The Simpsons in the UK

Won't somebody please think of the children?

It's not being replaced, the normal Friday 8pm slot will be the next episode

I would argue having some episodes airing during Live & Kicking also didn't help.

And Doctor Who was sneaked in there.

Channel 4 don't help matters by getting sponsors that target children

Didn't Sky used to have some child-oriented sponsors too? I'm sure the Beano used to be one of them.

It's almost as if the programme was popular with children.

Ah yes, that popular children's product... Kingsmill bread.

You don’t think those sponsorship stings are designed to appeal to children? If not, I point you to previous sponsors like Thorpe Park and those Birds Eye sponsorship stings

Yeah, two or three years ago. Oddly not using any of the comic's characters, since it was really promoting the beano.com website.

To be fair, at least that was aimed at kids originally, though it was made by the drama department and not the children's department. It was meant to educate about science and history, but the history stuff got scrapped.

Channel 4 will just go with the sponsorship deal that gets them the biggest cheque. Of course whilst not being a kids show, it probably was it’s biggest audience whilst being popular with people of all ages.

I guess it’s a bit like panto in that it appeals to all ages and there are jokes only people of a certain age will get.

I don’t really know why people are unhappy with that, when most of started watching it when we were growing up. I certainly watched it more then they I do now.