The Simpsons showrunner has shared how he would like the show to end - and his answer may surprise some fans. 

Al Jean has revealed to Radio Times he is giving some thought as to how the longest-running prime-time series in American history should finish. 

Jean has been working on the animated sitcom since its creation 32 years ago and when it comes to how he would like it to finish, he said, "There would be an ending where they [the Simpsons] would be going back to the Christmas pageant from the first episode so that the whole series was a continuous loop – that's how I would end it." 

After The Simpsons' first episode aired on December 17 1989, it has become the only prime-time series to air new episodes in five decades - and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. 

Jean told Radio Times: "To be honest … especially as we're doing really well on Disney+ in the US and the UK 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. 

"I think we're the number one scripted show in the US, and with the new episodes as well." 

Jean said he would be happy to keep the show going until it reaches 1000 episodes – a target hoped to be achieved in 2033 after the 700th episode was screened earlier this year. 

"I calculated that if we make it to 1000 episodes, that's 12 more seasons, I'll just be saying, I'll be very happy to be here in 12 seasons' time [but] it's not just a hop, skip and a jump, it's a little further than that," he said. 

During its five decades on air, The Simpsons has become a space of pop culture prophesies with viewers claiming past episodes have unsettlingly predicted tragic events like September 11 and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Fans have even gone as far as to say show writers predicted the January 6 capitol riots back in 1996 in an episode titled The Day the Violence Died where characters were seen carrying guns and bombs as they stormed the government building. 

Eagle-eyed viewers also noticed in 2014 the show predicted Richard Branson's ride to space when a scene from a past episode revealed a startling resemblance to the British billionaire's Virgin Galactic rocket trip. 

Determined to see if there is any truth to The Simpsons alleged psychic abilities, a UK casino site has paid someone almost $10,000 to analyse every episode from the 33 seasons to see if there are any clues for what 2022 may hold. 

It is estimated to take the person eight weeks to get through every episode – including the 2007 Simpsons spin-off movie.