The Simpsons Christmas special is dominating the Disney+ charts

Everyone knows it’s been a long time since The Simpsons was good. The golden age of this incredibly long-running series is a distant memory at this point, and enough has been said about the show’s lack of quality in the modern era that I’ll leave it there. What’s interesting is that every now and then we get signs of life from the body of this anime series, which seemed to have been flat for a long time. In 2023, for example, this same site announced this “The Simpsons” is still good After seasons 33 and 34 indicated that the quality improves somewhat. Now, we have “The Simpsons: O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” a Christmas special celebrating the series’ 35th anniversary that’s doing well enough to be very popular with fans and, according to Disney+ charts, streaming audiences overall .

The latest “Simpsons” Christmas special isn’t just a throwback to a classic Ned Flanders episodebut it also goes back to the early years of “The Simpsons,” that is. The writing was unparalleled, the stories were poignant and honest, and the animation was charming in a way that was charming in its own way. Well, maybe that last one hasn’t changed. But the new special, now streaming on Disney+, manages to tell a rather charming story in which psychologist Derren Brown visits Springfield and accidentally hypnotizes Homer into thinking he’s Santa Claus himself. As the special continues, which runs for 43 minutes across two episodes, the story turns into a more emotional tale about Flanders losing his faith and contemplating the loss of his wives, Maud and Edna.

If that sounds a bit bland and unceremonious, it certainly hasn’t stopped discerning fans from seeing success, as its reviews and place in the Disney+ charts show.

Although it may not reach the impossible heights of the early years of the show and its features Joke straight from “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons: O’Mon All Ye Faithful” It was a huge success for the long-running series. according to Flex Patrola site that tracks and aggregates streaming viewing data across various platforms, ranked second on the overall Disney+ charts. That means it’s not only the second-most-watched TV episode on the service, but it’s also the second-most-watched media overall — which is pretty impressive and another reminder that The Simpsons still has some appeal, even if no one you know is talking about it.

Take a look at Flex Patrol For the private sector, things look similarly positive. At the time of writing, “The Simpsons: O C’mon All Ye Faithful” has been shown in 42 countries overall and has finished at number one in 16 countries, including the UK, Australia, Canada, several European countries and even Singapore. . It is also currently ranked number two in the United States and Colombia, and is looking to move towards the top spot in many other countries around the world.

Sticking with the US, the special debuted at number two on December 19, 2024, and stayed there for the next day. Could it reach number one by the end of the week? Well, considering that the top spot is currently held by the unquestioned classic “Home Alone,” that would be a tall order. For now, we’ll have to wait and see if a modern-day “Simpsons” series really has what it takes to dethrone Kevin McCallister.

If Disney+’s take on The Simpsons: O C’mon All Ye Faithful has piqued your interest, you might also be happy to know that the reviews are all very positive, too. Former Simpsons fans may find this to be the episode that brings them back into the fold after a good episode, too The fake ‘Simpsons’ series finale was inspired by a popular fan question. Those who miss the days that The best episodes of the Simpsons series Balancing humor with a big helping of heart, it will be a pleasure to see Ned Flanders get his most emotional story for years, which seems well-suited for a special showing marking the show’s 35th anniversary.

All reviewers echo some version of this sentiment. Although the special doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score yet, reviews out there are praising the show’s writers for using the relatively silly narrative about Homer becoming the “real” Santa to set up Flanders’ emotionally poignant story in the second half. . There’s also a callback to the first episode of The Simpsons, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” at the end of the special that will either serve as a heartwarming reminder of the show’s origins or a satirical attempt to harness our nostalgic collection as a way to distract from the series’ uneven quality. But hey, if you don’t join the Disney+ crowd and watch you’ll never know, so why not give it a try?