The Simpsons producer 'sorry' after fans mourn the death of popular character after 35 years on the show

When one of your favourite TV characters is killed off, it can be pretty devastating.

Just ask any Grey's Anatomy fan, who's dealt with a whopping 15 of them over the years.

Now, The Simpsons producer Tim Long has apologised after the death of a longtime character left fans reeling.

The iconic animated series has been on our screens for 35 years, building up a diehard fanbase who follow every move of Springfield's eclectic residents.

In the show's most recent episode, producers pulled the plug on a character who's been there since the very start.

During 'Cremains the Day', Larry the Barfly, aka Larry Dalrymple, who is often seen in the background at Moe's Tavern, drops dead at the bar.

Following the sad event, Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl attend Larry's funeral, but realise that they know almost nothing about their 'friend.'

Homer asks if they were 'terrible people' for putting themselves in this position.

Disney

After Larry's mother, Iris, pays an emotional tribute to her late son, the group, who Iris describes as Larry's 'best friends,' unconvincingly tell a vague fishing story at the funeral.

They then go to sprinkle his ashes at his 'special place', Serenity Falls.

Simpsons fans were caught off guard by Larry's death and took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts.

One user wrote a day before the episode aired: "Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute."

Another pointed out: "Really enjoyed last night's Simpsons episode. But I couldn't stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry's best friend, Sam."

And a third said: "Holy s**t Larry from the Simpsons died, rest in peace my drunken king."

Disney

Following the outpouring of love for the character, co-executive producer Tim Long has apologised for Larry's death.

He told TMZ that he's sorry to fans upset about the death, and the sad episode in general, but says he likes that fans seemed to take it hard because it speaks to how beloved the show still is.

Long also revealed that the creative team meant for Larry's death to hit viewers as hard as it did, even though he never had a big moment on the show.

He says it doesn't matter how small Larry's role was, because characters on The Simpsons don't die often. So it's a massive deal when they do.

Rest in peace Larry the Barfly.