With The Simpsons currently gearing up for its 38th season, the beloved animated show continues to extend its record as the longest-running sitcom in American TV history.
After premiering at the end of the 1980s, it didn’t take long for the show to ascend to TV phenomenon status, and is now considered one of the most iconic and influential shows of all time.
But what might fans might not realise is how close The Simpsons came to being axed before it even aired.
It’s well-documented that The Simpsons got off to a bit of a bumpy start, with its planned debut episode Some Enchanted Evening being nowhere near ready for broadcast, resulting in the show launching with the Christmas special Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire instead.
But former producer Mike Reiss has now revealed that the situation was so disastrous, the show came to close to being “cancelled” altogether.
Speaking on the podcast My Roman Empire, Mike admitted: “It’s a famous story, they sat down and watched the first episode of The Simpsons – and it was catastrophic.
“Here’s all the Fox brass sitting down to see what they just spent $13 million on – and it wasn’t funny, the animation was bad, the animators had stuck their own jokes in the background, and the show was almost cancelled before it came on the air.”
“Luckily, the next week the second show came back fully animated, and it was great,” Mike continued. “But it was now too late to put the show on the air. We were supposed to come on in September, and instead we waited for episode nine, our Christmas show, and we debuted with a Christmas episode, and that gave us four or five months to fix all the other episodes.”
Mike added that Fox execs had “so little faith in our show” that the launch party took place – fittingly – in a bowling alley.
Back in 2024, Simpsons creator Matt Groening shared his version of the story during a conversation to mark the show’s 35th anniversary.
He claimed: “We were supposed to debut in the fall of 1989 and we got back the animation for the first episode, and it was so horrendous.
“We lied to Fox and we said we hadn’t gotten the animation back. We delayed the premiere of the show from a fall premiere to December 17, 1989. We took that very first episode and we buried it until we made it airable. It was quite dramatic in those months before the show actually came on.”
Last year, The Simpsons was renewed for four more seasons, meaning it will run until at least 2029.
A second big-screen adventure for the Simpson family is also due for release next year, marking two decades since the first Simpsons Movie hit cinemas.
With the last few years offering up a musical re-do of Mean Girls, a Legally Blonde prequel series, two Avatar follow-ups, a new TV adaptation of Harry Potter, a long-awaited sequel to The Devil Wears Prada and planned revivals of Pirates Of The Caribbean and The Lord Of The Rings, appetite for 2000s movies is clearly showing no sign of waning.
It’s now been announced that another classic from around the turn of the millennium is being given the remake treatment, with a new version of 13 Going On 30 in the works at Netflix.
The film’s original star Jennifer Garner will serve as an executive producer on the project, which will star People We Meet On Vacation’s Emily Bader and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’s Logan Lerman as its romantic leads.
Director Brett Haley told Deadline: “13 Going On 30 is one of those rare, perfect films. Funny, emotional, deeply human, with unforgettable performances from Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo and Judy Greer.
“I’m a longtime fan, so stepping into this reimagining comes with tremendous responsibility. Jennifer Garner being on board as an executive producer, after playing such a big part of what made the original special, is especially meaningful.”
He added: “I also couldn’t be more excited to reunite with Emily Bader after People We Meet On Vacation. She and the amazingly talented Logan Lerman are a magical pairing. I feel incredibly lucky to be trusted with something that means so much to so many people.”
The original 13 Going On 30 centres around a teenage girl who is granted a wish to fast-forward to her life at 30 years old, with no memory of the 17 years that have passed.
Jennifer starred as Jenna Rink in the rom-com, with Mark Ruffalo playing her love interest Matty Flamhaff, while the supporting cast included Judy Greer, Andy Serkis and Phil Reeves.
13 Going On 13 is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Writing about seeing The Hives live in concert is silly.
To see the tongue-in-cheek, garage punk rockers in person is an essential, spiritual experience that must be witnessed in person to truly do the raucous fivesome justice.
In any event, here’s an attempt at trying to capture the mayhem that is a Hives concert via text.
On Wednesday, March 18, the group that brought the world “Tick Tick Boom,”“Walk Idiot Walk” and “Enough Is Enough” headlined at the pastoral Brooklyn Paramount and promptly blew the roof off the sucker.
Following an impassioned set by defiant opening act The Chats (and a quick 20-minute set-up by roadies in ski masks), the lights went off at the general admission venue. A quiet came over the space as thousands of fans stood in otherworldly darkness.
An ominous beep sounded and then…
The Hives came out adorned in their custom tuxes topped with neon gold lights — think garage rock meets Vegas meets Tron — and proceeded to deliver an improbably joyous 16-song set of in-your-face angry rock and roll.
Leading the charge was their magnetic frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, who can only be described as wily, gregarious and like Iggy Pop in Dirk Nowitzki’s body.
For two hours, the truly singular 47-year-old Swede acted as a vocalist, showman, ringleader, stand-up comedian and merry prankster, creating a concert that also felt like a house party and old-timey vaudeville show all at once.
To get the show underway, the heavy hitmakers delivered a rousing rendition of 2025’s “Enough Is Enough,” which had the packed space jumping as soon as Pelle yelled the very first line: “everyone’s a little, f—ing b—-.”
Amen.
You gotta love being at what feels like an underground basement punk show in one of NYC’s most pristine venues.
From there, The Hives’ rock and roll rollercoaster refused to let up as the group added silly announcement interludes (“I got an announcement. The Hives are f—ing sell outs. We sold all the tickets to our New York show. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, so we made it everywhere”), a “Harlem Shake” style frozen choreography moment after a song ended and a direct order for audience members to keep their hands raised in the air until we were told to start clapping.
As the cheeky, charismatic Pelle informed his rapt crowd “this isn’t a spectator sport. This is rock and roll. That requires participation!”
He held up his end of the bargain by tossing the mic, displaying acute verbal dexterity and jumping like a madman while having us do the wave and sing a cappella with him, seemingly using every trick in the book of rock and roll.
Who cares about shameless cheese when you’re having this much fun?
Musical highlights included Rigor Mortis Radio”(a crunchy epic that somehow slowed things down 10-20 BPM while this humble reviewer’s heart still raced), “Paint A Picture”(a jangly, singalong anthem) and “Countdown To Shutdown”(a raw, fist-pumping mood elevator).
However, nothing topped their timeless smash “Tick Tick Boom” that closed the pre-encore portion of the evening. Toward the front of the crowd, a giddy jig circle (not a mosh pit!) formed and the concert turned into something more akin to a celebration than a mere concert. GA shows exist for for this very reason.
Not only did we feel like we were part of a live-wire crowd but The Hives also made the entire room feel like w were in the band. That’s a first.
This really wasn’t a spectator sport.
When the high-octane performance came to a close, Pelle and co. took a bow over a live version of Carly Simon’s twinkly ballad “Nobody Does It Better.”
A perfect cherry on top.
Final verdict: For two glorious hours, The Hives refused to phone it in for one second of their jubilant performance as they luxuriated in every moment they were onstage.
In turn, the ’00s veterans created a truly satisfying, unifying, communal experience that hurt my eardrums and left me hoarse after screaming along but…in a good way. This is how you get your face melted off.
Pelle’s fearless bravado making sure you’re getting every penny’s worth — he rightfully prances around like he’s the biggest star in the world as he’s tightly planned every moment of gleeful anarchy that make up their one-of-a-kind stage show that left the crowd hoeing down, jigging, jumping and with smiles stretching from ear to ear.
I was right. Cobbling together thoughts about this show really was silly. You really do have to see The Hives live to get the full experience.
The Hives tickets
Inventory to see The Hives live is available on all verified ticketing sites.
We recommend checking out StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats to find the seats that makes the most sense for you.
The Hives tour schedule 2026
A complete calendar including all remaining North American tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.
The Hives set list
According to Set List FM, here’s what The Hives took to the stage at Brooklyn Paramount on Wednesday, March 18.
01.) “Enough Is Enough”
02.) “Walk Idiot Walk”
03.) “Rigor Mortis Radio”
04.) “Paint a Picture”
05.) “Main Offender”
06.) “Born a Rebel”
07.) “Roll Out the Red Carpet”
08.) “Stick Up”
09.) “Bogus Operandi”
10.) “Hate to Say I Told You So”
11.) “Countdown to Shutdown”
12.) “Come On!”
13.) “Tick Tick Boom”
Encore
14.) “Legalize Living”
15.) “Bigger Hole to Fill”
16.) “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives”
The Hives new music
On Aug. 29, The Hives dropped their seventh studio album “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives.”
It’s a kick to the throat in the absolute best way.
Blasting out of the gate with the crunchy, fuzzy, jammy “Enough Is Enough,” the band makes a statement: strap in because we’re here to rock for 33 minutes.
That blistering intensity continues with the dance-y “Hooray Hooray Hooray,” epic call-and-response ready “Bad Call,” barroom brawl soundtrack “Paint A Picture,” 100 MPH scream-along “O.C.D.O.D.” and blissed-out (by The Hives’ standards) “Legalize Living.”
Things slow down for the somber, regal “(interlude)” before picking right back up with the the giddy “Roll Out The Red Carpet,” cowbell-enhanced, Steve Miller Band homage “Born A Rebel,” radio friendly “They Can’t Hear The Music” and chills-inducing anthem “Path Of Most Resistance.”
The show ends with the ebullient, celebratory title track “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives.”
What a rush. We’re still reeling from how much fun we had listening to the blown-out house party of an album The Hives have unleashed upon the world.
If you’d like to hear for yourself, you can listen to “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives” here.
The Chats
Supporting The Hives at all remaining U.S. shows will be the Aussie punk trio known for tracks with titles like “Smoko” and “Pub Feed.”
Formed in 2016, the group is made up of youngsters Josh Price, Matt Boggis and Eamon Sandwith and sound like Television meets Sex Pistols. They’re fun, angry and full of energy. If you’d like to take a walk through their discography, you can find The Chats’ entire back catalog here.
Live, they sound as defiant as they are angry and their cover of “The Ace Of Spades” was a full-on exhilarating cosmic blast that made us feel like an acne-ridden teen all over again.
They’re the rare opener that demands your attention. Show up on time to see them. They’re appointment viewing.
Huge rockers on tour in 2026
Many acts that will get your fists pumping, rumps bumping and feet jumping will be out and about these next few months.
Here are just five of our favorite party-starting rockers you won’t want to miss live in the near future.
• My Chemical Romance
• RUSH
• AC/DC
• Sex Pistols
• Yungblud
Who else is blasting out speakers at venues all over the country? Check out our list of all the biggest classic rockers on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
Across the last four decades, the Brit Awards have been home to some seriously show-stopped performances that have had the whole world talking the next day.
In addition to all of the outrageous moments and attention-grabbing blunders that have become synonymous with the annual Brits broadcast, the awards show has repeatedly given artists a chance to create a true water-cooler moment by really nailing a performance.
The Brits are set to return on Saturday 28 February, with the ceremony taking place in Manchester for the first time ever, and performers on the line-up including Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice and Rosalía, as well as Mark Ronson, in honour of his Outstanding Contribution prize.
With more than 40 years’ worth of memorable on-stage moments to pick from, here’s a timeline of all the performances that have truly stood the test of time, starting with some classics and leading right up to the present day…
Elton John and RuPaul – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (1994)
You didn’t know Elton John was responsible for what was arguably the birth of the “lip sync for your life”, did you?
Yes, as well as hosting the Brit Awards together in 1994 (something we’d argue people forget about all too often) the duo also lip-synced the house down to a disco-tastic mix of Sir Elton and Kiki Dee’s famous duet. It’s a comfort to know, if nothing else, that RuPaul has been rocking the exact same moves for the last 30 years.
Take That – I Want To Hold Your Hand/A Hard Day’s Night/She Loves You (1994)
For their first ever Brit Awards performance, Take That paid homage to the OG British boyband.
At this point Take That were very much still on the come-up, and threw it right back to the swinging 60s, performing three of The Beatles’ early hits while dressed in replicas of the Fab Four’s iconic blue suits.
Take That star Robbie Williams would go on to become the undisputed King Of The Brits, racking up more wins than any other artist in history (although Adele is now hot on his heels).
Spice Girls – Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are? (1997)
Yes, you might think you’ve already seen this Spice Girls footage a million times over, but when was the last time you sat down and properly watched it?
Do it now – we promise it’s even better than you remember, and there’s a lot more to love than just that iconic Union Jack dress.
Robbie Williams and Tom Jones – Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)/You Can Leave Your Hat On/Land Of A Thousand Dances (1998)
The indisputable king of the Brit Awards, Robbie Williams has a fair few impressive performances under his belt from over the decades.
For his debut as a solo artist, he roped in a musical legend to help him really make an impression, performing a string of tunes with Sir Tom Jones.
Steps, Cleopatra, B*Witched, Tina Cousins and Billie Piper – Thank ABBA For The Music (1999)
What 90s disco was complete without this one, eh?
Geri Halliwell – Bag It Up (2000)
Next time someone tries to tell you that Geri couldn’t cut it as a solo artist, you show them this video.
As if she hadn’t commanded enough attention when she was still in the Spice Girls, Geri made sure all eyes were on her with her debut solo Brits performance.
Emerging from between a giant pair of legs, she performed this Girl Power anthem, surrounded by oiled-up male dancers and eventually tearing open her top, telling “all the ladies” in the crowd: “Let’s see your boobs!”
Her performance also totally overshadowed her former Spice Girls bandmates, who collected an Outstanding Contribution award later that evening as a four-piece, before delivering a medley performance of their own.
Eminem – I’m Back/The Real Slim Shady (2001)
Eminem made one of the most memorable entrances in Brit Awards history when he took to the stage in denim overalls and a hockey mask, all while brandishing a chainsaw.
A slightly terrifying (alhough obviously iconic) Brits memory.
Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head/Blue Monday (2002)
Of course, the most iconic Brits entrance has to go to a certain Ms Minogue, who kicked off this rendition of her chart-topping hit Can’t Get You Out Of My Head by literally ejecting herself from an oversized CD player.
Justin Timberlake and Kylie Minogue – Cry Me A River/Like I Love You/Rapture (2003)
As if this medley of Justin Timberlake’s biggest hits wasn’t pop perfection already, out strutted Kylie Minogue to cap things off with a version of Blondie’s Rapture, providing the Brit Awards with one of its most memorable collaborations ever.
Scissor Sisters – Take Your Mama (2005)
Talk about chucking everything and the kitchen sink into a performance, eh?
Scissor Sisters kicked off the show in 2005 with a rendition of Take Your Mama that involved Jim Henson flamingos, leather lederhosen and, naturally, a singing barn.
Amy Winehouse – Rehab (2007)
While still fairly early in the Back To Black era, plenty of us were familiar with Amy Winehouse by the time she appeared on stage at the 2007 Brits (though it often wasn’t for her music).
This performance allowed her to remind everyone why she was famous in the first place, even managing to make that vast Brit Awards stage feel like an intimate lounge performance.
Mark Ronson, Adele, Daniel Merriweather and Amy Winehouse – God Put A Smile Upon Your Face/Stop Me/Valerie (2008)
Yes, it was technically Mark Ronson’s moment – but let’s be honest, it was really all about Amy, wasn’t it?
Reports in the press prior to the Brits had suggested that, due to problems in her tumultuous personal life, the music legend may not have been able to perform on the night. However, she managed to shut up her detractors by turning it out alongside her friend and producer.
Keep an eye on that Adele, too. We just might be seeing a bit more of her later on.
Rihanna and Klaxons – Umbrella/Golden Skans (2008)
It’s been over a decade and we’re still absolutely wowed by this performance. Fun fact: this took place on Rihanna’s 20th (20th!!) birthday.
Pet Shop Boys, Lady Gaga and Brandon Flowers – Greatest Hits Medley (2009)
So often, acts use their Outstanding Contribution prize as a way to lazily perform their best-loved tracks, plug a new greatest hits collection and then take themselves off home for the night.
Not Pet Shop Boys, though, who provided a full multimedia experience for their performance, whizzing through their decades’ worth of hits and even welcoming a little-known singer named Lady Gaga to fill in for Dusty Springfield.
Interesting choice of wig from Chris Lowe, too.
Lady Gaga – Telephone/Dance In The Dark (2010)
And speaking of Lady Gaga and interesting wigs…
One year she’s singing backing vocals for Pet Shop Boys, and the next she’s the biggest star in the world. What a difference 12 months makes.
This performance, where Gaga paid her respects to fashion designer Alexander McQueen, divided opinion, with some loving the fact she’d decided to think outside the box, and others hoping for something a little more traditional.
Sidenote: We can’t believe Gaga has still only ever performed solo at the Brits this one time.
Cheryl – Fight For This Love (2010)
Given this performance came just days after the breakdown of her marriage to Ashley Cole, Cheryl would have been forgiven if her Brits appearance wasn’t exactly her best work. But frankly, she slayed.
From the moment she jumped onto the stage in those diva sunglasses, Cheryl proved herself as so much more than magazine fodder; she was a bona fide popstar.
The quick change Show Me Love sample that followed was just the icing on the cake…
Florence Welch and Dizzee Rascal – You Got The Dirtee Love (2010)
The Brits has always been known for its collaborations, many of which we’ve already touched on, and this is a perfect example of when two artists from two totally separate genres come together and make a performance work.
Adele – Someone Like You (2011)
Adele’s sophomore album, 21, was obviously massive, but it was this performance at the Brit Awards that catapulted her to the position of mega-stardom.
Proving you don’t always need to pull huge stunts for a performance to be memorable, she performed the emotional track accompanied by just a piano, and by the time the glitter rain started falling, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Madonna – Living For Love (2015)
Obviously, this will always be remembered as the performance Madonna fell down the stairs… but you can’t take away from her that she got up and finished the song as only a true pro really could.
Lorde – Life On Mars (2016)
There had been much speculation in the press leading to to the 2016 Brit Awards about how they’d be paying homage to the recently-deceased David Bowie, with a number of huge British artists rumoured to have been in the pipeline.
What no one predicted was that it would be Lorde who’d be taking to the stage, chosen as the late pop icon once declared she was the “future of music”.
We still get a bit teary watching this simple but emotional performance, even all these years later.
Little Mix – Shout Out To My Ex (2017)
Anyone who was still doubting Little Mix’s star quality in 2017 was given a very abrupt awakening when they opened the Brit Awards with this stunning rendition of their signature tune.
This version of Shout Out To My Ex, complete with full choreo, a throne made out of spray-painted dancers and enough wigs to keep Cher happy for a full mini break, Little Mix knocked it out of the park on an otherwise pretty uneventful night.
Stormzy – Blinded By Your Grace pt. 2/Big For Your Boots (2018)
A performance that starts off strong and then gets better and better.
Beginning as a live recreation of his Brit award-winning album cover, Stormzy quickly took us through a rendiition of Blinded By Your Grace before lambasting the government in a freestyle rap, highlighting the injustices of the Grenfell disaster, and then having a shirtless dance in the rain to Big For Your Boots.
This is how you close the show at the Brits.
Dave – Black (2020)
The night well and truly belonged to Dave when the Brits took place in 2020.
Not only did Psychodrama end up taking home Album Of The Year, he also delivered the moment of the evening when he performed his song Black, including a blistering freestyle verse about institutional racism in the UK.
This included comparisons between the media’s treatment of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, as well as accusations of racism towards then-newly-elected prime minister Boris Johnson.
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia medley (2021)
For many of us, Dua Lipa’s second album Future Nostalgia provided some much-needed escapism at the height of the pandemic, when we were unable to see our loved ones or enjoy a night out.
When the awards show finally returned in mid-2021, it was amazing to see Dua bringing the songs we loved to life at last, while paying homage to some iconic former Brits performances with her hair and wardrobe.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras – Unholy (2023)
Anyone who only knew Sam Smith from their emotional ballads was in for a shock when they tuned into their 2023 Brits performance.
Sam and Kim’s duet at the Grammys weeks earlier had already rattled conservative critics to the point terms like “satanism” were bring bandied around online. When it came to the Brits, the duo switched things up, honing in on Unholy’s “body shop” lyric and setting their performance in a mechanic shop.
Their performance, by the way, was reportedly so elaborate it wound up delaying the whole ceremony, leading ITV to play a year-old performance of Adele’s to fill a gap in their schedule.
Raye – My 21st Century Blues medley (2024)
Anyone who’s followed Raye’s career will know the journey to releasing her debut album came after a tumultuous decade navigating the pitfalls of the music industry. So, when the album itself wound up spawning a number one single, and really put Raye on the map as one of the UK’s biggest stars, it felt like poetic justice.
This performance at the 2024 Brits – where Raye walked away with four wins – felt like a massive victory lap, and served as a reminder to everyone why she’s a musical force to be reckoned with.
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso/Bed Chem (2025)
Having been grafting for years as both a singer and actor, Sabrina Carpenter had finally made it to global megastardom once she was invited to open the Brit Awards in 2025.
Not only was the chart-topper a household name, she was also synonymous with brewing up a bit of controversy with some of her stage performances, and that’s exactly what she did during her time on the Brits stage.
She kicked off that year’s show at around 8.15pm, with a medley of her songs which saw her sporting red lingerie while she and her dancers gyrated on a bed.
Towards the end of her performance, she was seen cosying up to a dancer dressed as a royal guard, before slipping down out of shot, at which point he winked suggestively towards the camera.
Sabrina’s performance, paired with Charli XCX’s revealing attire on stage, led to almost 1000 viewers complaining to Ofcom, prompting the Espresso singer to quip on Instagram: “Brits… I now know what watershed is.”
Jade – Angel Of My Dreams/It Girl (2025)
There was never a doubt in our mind that Jade would pull out all the stops with her solo Brits debut, but the level of theatrics she managed to squeeze into her performance still came as a shock.
Over the course of just four minutes, Jade managed multiple costume and wig changes, stellar live vocals, choreography stage combat and two jaw-dropping stunts, first plummeting through a trapdoor before ascending over everyone with angel wings for her final chorus.
