The Simpsons Christmas Special That's Dominating The Disney+ Charts

20th Television Animation

Everyone knows it's been a long time since "The Simpsons" was good. The golden age of this unbelievably 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 age that I'll just leave it there. What's interesting is that now and then we get signs of life from the body of this animated series, which otherwise seemed to have long since flatlined. In 2023, for example, this very site proclaimed that "The Simpsons" is still good after seasons 33 and 34 suggested the quality was improving somewhat. Now, we have "The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful," a Christmas special that celebrates the show's 35th anniversary and does so well enough to have gone over nicely with fans and, according to the Disney+ charts, streaming audiences in general.

The latest "Simpsons" Christmas special is not only a throwback to a classic Ned Flanders episode, but it also harkens back to the early years of "The Simpsons," ie. where the writing was second-to-none, the stories grounded and heartfelt, and the animation charmingly janky in its own way. Okay, maybe that last one hasn't changed. But the new special, now streaming on Disney+, does manage to tell a somewhat charming tale that sees mentalist Derren Brown visit Springfield and accidentally hypnotize Homer into believing he's Santa Claus himself. As the special, which runs for 43 minutes across two episodes, continues, the story morphs into a much more emotional tale about Flanders losing his faith and reflecting on the loss of his two wives, Maude and Edna.

If that sounds a bit maudlin and non-festive, it certainly hasn't stopped the special from seeing success, as its reviews and standing on the Disney+ charts show.

20th Television Animation

Though it might not reach the impossible highs of the show's early years and features a joke straight out of "Family Guy," "The Simpsons: O C'Mon All Ye Faithful" is a big hit for the long-running series. According to FlixPatrol, a site that tracks and aggregates streaming viewership data across the various platforms, the special is number two on the overall Disney+ charts. That means it's not just the second most-watched TV episode on the service, but also the second-most watched piece of media overall — pretty impressive and another reminder that "The Simpsons" still has some appeal, even if nobody you know is talking about it.

Taking a look at the FlixPatrol breakdown for the special, things are looking similarly positive. At the time of writing, "The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful" is charting in 42 countries overall and has hit number one in 16 of them, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, several European countries, and even Singapore. It's also currently number two in the United States and Colombia, and looks to be heading towards the top spot in several other countries worldwide.

Sticking with the U.S., the special debuted at number two on December 19, 2024, and remained there for the following day. Could it hit the top spot by the end of the week? Well, considering the number one overall position is currently occupied by the unimpeachable holiday classic "Home Alone," that's going to be a tall order. For now, we'll have to wait and see whether modern age "Simpsons" really has what it takes to topple Kevin McCallister.

20th Television Animation

If the Disney+ performance of "The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful" has you intrigued, you might also be pleased to know that the reviews are all pretty positive, too. Former "Simpsons" fans may even find that this is the episode that draws them back into the fold following the equally kinda good "Simpsons" fake series finale inspired by a common fan question. Those who miss the days when the best "Simpsons" episodes balanced humor with a heavy helping of heart will be pleased to see Ned Flanders getting his most emotional story for years, which seems quite fitting for a special that marks the show's 35th anniversary.

Reviewers are all echoing some version of that sentiment. While the special doesn't have a Rotten Tomatoes score yet, the reviews that are out there all praise the show's writers for using the comparatively ridiculous narrative about Homer becoming the "real" Santa to set up an emotionally affecting Flanders story in the second half. There's even a callback to the very first "Simpsons" episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," at the end of the special that will either play as a heart-warming reminder of the show's origins or a cynical attempt to harness our collective nostalgia as a way to distract from the series' otherwise uneven quality. But hey, if you don't join the Disney+ crowds and watch you'll never know, so why not give it a go?