Season 40
FOX and Disney Television Studios announced a four-season renewal in April 2025, covering Seasons 37 through 40 of The Simpsons. That means Season 38 is not currently the end of the show's planned broadcast run. The renewal extends the series through the 2028-29 broadcast cycle.
For fans, this means there are still multiple seasons of new Springfield stories ahead, even as the series continues to revisit ideas and characters from its extensive history.
The Simpsons Movie Sequel Is Coming
The Simpsons are also heading back to the big screen.
A sequel to the 2007 The Simpsons Movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 3, 2027, according to Disney+. The original movie was released in 2007, making the upcoming sequel roughly two decades after the first film.
The movie gives the franchise another opportunity to bring its familiar characters and humor to a larger format while the television series continues on FOX.
Part 4. Is Season 38 Connected to Earlier Simpsons Episodes?
While The Simpsons generally relies on an episodic, non-serialized structure where characters stay the same age, Season 38 builds clever bridges to past fan favorites.
A prime example is the Season 38 premiere, "The Children's Book Job." The title immediately reminds longtime viewers of Season 23's hit episode, "The Book Job." What makes this connection even more interesting is behind the scenes: both episodes were written by veteran writer Dan Vebber.
Despite the title callback and writer connection, "The Children's Book Job" is not a direct continuous narrative continuation. It stands on its own with a fresh, standalone story while giving long-time fans a subtle, satisfying nod to earlier classic eras.
Part 5. Rewatching Classic Simpsons Episodes on Modern Screens
As exciting as Season 38 is, new episodes naturally inspire fans to rewatch classic episodes from the 1990s and 2000s. While official streaming platforms offer high-definition remasters, personal fan collections-such as old home TV recordings, downloaded clips, or low-resolution video copies-often suffer from severe visual blur, noise, and low resolution on today's 4K displays.
To revive those low-quality retro clips, HitPaw VikPea offers an effortless AI-powered solution. Using advanced neural network algorithms, HitPaw VikPea intelligently upscales standard-definition or degraded videos up to 4K or 8K resolution without losing authentic detail.
Key Features of HitPaw VikPea
- AI-Powered Upscaling: Automatically detects and repairs visual defects, artifacts, and noise in retro clips.
- Multiple Specialized AI Models: Offers distinct AI models tailored for animation/cartoons, face enhancement, and general video restoration.
- Resolution Boost: Easily upscale old 480p or 720p videos to crisp 1080p, 4K, or higher.
- Batch Processing: Enhance multiple video clips simultaneously to save time.
How to Enhance Old Simpsons Videos with HitPaw VikPea
Step 1. Import Your Old Video:Launch HitPaw VikPea on your computer and import your classic video clip or recording to the Video Enhancer module.
Step 2. Select the AI Model:Choose the Animation Model (specifically optimized for animated content like The Simpsons) or the General Denoise Model.
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Step 4. Preview & Export:Use the preview to compare the original and enhanced footage. Then click Export to save your newly enhanced, high-definition clip.
Part 6. FAQs
Season 38 is not a direct continuation of one long storyline. Most episodes are standalone stories, but the show frequently references older characters, themes, jokes, and episodes. The Season 38 premiere, "The Children's Book Job," is one example because its title and book-related theme recall Season 23's "The Book Job".
No. "The Children's Book Job" has its own story and is not a direct narrative sequel to "The Book Job." However, the two episodes share a book-related theme, have similar titles, and were both written by Dan Vebber, creating a noticeable connection for longtime viewers.
No, The Simpsons follows a self-contained episodic format. You can jump directly into Season 38 without prior knowledge, though long-time fans will catch subtle callbacks.
Conclusion
Season 38 continues The Simpsons with new Springfield stories while leaving plenty of room for connections to the show's long history. "The Children's Book Job" is a good example of how a new episode can echo an older favorite like Season 23's "The Book Job" without being a direct sequel. And if a new season inspires you to revisit classic episodes, AI video enhancement tools such as HitPaw VikPea can help give older recordings a cleaner, sharper look on modern high-resolution screens.
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