UPDATE: Disney+ to restore all of The Simpsons you’ve been missing by “the end of May”

Originally posted 4/02/20 at 4:25 PM. – Ed.

A promising update in the ongoing battle against a public scourge. No, not that one. Not that one either. This one: Disney+ subscribers will soon be able to watch the first 19 seasons of The Simpsons (and the first nine episodes of season 20) in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. How soon? Well, as with anything these days, that’s kind of a moving target.

Expressing gratitude for Simpsons fans’ famously deep reserves of patience, Disney+’s Twitter feed estimated a “late May” rollout for episodes that don’t stretch their characters’ proportions or leave some of their best jokes out of the frame. So not exactly the “early 2020” timeframe promised last November, but pretty much the same amount of time it took to deliver standard-definition crops the last time The Simpsons went to streaming. No matter how they view the episodes, subscribers are still unlikely to see Leon Kompowsky—though that’s more the producers’ decision than Disney+’s.

UPDATE, 5/20/20 @ 3:50 P.M.: National Streaming Day may be a blatant exploitation of our nation’s proclivity to cling to fake holidays, but at least it’s informative. For example: Today, after informing waiting fans of a forthcoming Muppets series, Disney+ also confirmed that the proper aspect ratio will be restored to The Simpsons beginning May 28.