“The Simpsons” produces four new episodes exclusively for Disney+

As The Simpsons prepares to premiere its 36th season on Fox this fall, that won't be the only place to catch new episodes of the long-running animated series. Executive producers behind The Simpsons announced Saturday at the D23 convention in Anaheim that four new episodes will air exclusively on Disney+ in the upcoming season.

The new episodes also include a new Christmas-themed two-parter, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” which premieres on December 17 – coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the very first “Simpsons” episode, the similarly Christmas-themed “Simpsons Roasting Over An Open Fire” from 1989.

The other two episodes, titled “The Past and the Furious” and “Yellow Planet,” will also air in the “coming months,” according to Disney+. And a new exclusive Halloween-themed “The Simpsons” short film will also premiere on Disney+ in October.

Disney+ has premiered several exclusive “The Simpsons” shorts on the streamer, including “The Force Awakens from His Nap,” “The Good, the Bart, and the Loki” and “Plusaversary” in 2021, followed by “Billie and Lisa,” “Welcome to the Club” and “The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in 'Feliz Navidad'” in 2022, “Rogue Not Quite One” in 2023 and “May the 12th Be with You” in 2024.

However, this is the first time that The Simpsons has produced an entire exclusive episode for Disney+ – which could raise further questions about the show's future on Fox. Another 20th animated TV series on Fox, Family Guy, is producing original episodes for Hulu in addition to its Fox run.

Matt Groening, Matt Selman, Al Jean, Mike Price, Brian Kelley, David Silverman and star Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) announced the news onstage at D23 during a panel about “The Simpsons.”

The panelists also announced that the 35th season episodes (18 in total) that aired on Fox last season will premiere on Disney+ on October 2.

Just a few weeks ago at San Diego Comic-Con, The Simpsons revealed some of its plans for season 36, including a partnership with Stoopid Buddy (“Robot Chicken”) to battle Venom in the annual Treehouse of Horror extravaganza this fall. Treehouse of Horror won't be the only scary Simpsons event this season, as producers announced a “second horror trilogy” that will focus on three Ray Bradbury-inspired stories. Selman said the stories, titled Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes, will be “dark and funny and in the spirit of Halloween.”

Here is a poster for the premiere of season 35 on Disney+: