Disney+ has finally launched in the UK, but fans of The Simpsons are still struggling with one element of the show on the streaming service.

As subscribers to the streaming service in the US, Canada and Australia found out after its launch last November, while the first 30 seasons of the animated classic are included on the platform, the first 20 have been stretched out into the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning a whole universe of visual gags on the outskirts of the shot are being cropped out.

This is because The Simpsons only adopted the widescreen format during season 20, but surely Disney should've learned from the mistakes of FXX, which still airs episode marathons in a similarly frustrating way.

Channel 4

Related: The Simpsons recasts characters after voice actor Russi Taylor's death

Following the earlier disappointment voiced by Disney+ users last year, Disney released a statement saying it would make the episodes available in the original 4:3 aspect ratio in "early 2020".

"Over time, Disney+ will roll out new features and additional viewing options," the company said back in November (via Variety).

"As part of this, in early 2020, Disney+ will make the first 19 seasons (and some episodes from Season 20) of The Simpsons available in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, giving subscribers a choice of how they prefer to view the popular series."



In the statement, Disney also confirmed that the episodes were launched with the 16:9 ratio "in order to guarantee visual quality and consistency across all 30 seasons".

Now that the service has launched in the UK, The Simpsons' loyal fans are finding that there's still no 4:3 ratio option, and have taken to social media to also voice their displeasure.

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@DisneyPlusUK @TheSimpsons @disneyplus Enjoying what I'm seeing so far but disappointed that the aspect ratio on the Simpsons hasn't been fixed yet. That 16:9 is brutal on the older episodes.#DisneyPlusUK #DisneyPlus — Jukebox Jim (@Jukebox_Jim) March 24, 2020

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@DisneyPlusUK Love #DisneyPlusUK so far but when will classic #TheSimpsons get shown in their proper 4:3 aspect ratio as promised? — Mike (@Mike9586_) March 24, 2020

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Disney+ off to a good start by making classic Simpsons unwatchable by cropping to 16:9 instead of it’s original 4:3 aspect ratio. @DisneyPlusUK #DisneyPlusUK pic.twitter.com/IOJ7KpFT8E — Chris J. Allan (@chrisjallan) March 24, 2020

Related: Best Disney Plus shows - new TV releases and hidden gems

"Enjoying what I'm seeing so far but disappointed that the aspect ratio on the Simpsons hasn't been fixed yet. That 16:9 is brutal on the older episodes," one user wrote.

"Love #DisneyPlusUK so far but when will classic #TheSimpsons get shown in their proper 4:3 aspect ratio as promised?" another asked.

Reactions from US viewers last year are below:

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All the classic Simpsons episodes on Disney+ are in cropped widescreen format -- this means you miss out on tons of great visual jokes, like how Duff, Duff Lite and Duff Dry all come from the same tube. pic.twitter.com/cTy9adulFl — Tristan Cooper (@TristanACooper) November 12, 2019

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This is from season 1, Episode 1: The Simpsons roasting on an open campfire. The left photo is the DVD realase and the right is from Disney +#SimpsonsAspectRatio pic.twitter.com/PqQAAYLzf3 — Gotta catch Em All (@SolderBen10) November 12, 2019

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*clears throat* “ah yes, in episode 9F14 there is one tube pouring into three distinctly different vats of Duff beer, yet now I cannot see said singular tube, thus rendering the visual joke meaningless. Please explain it.”#SimpsonsAspectRatio pic.twitter.com/eVyw9IiNzN — Timohthy Jay (@TimothyJ44) November 13, 2019

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When they cropped The Simpsons into widescreen, they kept shots of the TV in 4:3. They really should've just kept the entire thing in it's original aspect ratio. pic.twitter.com/N2w7IxL3l9 — Tanooki Joe (@TanookiKuribo) June 4, 2019

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This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Time to watch my favorite Simpsons Ep. of all time & please, give us the option to use 4:3 Aspect Ratio. Looks ugly in Fullscreen/Widescreen. #TheSimpsons #DisneyPlus — FlaminTokei (@FlaminTokei) November 13, 2019

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UPDATE:



Disney+ only has The Simpsons stretched/cropped to widescreen



shameful, @DisneyPlusHelp. canceling my subscription until this is fixed. — Corey Atad (@CoreyAtad) November 12, 2019

Disney+ is now available in the US and the UK.



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