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The following is a list of directors who have worked on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons in the order of first credited episode (by broadcast). As of April 7, 2024, 41 people have been credited with directing or co-directing at least one episode of The Simpsons.
| # | Director | Number directed | Duration | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Silverman | 24 | 1989–95, 2002, 2004–06, 2015 | 1–7, 14, 16–18, 26 | Includes one co-directed with Kent Butterworth and one with Matthew Faughnan Also directed The Simpsons Movie , The Longest Daycare , Playdate with Destiny , all the Disney+ shorts and The Simpsons Balenciaga |
| 2 | Wes Archer | 26 | 1990–96 | 1–7 | Includes one co-directed with Milton Gray |
| 3 | Gregg Vanzo | 1 | 1990 | 1 | Co-directed with Kent Butterworth |
| 4 | Kent Butterworth | 2 | 1990 | 1 | One directed with Gregg Vanzo and one with David Silverman |
| 5 | Rich Moore | 17 | 1990–93 | 1–5 | Includes one co-directed with Alan Smart |
| 6 | Milton Gray | 2 | 1990, 1998 | 1, 9 | Includes one co-directed with Wes Archer |
| 7 | Brad Bird | 2 | 1990–91 | 1, 3 | Includes one co-directed with Jeffrey Lynch |
| 8 | Mark Kirkland | 84 | 1990–2020 | 2–31 | Includes one co-directed with Matthew Nastuk |
| 9 | Jim Reardon | 35 | 1990–2002, 2004 | 2–11, 13–15 | |
| 10 | Jeffrey Lynch | 12 | 1991–96 | 3–7 | Includes one co-directed with Brad Bird |
| 11 | Carlos Baeza | 9 | 1991–94 | 3–5 | |
| 12 | Alan Smart | 1 | 1991 | 3 | Co-directed with Rich Moore |
| 13 | Bob Anderson | 65 | 1993–2020, 2022–23 | 5–34 | Includes one co-directed with Rob Oliver and one with Matthew Schofield |
| 14 | Susie Dietter | 11 | 1994–98, 2007 | 5–9, 18 | |
| 15 | Swinton O. Scott III | 7 | 1995–99 | 6–7, 9–10 | |
| 16 | Steven Dean Moore | 84 | 1995–2006, 2008–24 | 6–35 | |
| 17 | Dominic Polcino | 7 | 1995–98 | 7–10 | |
| 18 | Mike B. Anderson | 25 | 1996–99, 2001–06, 2008, 2015 | 7–19, 21, 27 | Includes two co-directed with Ralph Sosa and one with Matthew Schofield |
| 19 | Chuck Sheetz | 19 | 1997, 2001–02, 2007–14 | 8, 12–13, 18–26 | |
| 20 | Pete Michels | 11 | 1997–99, 2002–03 | 8–11, 13–14 | |
| 21 | Neil Affleck | 7 | 1997–2000 | 8–12 | |
| 22 | Mark Ervin | 3 | 1998–99 | 9–10 | |
| 23 | Klay Hall | 1 | 1998 | 9 | |
| 24 | Matthew Nastuk | 61 | 1998–2023 | 10–35 | Includes one co-directed with Mark Kirkland |
| 25 | Nancy Kruse | 25 | 1999–2010 | 10–22 | |
| 26 | Michael Polcino | 40 | 2000–03, 2005–23 | 11–14, 16–34 | |
| 27 | Lance Kramer | 24 | 2000–03, 2005, 2007–12, 2014–18, 2021, 2023 | 11–14, 16, 18–23, 25–26, 28–30, 32, 34 | |
| 28 | Michael Marcantel | 7 | 2000–03, 2005–06 | 11–14, 16–18 | |
| 29 | Jen Kamerman | 3 | 2000–01 | 11–13 | |
| 30 | Shaun Cashman | 1 | 2000 | 12 | |
| 31 | Lauren MacMullan | 7 | 2001–04 | 12–16 | |
| 32 | Chris Clements | 34 | 2003, 2006, 2008–24 | 14, 18–35 | |
| 33 | Raymond S. Persi | 10 | 2005–10 | 16–21 | |
| 34 | Ralph Sosa | 4 | 2006, 2008–10 | 18–20, 22 | Includes two co-directed with Mike B. Anderson |
| 35 | Matthew Faughnan | 26 | 2006–23 | 18, 20–35 | Includes one co-directed with David Silverman |
| 36 | Rob Oliver | 36 | 2007, 2009, 2011–24 | 18–21, 23–35 | Includes one co-directed with Bob Anderson |
| 37 | Matthew Schofield | 6 | 2009–14 | 21–25 | Includes one co-directed with Mike B. Anderson and one with Bob Anderson |
| 38 | Timothy Bailey | 25 | 2011–12, 2014–24 | 23–35 | |
| 39 | Jennifer Moeller | 7 | 2019–22 | 30–33 | |
| 40 | Debbie Bruce Mahan | 4 | 2021–23 | 33–35 | |
| 41 | Gabriel DeFrancesco | 1 | 2023 | 34 |
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Developed by Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, the series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, it caricatures society, Western culture, television, and the human condition.
Alfred Ernest Jean III is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on The Simpsons. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss. Together, they worked as writers and producers on television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, ALF and It's Garry Shandling's Show.
"D'oh-in' in the Wind" is the sixth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 15, 1998. In the episode, Homer Simpson travels to a farm owned by Seth and Munchie, two aged hippies who were friends with Homer's mother. After finding out his middle name is "Jay", Homer is drawn to the carefree lifestyle of hippies, and decides to become one himself.
David Silverman is an American animator who has directed numerous episodes of the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as its 2007 film adaptation. Silverman was involved with the series from the very beginning, animating all of the original short Simpsons cartoons that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show. He went on to serve as director of animation for several years. He also did the animation for the 2016 film The Edge of Seventeen, which was produced by Gracie Films.
"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer Simpson", "Terror at 5+1⁄2 Feet", and "Bart Simpson's Dracula".
"Some Enchanted Evening" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1990. Written by Matt Groening and Sam Simon and directed by David Silverman and Kent Butterworth, "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first episode produced for season one and was intended to air as the series premiere in fall 1989, but aired as the season one finale due to animation problems. The Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" premiered in its place on December 17, 1989. It is the last episode to feature the original opening sequence starting from "Bart the Genius". In the episode, Homer and Marge go on a night out while leaving the children under the care of a diabolical babysitter named Ms. Lucille "Botz" Botzcowski.
"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" is the fourteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 1996. In this episode, Marge buys a Chanel suit and, invited to join the Springfield Country Club, becomes obsessed with trying to fit in with Springfield's upper class.
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"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 26, 1995. In this episode, Sideshow Bob attempts to rid Springfield of television by threatening to detonate an atomic bomb. When that backfires, he attempts to kill Bart once again, but this time along with Krusty the Clown.
"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third clip show episode of The Simpsons, after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show".
"Simpsons Bible Stories" is the eighteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1999. It is the first of The Simpsons' now annual trilogy episodes, and consists of four self-contained segments. In the episode, the Simpson family falls asleep during a sermon in church. Marge dreams that she and Homer are Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Lisa dreams that she and her fellow Springfield Elementary School students are Hebrew slaves in Ancient Egypt and guides Moses to lead them to freedom, Homer dreams that he is King Solomon called to resolve a dispute between Lenny and Carl over the ownership of a pie, and Bart dreams he is King David, who has to fight Goliath's son, Goliath II.
"Lisa's Sax" is the third episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19, 1997, to overwhelmingly positive reviews. In the series' sixth flashback episode, it is explained how Lisa got her saxophone. The episode was executive produced by Al Jean and Mike Reiss and was the first episode Jean wrote by himself, as all of his previous writing credits had been shared with Reiss. It was directed by Dominic Polcino and guest starred Fyvush Finkel, who appeared as himself portraying Krusty in a film.
Samuel Michael Simon was an American television producer and animal rights activist who co-developed the television series The Simpsons.
Mike B. Anderson, sometimes credited as Mikel B. Anderson, is an American television director who works on The Simpsons and has directed numerous episodes of the show, and was animated in "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" as cadet Anderson. While a college student, he directed the live action feature films Alone in the T-Shirt Zone and Kamillions. Since 1990, he has worked primarily in animation including being a consulting producer on the series, The Oblongs, and story consultant on Tripping the Rift.
The twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired between November 2000 and May 2001. It began on Wednesday, November 1, 2000 with "Treehouse of Horror XI". The season contains four hold-over episodes from the season 11 (BABF) production line. The showrunner for the twelfth production season was Mike Scully. The season won and was nominated for numerous awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards wins and an Annie Award. Season 12 was released on DVD in Region 1 on August 18, 2009, Region 2 on September 28, 2009, and Region 4 on September 2, 2009.
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The sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994, and May 21, 1995, and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional city of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition.
Treehouse of Horror is a series of annual Halloween-themed anthology episodes of the animated sitcom The Simpsons. Also known as The Simpsons Halloween Specials, each episode typically consists of three separate, self-contained segments. Each segment involves the Simpson family in some comical horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting; plot elements operate beyond the show's normal continuity, with segments exaggeratedly more morbid and violent than a typical Simpsons episode. With 34 episodes as of 2023, each Treehouse of Horror episode is numbered in Roman numerals, one less than the respective season it is in.
The Good, the Bart, and the Loki is an American animated short film based on the television series The Simpsons produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television Animation for Disney+. It is the fourth short film in The Simpsons franchise, and the second promotional short, after The Force Awakens from Its Nap (2021), that ties in with Disney+'s brands and titles. The Good, the Bart, and the Loki is directed by David Silverman and celebrates the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly its television series Loki, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki. The short was released on July 7, 2021, on Disney+, alongside the fifth episode of Loki.
