An animated sitcom is a subgenre of a television sitcom that is animated instead of being filmed live-action , and is generally made or created for adult audiences in most cases. The Simpsons , SpongeBob SquarePants , South Park , and Family Guy are four of the longest-running animated sitcoms.
177-559: The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company . Developed by Groening, James L. Brooks , and Sam Simon , the series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family , which consists of Homer , Marge , Bart , Lisa , and Maggie . Set in the fictional town of Springfield , it caricatures society, Western culture, television, and
354-577: A homemaker and take care of her family. However, she has held several one-episode jobs in the course of the series. These include working as a nuclear technician alongside Homer at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in " Marge Gets a Job " ( season four , 1992); selling houses in " Realty Bites " ( season nine , 1997); owning her own pretzel business in " The Twisted World of Marge Simpson " ( season eight , 1997), and working at an erotic bakery in " Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes " ( season 20 , 2008). While Marge has never expressed discontent with her role as
531-515: A "few cult hits and flops in the '90s", with almost nothing in the 2000s and more in the 2010s. Some critics called Duckman , based on a comic of the same, a "Simpsons-inspired sitcom" which had a pilot in 1991 and premiered in 1994 on the USA Network as part of the "network's Saturday night programming." The show features humans, animals, and hybrids of both intermingling, with "every design intentionally exaggerated and distorted", looking like
708-411: A "force for adult animation." In 1999, Family Guy debuted on Fox . The series was cancelled twice in the first three years, but became one of the network's longest-running series. It would later be praised for its humor, "cynical commentary, and sci-fi adventures" while having a sincere but tragic and real relationship between Brian and Pearl Burton. Beavis and Butt-Head , which began airing in
885-532: A "surprise hit with adult audiences." Even though some argued that The Flintstones later influenced The Simpsons , other scholars said that although the show caused a boom in primetime animation and "subverted conventional TV", the result would be driving animation out of primetime "for almost three decades". Despite this, scholar John Libbey argued that the show utilized "subversive qualities of animation." From 1972 to 1974, Hanna-Barbera produced Wait Till Your Father Gets Home , an adult-oriented sitcom in
1062-535: A Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation , argued that culture and events of 1990s "can all be understood through a Simpsons prism." Some critics argued that The Simpsons was responsible for "popularizing adult animation" while influencing "satirical cartoons" like South Park and Family Guy . Others even said that The Simpsons opened the "door for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim" and praised it for being "extremely unique and ... constantly evolving." Andrew J. Crow of Time magazine noted
1239-507: A cat also called Snowball II in the fifteenth-season episode " I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot ". Extended members of the Simpson and Bouvier family in the main cast include Homer's father Abe and Marge's sisters Patty and Selma . Marge's mother Jacqueline and Homer's mother Mona appear less frequently. The show includes a vast array of quirky supporting characters, which include Homer's friends Barney Gumble , Lenny Leonard and Carl Carlson ;
1416-613: A cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on T-shirts in the show's early days. However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising . The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons. The episode " Bart Gets Famous " mocks catchphrase-based humor, as Bart achieves fame on the Krusty the Clown Show solely for saying "I didn't do it". The Simpsons has gained notoriety for jokes that appeared to become reality. Perhaps
1593-461: A division of The Walt Disney Company . Nineteen years later, Disney purchased Fox . Other examples purported as The Simpsons predicting the future include the introduction of the smartwatch , video chat services, Richard Branson 's spaceflight and Lady Gaga 's acrobatic performance at the Super Bowl LI halftime show . Al Jean has commented on the show's purported ability to predict
1770-447: A family, but it gives a "new take on the typical American family." Some described The Boondocks as profound, comedic, smart, silly, has social commentary on class relations, racism, and with a unique animation style. Some said that Apple TV+ 's Central Park was one of the best shows of 2020 and described it as the network's "first foray into adult animation." Certain comedians have created their own animated sitcoms. This includes
1947-401: A gambling addiction. While Marge has learned to cope with her addiction, it has never completely disappeared and remains an underlying problem that is referenced occasionally on the show. Marge is also known to suffer OCD as shown when she won a house cleaning but she then cleaned the whole house herself and it thus led to her accidentally causing her to suffer Amnesia . Another time is when
SECTION 10
#17327647828202124-419: A gay friend and Homer's initial hostility to him. In 1990, The Simpsons became the first animated early evening show to depict a kiss between two men in " Simpson and Delilah ". The Simpsons ' opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. The standard opening has gone through three iterations (a replacement of some shots at the start of the second season, and a brand new sequence when
2301-467: A good relationship with Lisa and the two are shown to get along quite well. Marge over-mothers Maggie, which causes her to become too clingy and dependent on Marge. Marge maintains a good relationship with her mother Jacqueline and her sisters Patty and Selma, though they disapprove of Homer and are vocal about it. Marge has tolerated their criticism, but has occasionally lost patience with them, once referring to them as "ghouls". Marge's late father Clancy
2478-451: A homemaker, she has become bored with it. In " The Springfield Connection " ( season six , 1995), Marge decided that she needed more excitement in her life and became a police officer. However, by the end of the episode, she became upset with the corruption in the force and quit. Matt Groening first conceived Marge and the rest of the Simpson family in 1987 in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks ' office. Groening had been called to pitch
2655-535: A massive hit among American audiences. In response, ABC , CBS and NBC each developed animated series to air in prime time, but none of the shows were successful. One series, Capitol Critters , focused on subjects such as gun control, interracial violence and political corruption. In his review of the series, Variety critic Brian Lowry wrote that he felt that the series' approach was "muddled", and that "the bland central character and cartoonish elements ... will likely be off-putting to many adults, who won't find
2832-401: A nervous breakdown, and James L. Brooks quickly approved. The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. The family was crudely drawn, because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead, they just traced over his drawings. To draw Marge, the animators generally start off with a sphere, similar to
3009-428: A nervous breakdown. After spending time at "Rancho Relaxo", during which her family barely coped with her absence, she returned refreshed and everyone promised to help out more often. Marge often provides a grounding opinion for Homer and their marriage has often been shaky. Marge admits that she "put[s] up with a lot in [their] marriage," and has left Homer or thrown him out of the house on several occasions. One of
3186-439: A new opening sequence. Matt Groening called it a complicated change because it affected the timing and composition of animation. The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy, or sitcom, as its premise. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town, serving as a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle . However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons ' scope
3363-507: A parody of The Real World , which follows the misadventures of the housemates in the fictional show of the same name and uses a sitcom format with a reality TV show setting, was followed by a direct-to-video film and series finale titled The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! . Another antimated sitcom was Brickleberry which aired on Comedy Central from 2012 to 2015. It was created by Waco O'Guin and Roger Black , executive produced by O'Guin, Black, and comedian Daniel Tosh . It
3540-484: A plastic cup ... with your blue hair filled with pink birds peeking out all over. Evidently, you and your charming family — Lisa, Homer, Bart and Maggie — are camping out. It's a nice family scene. Clearly you are setting a good example for the rest of the country. Please forgive a loose tongue." In 2002, opponents of the Seattle Monorail Project planned on showing the episode " Marge vs.
3717-439: A popular streaming hub. Critics praised Tuca & Bertie and Solar Opposites for their take on humor and comedy . Shaurya Thapa of Screen Rant argued that Tuca & Bertie offered "a fresh and realistic take on the sitcom formula" while Rafael Motomoyer of Collider argued that Solar Opposites not only mixes "crude humor and knack for violence ... with a long-standing tradition of animated sitcoms" centered on
SECTION 20
#17327647828203894-521: A provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content. Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching. The half-hour series premiered on December 17, 1989, with " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ". " Some Enchanted Evening " was the first full-length episode produced, but it did not broadcast until May 1990, as
4071-415: A recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions. Sexuality is often a source of jokes in the series or serves as the theme of certain episodes. Even though homosexuals are sometimes sources of gags, the series often comments on how American society treats them, with " Homer's Phobia " devoting an entire episode to the family making
4248-457: A series of animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show , and had intended to present an adaptation of his Life in Hell comic strip. When he realized that animating Life in Hell would require him to rescind publication rights, Groening decided to go in another direction and hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family , naming the characters after members of his own family. Marge
4425-587: A series of five 44-cent stamps featuring Marge and the four other members of the Simpson family. They are the first characters from a television series to receive this recognition while the show is still in production. The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009. Marge is depicted in much The Simpsons -related merchandise, including T-shirts, baseball caps, bumper stickers, cardboard stand-ups, refrigerator magnets, key rings, buttons, dolls, posters and figurines. She has appeared in each of The Simpsons video games . Besides
4602-442: A series of shorts based on Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on Fox , which debuted December 17, 1989. Marge is the matriarch of the Simpson family. With her husband Homer , she has three children: Bart , Lisa , and Maggie . Marge
4779-460: A series, including 37 Primetime Emmy Awards , 34 Annie Awards , and 2 Peabody Awards . Homer's exclamatory catchphrase of " D'oh! " has been adopted into the English language, while The Simpsons has influenced many other later adult-oriented animated sitcom television series. The main characters are the Simpson family , who live in the fictional " Middle America " town of Springfield. Homer ,
4956-589: A share of the profits every year, and an executive producer credit despite not having worked on the show since 1993, at least until his passing in 2015. A more involved position on the show is the showrunner , who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season. The first team of writers, assembled by Sam Simon, consisted of John Swartzwelder , Jon Vitti , George Meyer , Jeff Martin , Al Jean , Mike Reiss , Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky . Newer Simpsons ' writing teams typically consist of sixteen writers who propose episode ideas at
5133-475: A single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show or viewing it in slow motion. Kristin Thompson argues that The Simpsons uses a "flurry of cultural references, intentionally inconsistent characterization, and considerable self-reflexivity about television conventions and the status of the programme as a television show." One of Bart's early hallmarks
5310-517: A sneak peek on Cartoon Network on December 30, 2000, the series officially premiered on Adult Swim on September 2, 2001, the night the block launched. It ended on July 22, 2007, with a total of 39 episodes , over the course of four seasons. Later, in October 2018, a special , entitled Harvey Birdman: Attorney General , premiered, and a spin-off, Birdgirl , was ordered in May 2019. Some described
5487-555: A unique style, and centered around "therapist discussions with real celebrities". In March 2000, the first few episodes of God, the Devil and Bob aired on NBC , with nine episodes unaired. The series didn't return until 2011, when the nine remaining episodes aired, from January to March 2011, on Adult Swim . Some said this was because Christian groups, like the American Family Association , had boycotted
The Simpsons - Misplaced Pages Continue
5664-403: A vast array of television channels, which enables the producers to make jokes about the entertainment industry and the press. Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias. Al Jean acknowledged in an interview that "We [the show] are of liberal bent." The writers often evince an appreciation for progressive leanings , but the show makes jokes across
5841-410: A wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show. Such references, for example, come from movies, television, music, literature, science, and history. The animators also regularly add jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, billboards , and elsewhere. The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in
6018-455: Is a "veteran of adult animation" as he worked on Family Guy in the past. In June 2011, two scholars analyzed queer characters and themes in animated sitcoms, arguing that they create "space for queer resistance," analyzing themes, and text, in the animated series Family Guy . They also argued that analyzing the show using postmodern thematic analysis , it creates " deconstructionist instances" that, in their view, "expose and subvert
6195-532: Is a character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family (The Simpsons). Voiced by Julie Kavner , she first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short " Good Night " on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks ' office. Groening had been called to pitch
6372-493: Is a feminist. In " Lisa the Skeptic " ( season nine , 1997), an "angel skeleton" is discovered, much to Lisa's skepticism. As Lisa rants about the people who believe it is an angel, Marge informs her that she also believes it is an angel. She tells Lisa, "There has to be more to life than just what we see, everyone needs something to believe in." In spite of her highly debatable moral stances, Marge struggles with vices, such as
6549-539: Is also one of the few programs dubbed in both standard French and Quebec French . The show has been broadcast in Arabic, but due to Islamic customs, numerous aspects of the show have been changed. For example, Homer drinks soda instead of beer and eats Egyptian beef sausages instead of hot dogs. Because of such changes, the Arabized version of the series met with a negative reaction from the lifelong Simpsons fans in
6726-524: Is also the age given in The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family , a book written by The Simpsons ' creator, Matt Groening . In " Homer's Paternity Coot " ( season 17 , 2006), Marge states that Emerald would have been her birthstone if she had been born three months later, placing her birthday sometime in February. In " Regarding Margie " ( season 17 , 2006), Homer mentioned that Marge
6903-404: Is changing, saying that it can be something that is "sophisticated, dramatic, beautiful and nuanced" rather than "crass and cruel." In January 2020, TZGZ , Syfy 's new adult animation block, ordered six 15-minute episodes of the series, which would later become Magical Girl Friendship Squad . At the same time, the short form version, Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins , began airing on
7080-445: Is considered the first example of the animated sitcom genre. A similar cartoon, The Jetsons , which took place in the future rather than the past, followed in 1962. Marc Blake argued it started the " science fiction sitcom sub genre". Animated sitcoms have been more controversial than traditional cartoons from the onset. The Flintstones was originally oriented at parents, as an animated version of The Honeymooners , though it
7257-509: Is consistently portrayed that he is Jewish , that his father was a rabbi , and that his career began in the 1960s. The latter point introduces another snag in the floating timeline: historical periods that are a core part of a character's backstory remain so even when their age makes it unlikely or impossible, such as Grampa Simpson and Principal Skinner 's respective service in World War II and Vietnam . The only episodes not part of
The Simpsons - Misplaced Pages Continue
7434-446: Is dirty and disheveled, and begs Marge to take him back, saying the one thing he can offer her that nobody else can is "complete and utter dependence." At first, Marge does not see that as a benefit, but eventually admits that he "really [does] make a gal feel needed." Episodes that depict marital problems have become more frequent in recent seasons of the show. Through it all, Marge has remained faithful to Homer, despite temptations to
7611-437: Is inconsistent: from one episode to another, it may have coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon , the city where he grew up. Groening has said that he named it after Springfield, Oregon , and the fictitious Springfield which was the setting of the series Father Knows Best . He "figured out that Springfield
7788-436: Is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant , the show can comment on the state of the environment. Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School , the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features
7965-445: Is married to Homer and mother of Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson. She was raised by her parents, Jacqueline and Clancy Bouvier . She has a pair of sisters, the joyless Patty and Selma , both of whom vocally disapprove of Homer. In " The Way We Was " ( season two , 1991), it is revealed via flashback that Marge attended Springfield High School, and in her final year met Homer, after they both were sent to detention—Homer for smoking in
8142-471: Is not the only model for such animation, due to new shows coming to TV and streaming platforms like BoJack Horseman , Big Mouth , Rick and Morty and Undone , which some call a boom at the time that "high-quality adult animation shows" are being produced in France, Japan, and in other parts of the world, a new group of creators is pushing existing boundaries. Even so, fans of The Simpsons turned Hulu into
8319-464: Is rarely referred to in the series and has had speaking parts in only two episodes. It was revealed in " Fear of Flying " ( season six , 1994) that Clancy told Marge that he was a pilot, but in reality, he was a flight attendant. Marge discovered this one day and developed aerophobia . In " Jazzy and the Pussycats " ( season 18 , 2006), Homer casually mentions that they once attended his funeral. It
8496-743: Is said that Jeremy is actually heterosexual but left his wife and children for Richard, who offered him an easy, no-maintenance life as his trophy husband. The following year, from January to December 2012, Unsupervised , an adult animated sitcom ran on FX . Although it was cancelled in November 2012 after one season, it was praised by critics as a coming-of-age story, with two clueless and ridiculous protagonists, while having "realistic looking backgrounds," contrasting with show's look in general. Jeff & Some Aliens , an animated sitcom aired on Comedy Central from January to March 2017. The plot surrounds three aliens who travel to Earth to find
8673-511: Is some way out of this controversy. I thought, perhaps, it would be a good start to just speak my mind. —Marge Simpson in her letter to Barbara Bush The edition of October 1, 1990, of People included an interview with then- First Lady of the United States Barbara Bush . The article included the following passage: "She loves America's Funniest Home Videos but remains baffled after sampling The Simpsons . "It
8850-399: Is the case with Disenchantment , Final Space , Solar Opposites , Central Park , the short-lived series, Hoops , and Q-Force . This positioned Netflix as a leader of adult animation content. The creator of Bojack Horseman , Raphael Bob-Waksberg , said that the show is about "ourselves looking outwards" and argued that the voice actor for Bojack, Will Arnett , can find
9027-526: Is the moralistic force in her family and often provides a grounding voice in the midst of her family's antics by trying to maintain order in the Simpson household. She is often portrayed as a stereotypical television mother and is often included on lists of top "TV moms". She has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons —including video games , The Simpsons Movie , The Simpsons Ride , commercials, and comic books —and inspired an entire line of merchandise. Marge's distinctive blue beehive hairstyle
SECTION 50
#17327647828209204-507: The 44th Primetime Emmy Awards , Kavner received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing Marge in the season three episode " I Married Marge ". In 2004, Kavner and Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer) won a Young Artist Award for "Most Popular Mom & Dad in a TV Series". For her performance in The Simpsons Movie , Kavner was nominated for "Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature" at
9381-636: The Linguistic Data Consortium , remarked, " The Simpsons has apparently taken over from Shakespeare and the Bible as our culture's greatest source of idioms, catchphrases and sundry other textual allusions." The most famous catchphrase is Homer's annoyed grunt: " D'oh! " So ubiquitous is the expression that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary , but without the apostrophe. Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed
9558-493: The hegemony of heteronormativity ." Allen Gregory had a short run in 2011 and was cancelled after the first season. This series featured Richard and Jeremy De Longpre, the fathers of the title character, Allen. Jeremy is a former social worker who had a loving wife and family, although this changed after Richard became one of his clients. Richard was attracted to Jeremy to the point where he started stalking him and his family until Jeremy finally agreed to be his husband. It
9735-450: The human condition . The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer Brooks. He created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after his own family members, substituting Bart for his own name; he thought Simpson was a funny name in that it sounded similar to " simpleton ". The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After three seasons,
9912-473: The twentieth season was put on hold due to new contract negotiations with the voice actors, who wanted a "healthy bump" in salary to an amount close to $ 500,000 per episode. The negotiations were soon completed, and the actors' salary was raised to $ 400,000 per episode. Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, the cast members accepted a 30 percent pay cut, down to just over $ 300,000 per episode. In addition to
10089-455: The "foxhole humor" in Bob's Burgers has kept it going, and even argue that the humor in the children's animation, Animaniacs was "far more adult" than the original series in the 1990s . Later in 2020, the reboot of Animaniacs , an all-ages animation had an episode pulled which included a real sex hotline number, with the series no stranger to adult humor as the showrunner, Wellesley Wild,
10266-436: The "junior" writers are usually given Marge episodes because he and writing partner Josh Weinstein were given several to write during their first season. During the third season of the show, most of the writers focused on Bart and Homer, so David M. Stern decided to write a Marge episode, which became " Homer Alone " ( season three , 1992). He felt that they could achieve a "deeper vein" of comedy in an episode where Marge has
10443-419: The "most watched cable television series." In 2019, it was announced that a writer for Disenchantment , Shion Takeuchi, would be heading her own upcoming Netflix show titled Inside Job , with Alex Hirsch as an executive producer, With a woman named Alma as the protagonist, Takeuchi said she hoped it would "push the boundaries" of adult animation. Hirsch was also quoted as noting that adult animation
10620-528: The 1980s, US pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for children, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception, initially leading to a short period where networks attempted to recreate prime-time cartoon success with shows like Capitol Critters , Fish Police , and Family Dog , which were expensive and unsuccessful. The Simpsons ' use of Korean animation studios for tweening , coloring, and filming made
10797-499: The 1990s, which are generally considered its "golden age". Since then, it has been criticized for a perceived decline in quality . Time named it the 20th century's best television series, and Erik Adams of The A.V. Club named it "television's crowning achievement regardless of format". On January 14, 2000, the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as
SECTION 60
#173276478282010974-401: The 2007 Annie Awards , but lost to Ian Holm from Ratatouille . Kavner's emotional performance in the movie got positive reviews and one critic said she "gave what must be the most heartfelt performance ever." Various episodes in which Marge is prominently featured have been nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program , including " The Way We Weren't " in 2004 and " Life on
11151-546: The 24th "Most Memorable Female TV Character". Her relationship with Homer was included in TV Guide 's list of "The Best TV Couples of All Time". Religious writer Kenneth Briggs has written that "Marge is my candidate for sainthood ... She lives in the real world, she lives with crises, with flawed people. She forgives and she makes her own mistakes. She is a forgiving, loving person ... absolutely saintly." Marge and Lisa are James L. Brooks most favorite characters in
11328-458: The Clown and news reporter Kent Brockman ; nuclear tycoon Montgomery Burns and his devoted assistant Waylon Smithers ; and dozens more . The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokes or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted
11505-429: The Clown , Groundskeeper Willie , Mayor Quimby , Barney Gumble , and other adult male characters. Julie Kavner voices Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma , as well as several minor characters. Castellaneta and Kavner had been a part of The Tracey Ullman Show cast and were given the parts so that new actors would not be needed. Cartwright voices Bart Simpson , Nelson Muntz , Ralph Wiggum and other children. Smith,
11682-469: The Fast Lane ", which won the award in 1990. In 2000, Marge and the rest of the Simpson family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard. Marge has been ranked highly in lists of the top television mothers of all time. She was ranked first on Entertainment Weekly 's list in 1994; first on Fox News ' list in 2005; eighth on CityNews ' list in 2008; and
11859-715: The Monorail " at a protest event. Following complaints, 20th Century Fox sent a letter to the event organizers ordering that the episode not be shown due to copyright laws. In 2004, Marge appeared on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom for the Alternative Christmas message , which is annually broadcast at the same time that Queen Elizabeth II gives her Christmas message. On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service unveiled
12036-534: The Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short " Good Night ". In 1989, the shorts were adapted into The Simpsons , a half-hour series airing on the Fox Network . Marge and the Simpson family remained the main characters on this new show. Matt Groening believes that episodes featuring Marge are among the most difficult episodes to write. Bill Oakley believes that
12213-467: The actions of the characters, as well as removing all references to fire from the episodes. As Beavis and Butt-Head began entered its last season in 1997, a new adult animation began airing on MTV which was titled Daria . It would praised for its "progressive characters", sense of humor, and ability to capture absurdity of teen life in suburbs. Beginning around the same time was South Park . It became an "icon for anti-censorship and free speech" and
12390-427: The animators and assumed that the figures would be cleaned up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the characters in the initial shorts. The animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo , with Wes Archer , David Silverman , and Bill Kopp being animators for the first season. The colorist, "Georgie" Gyorgyi Kovacs Peluce (Kovács Györgyike) made
12567-448: The area. Several different U.S. and international studios animate The Simpsons . Throughout the run of the animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show , the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo . With the debut of the series, because of an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to several local and foreign studios. These are AKOM , Anivision , Rough Draft Studios , USAnimation , and Toonzone Entertainment. For
12744-429: The bathroom with Barney, and Marge for burning her bra in a feminist protest. She was at first wary of Homer, but agreed to go to the prom with him, although she ended up going with Artie Ziff after Homer received tutoring lessons as a means to get to know her better, while knowing that she needed to sleep for a school meet. However, she regretted going with Artie when he started to pressure her to have sex after prom. At
12921-421: The beginning of each December. The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show's vocal performers. Until 2004, George Meyer, who had developed the show since the first season, was active in these sessions. According to long-time writer Jon Vitti, Meyer usually invented
13098-433: The best lines in a given episode, even though other writers may receive script credits. Each episode takes six months to produce so the show rarely comments on current events. Credited with sixty episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons . One of the best-known former writers is Conan O'Brien , who contributed to several episodes in the early 1990s before replacing David Letterman as host of
13275-486: The cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio , doing live performances of their characters' voices. The six main actors were paid $ 30,000 per episode, until 1998, when they were involved in a pay dispute with Fox. The company threatened to replace them with new actors, even going as far as preparing for casting of new voices, but series creator Groening supported the actors in their action. The issue
13452-499: The characters he voiced ( Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz ) were retired; Wallace's character of Edna Krabappel was retired as well after her death in 2013. Following Taylor's death in 2019, her characters (including Sherri, Terri , and Martin Prince ) are now voiced by Grey Griffin . Episodes will quite often feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, athletes, authors, bands, musicians and scientists. In
13629-490: The characters yellow; as Bart, Lisa and Maggie have no hairlines, she felt they would look strange if they were flesh-colored. Groening supported the decision, saying: "Marge is yellow with blue hair? That's hilarious — let's do it!" In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company . The team included the Klasky Csupo animation house. Brooks negotiated
13806-611: The claimed prophecies, explaining that the show's extensive run means "a lot of jokes, and a lot of opportunities for coincidences to appear" and "most of these 'predictions' have rather simple and mundane explanations". For example, the device shown on The Simpsons with autocorrection is an Apple Newton , a real 1993 device notorious for its poor handwriting recognition . Technologically advanced watches have appeared in numerous works of fiction, decades before The Simpsons . A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered popular vernacular. Mark Liberman , director of
13983-422: The comedy in anything. Nasdaq argued that shows like Disenchantment were "original content" which had helped Netflix "dominate the online video streaming market," and said that demand for original content will allow Netflix to expand its base of subscribers. This allowed Netflix to gain allegiance of smaller, but more fervent, fanbases, which garnered a wide viewership. Some critics noted that The Simpsons
14160-452: The commercial breaks. Having seen one of cartoonist Matt Groening 's Life in Hell comic strips, Brooks asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts. Groening initially intended to present an animated version of his Life in Hell series. However, Groening later realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work. He therefore chose another approach while waiting in
14337-466: The concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV . Despite the depiction of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays passing, the characters never age. The series uses a floating timeline in which episodes generally take place in the year the episode is produced. Flashbacks and flashforwards do occasionally depict the characters at other points in their lives, with the timeline of these depictions also generally floating relative to
14514-473: The content but that ABC, and their corporate owner Disney Company , reneged on their promises, and called the show "dead" even though there were six episodes that had not aired. Six episodes of the show, based on Kevin Smith 's 1994 comedy of the same title , were produced, but only two episodes aired before the show was cancelled by ABC. While the pilot of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law first aired as
14691-457: The contrary such as the one in " Life on the Fast Lane " ( season one , 1990), where she resists Frenchman Jacques and instead chooses to remain with Homer. Marge is more caring, understanding, and nurturing toward Bart than Homer, but she refers to him as "a handful" and is often embarrassed by his antics. In " Marge Be Not Proud " ( season seven , 1995), she felt she was mothering Bart too much and started acting more distant towards him after he
14868-485: The cover of Maxim . She also appeared on the cover of the November 2009 issue of Playboy , becoming the first cartoon character to appear on the cover. The cover and a three-page picture spread, as well as a story inside entitled The Devil in Marge Simpson , commemorated the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons , but as also part of a plan to appeal to younger readers, a decision which has been criticized due to
15045-477: The dictionary in August 2007. Many quotes/scenes have become popular Internet memes , including Jasper Beardley's quote "That's a paddlin ' " from " The PTA Disbands " ( season 6 , 1995) and "Steamed Hams" from " 22 Short Films About Springfield " ( season 7 , 1996). The Simpsons was the first successful animated program in American prime time since Wait Till Your Father Gets Home in the 1970s. During most of
15222-435: The dispute was soon resolved and she received $ 125,000 per episode until 2004 when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $ 360,000 an episode. The issue was resolved a month later, and Kavner earned $ 250,000 per episode. After salary re-negotiations in 2008, the voice actors receive approximately $ 400,000 per episode. Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, Kavner and
15399-536: The divorce of Milhouse van Houten 's parents, and the marriage and subsequent parenthood of Apu and Manjula . The Simpsons takes place in a fictional American town called Springfield . Although there are many real settlements in America named Springfield, the town the show is set in is fictional. The state it is in is not established. In fact, the show is intentionally evasive with regard to Springfield's location. Springfield's geography and that of its surroundings
15576-444: The door, it would spring back and forth. This was never used. Groening's original plan for Marge's hair was that it would conceal large, Life in Hell -esque rabbit ears. The gag was intended to be revealed in the final episode of the series, but was scrapped early on due to inconsistencies, and also to the fact that rabbit ears would be too fictitious even for The Simpsons . Marge's voice is performed by Julie Kavner , who also does
15753-466: The earlier seasons, most of the guest stars voiced characters, but eventually more started appearing as themselves. Tony Bennett was the first guest star to appear as himself, appearing briefly in the season two episode " Dancin' Homer ". The Simpsons holds the world record for "Most Guest Stars Featured in a Television Series". The Simpsons has been dubbed into several other languages , including Japanese, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. It
15930-449: The early 1990s, another sitcom, was also controversial. This was due to its portrayal of brief nudity, profanity and violence. Although the series was intended for adult audiences, it was shown in the afternoons, and multiple parents claimed that their children had imitated the show's characters. After an incident, MTV responded by moving the series to a later airtime and adding disclaimers to future episodes stating explicitly not to imitate
16107-408: The end of the evening, while Artie drove her home after receiving a slap, she spied Homer walking along the side of the road with the corsage meant for her. After hearing her parents voicing their negative opinions about Homer, she took her own car and went back to give him a ride. She then told Homer she should've gone to the prom with him and he fixes her snapped shoulder strap with the corsage. During
16284-473: The episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted US television networks to take chances on other adult animated series. This development led US producers to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows for adults, such as Beavis and Butt-Head , South Park , Family Guy , King of the Hill , Futurama (which was created by Matt Groening), and The Critic (which
16461-400: The established back-story; for example, it was revealed that Marge and Homer were childless in the early 1990s although past episodes had suggested Bart and Lisa were born in the 1980s. As with many Simpsons characters, Marge's age and birthday changes to serve the story. In season one (1990) episodes " Life on the Fast Lane " and " Some Enchanted Evening ", Marge was said to be 34. This
16638-564: The family had to house sit for Mr. Burns , she forced Lisa and herself to clean the entire mansion. Politically , Marge generally aligns with the Democratic Party , having supported the candidacy of her state's progressive governor Mary Bailey , and voted for Jimmy Carter in both of his presidential elections. She was also deeply affected by the death of Lyndon B. Johnson , to the point where she wanted him to be alive so badly that she kept seeing him everywhere she looked. At
16815-666: The family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres. They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, this changed by the 2000s (and again in 2020), when new installments have premiered after Halloween due to Fox 's current contract with Major League Baseball 's World Series . Prior to 2020 (between 2011 and 2019), every Treehouse of Horror episode had aired in October. The show's humor turns on cultural references that cover
16992-412: The family who rarely speaks, but communicates by sucking on a pacifier. Although the family is dysfunctional, many episodes examine their relationships and bonds with each other and they are often shown to care about one another. The family also owns a greyhound , Santa's Little Helper , (who first appeared in the episode " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ") and a cat, Snowball II , who is replaced by
17169-485: The father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant , a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge ( née Bouvier), a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children: Bart , a ten-year-old troublemaker and prankster; Lisa , a precocious eight-year-old activist; and Maggie (named by Bart), the baby of
17346-528: The first part of season 2 of Disenchantment was released on Netflix . In February 2021, it was announced that Tyler, the Creator had teamed up with Lionel Boyce and Davon 'Jasper' Wilson to develop an animated comedy named Shell Beach . In March 2021 it was reported that King of the Hill would be revived, with characters aging 15 years from the end of the series. Marge Simpson Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson ( née Bouvier )
17523-418: The first such episodes to depict this is " Secrets of a Successful Marriage " ( season five , 1994), where Homer starts teaching an education class on how to build a successful marriage. He is at first unsuccessful, but gains the interest of the class when he starts giving away family secrets, many of which concern Marge. Upon finding this out, Marge is incensed and throws him out of the house. The next day, Homer
17700-546: The first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In 1992, the show's production company, Gracie Films, switched domestic production to Film Roman , who continued to animate the show until 2016 when they were replaced by Fox Television Animation , which allowed the show to be made more in-house. In Season 14 , production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint . The first episode to experiment with digital coloring
17877-402: The future, explaining that they are really just "educated guesses" and stating that "if you throw enough darts, you're going to get some bullseyes." Producer Bill Oakley stated, "There are very few cases where The Simpsons predicted something. It's mainly just coincidence because the episodes are so old that history repeats itself." Fact-checking sources such as Snopes have debunked many of
18054-417: The growing relationship between Fry and Leela and an "alien relationship" (Kif and Amy). John Evershed, formerly showrunner on Happy Tree Friends and current founder of Mondo Media , argued that the "enduring popularity" of this genre is a result of The Simpsons , a massive "animation franchise," and said this proves "the time-tested formula" of the genre works, even though it was "controversial" when it
18231-404: The history of television," in terms of shows like Family Guy and South Park . These shows, and their subsequent franchises, were said to be part of a shift in the early 2010s toward adult animation , with darker and "more intricate animated comedies" such as Bojack Horseman and Rick and Morty released, with the latter reaching nine million viewers after the first season. Drawn Together ,
18408-519: The illusion. People feel these are real people." Kavner takes recording sessions seriously and feels that voice acting is "a little more limiting than live acting. And I have nothing to do with my character's movement." Marge's raspy voice is only slightly different from Kavner's, who has a "honeyed gravel voice" which she says is due to "a bump on [her] vocal cords." While Marge is her most famous character, Kavner's favorite characters to voice are Patty and Selma because "they're really funny and sad at
18585-704: The influence of The Simpsons on adult animation, with Family Guy , King of the Hill , and Bob's Burgers , among others, featuring some version of the same structure, while "non-family-based shows" have drawn from "Matt Groening's hyper-referential style, irreverence and slapstick humor." He quoted Alex Hirsch , creator of Gravity Falls , as describing adult animation as an "arms race of different ways to copy The Simpsons ." Two of Hirsch's friends from CalArts, Pendleton Ward (creator of Adventure Time ) and J. G. Quintel (creator of Regular Show ) were also inspired by The Simpsons. In 1989, The Simpsons began airing on Fox Broadcasting Company in prime time, becoming
18762-463: The job on the spot. Cartwright is the only one of the six main Simpsons cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. Azaria and Shearer do not voice members of the title family, but play a majority of the male townspeople. Azaria, who has been a part of the main voice cast since the second season in one episode " Old Money " and then perpetually part of
18939-420: The last episode of the first season, because of animation problems. In 1992, Tracey Ullman filed a lawsuit against Fox, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons —a claim rejected by the courts. List of showrunners throughout the series' run: Matt Groening and James L. Brooks have served as executive producers during
19116-464: The lobby of Brooks's office for the pitch meeting, hurriedly formulating his version of a dysfunctional family that became the Simpsons. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name, adopting an anagram of the word brat . The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Groening submitted only basic sketches to
19293-610: The main cast, Pamela Hayden , Tress MacNeille , Marcia Wallace , Maggie Roswell , and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters. From 1999 to 2002, Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven . Karl Wiedergott has also appeared in minor roles, but does not voice any recurring characters. Wiedergott left the show in 2010, and since then Chris Edgerly has appeared regularly to voice minor characters. Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks , Phil Hartman , Jon Lovitz , Joe Mantegna , Maurice LaMarche , and Kelsey Grammer . Following Hartman's death in 1998,
19470-494: The most average person to test and understand humans. Most episodes revolve around Jeff having a problem that the aliens can fix with a strange device. In December 2017, the series was canceled after one season. It was described as being "a witty and fun stoner alien romp" which is a comedy akin to Rick and Morty . Other animated sitcoms include Paradise PD , Tuca & Bertie , The Boondocks , and Momma Named Me Sheriff . Some series are on streaming platforms, as
19647-456: The most famous example comes from the episode " Bart to the Future ", which mentions billionaire Donald Trump having been president of the United States at one time and leaving the nation broke. The episode first aired in 2000, sixteen years before Trump (who at the time was exploring a presidential run ) was elected. Another episode, " When You Dish Upon a Star ", lampooned 20th Century Fox as
19824-629: The most popular animated sitcoms in each U.S. state . They found that South Park is popular in Colorado , The Simpsons is popular in Oregon and Massachusetts , Family Guy popular in Connecticut , and King of the Hill popular in Kentucky and Tennessee. The report also stated The Simpsons and South Park are the two most popular animated sitcoms, while Rick and Morty is among
20001-633: The network, and 17 NBC-affiliated stations agreed, leading to the show being stopped only after four episodes had aired. Even so, some religious leaders in the United Kingdom supported the show, and critics like Caryn James called it "a little risky" but "relatively benign" when compared to South Park , The Sopranos , and Sex and the City which aired at the time. In June 2000, Kevin Smith criticized ABC over its animated sitcom, Clerks: The Animated Series , telling EW that they delivered
20178-461: The ongoing series, Duncanville , is airing on FOX , co-created by Amy Poehler , Mike Scully , and Julie Thacker . Poehler said the series is inspired by The Simpsons . Another animated sitcom on Fox, Bless the Harts , starred Kristen Wiig , and was created by former Saturday Night Live staff writer, Emily Spivey . A September 2018 report by AT&T , using Google Trends , identified
20355-412: The original comics, with theme music from Frank Zappa and set its sights on "1990s incarnations of political correctness and censorship", making it, a critic argued, a precursor to Family Guy and BoJack Horseman . As for King of the Hill , some noted it had the a great example of "young, adolescent love" within adult animation, specifically between Bobby and Connie. The show was also described as
20532-419: The other cast members accepted a 30 percent pay cut, down to just over $ 300,000 per episode. Marge is generally a stereotypical sitcom mother, and she also plays the "long-suffering wife" who puts up with the antics of her children and her oafish husband. While she usually takes her family's problems with good humor, in " Homer Alone " ( season three , 1992), her workload and resultant stress caused her to have
20709-521: The other members of the Writers Guild of America, East . The show's writers had joined the guild in 1998. In May 2023, the writers of The Simpsons went on strike together with the other members of the Writers Guild of America, East . The Simpsons has six main cast members: Dan Castellaneta , Julie Kavner , Nancy Cartwright , Yeardley Smith , Hank Azaria , and Harry Shearer . Castellaneta voices Homer Simpson , Grampa Simpson , Krusty
20886-524: The phrase from James Finlayson , an actor in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone. The staff of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise, and it went on to become the well-known exclamation in the television series. Groundskeeper Willie 's description of the French as " cheese-eating surrender monkeys " was used by National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg in 2003, after France's opposition to
21063-567: The political satire biting enough to merit their continued attention. Similarly, kids probably won't be as smitten with the cartoon aspects or look". The series was cancelled after one month. The Critic was somewhat more successful, but achieved low ratings because of ABC's sporadic scheduling, and was cancelled by the network. Fox picked up the series, but cancelled it four months later. While Fox allowed The Simpsons to portray animated depictions of human buttocks, ABC would not allow similar scenes to appear on The Critic . Others stated that it
21240-402: The political spectrum. The show portrays government and large corporations as evil entities that take advantage of the common worker. Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In The Simpsons , politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are dismissive to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent. Religion also figures as
21417-673: The proposed invasion of Iraq . The phrase quickly spread to other journalists. " Cromulent " and "embiggen", words used in " Lisa the Iconoclast ", have since appeared in the Dictionary.com 's 21st Century Lexicon, and scientific journals respectively. "Kwyjibo", a fake Scrabble word invented by Bart in " Bart the Genius ", was used as one of the aliases of the creator of the Melissa worm . "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords",
21594-453: The regular main voice cast since the third season, voices recurring characters such as Moe Szyslak , Chief Wiggum , Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and Professor Frink . Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns , Mr. Smithers , Principal Skinner , Ned Flanders , Reverend Lovejoy and formerly Dr. Hibbert . Every main cast member has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance . With one exception, episode credits list only
21771-400: The ride, he tells her he will hug her and kiss her and never be able to let her go. After the two had been dating for several years, Marge discovered she was pregnant with Bart, and she and Homer were married in a small wedding chapel across the state line. Bart was born soon after, and the couple bought their first house . The episode " That '90s Show " ( season 19 , 2008) contradicted much of
21948-424: The same late-night programming block. In February 2020, Fox released an animated sitcom produced by Seungyong Ji and Jordan Grief titled Duncanville , focusing on the story of a kid who "daydreams of making it big without having to wear a suit and tie to do so." In September 2020, Magical Girl Friendship Squad began airing on SYFY. In interviews the same month, series creator Kelsey Stephanides hoped that
22125-478: The same period. The 1995 episode " Lisa's Wedding " takes place during Lisa's college years in the then-future year of 2010, the same year the show began airing its 22nd season , in which Lisa was still 8. Regarding the contradictory flashbacks, Selman stated that "they all kind of happened in their imaginary world." The show follows a loose and inconsistent continuity. For example, Krusty the Clown may be able to read in one episode, but not in another . However, it
22302-505: The same time." In The Simpsons Movie , some scenes, such as Marge's video message to Homer, were recorded over one hundred times, leaving Kavner exhausted. Kristen Bell provided Marge's singing voice in " The Star of the Backstage ". Until 1998, Kavner was paid $ 30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing to cast new voices. However,
22479-465: The school chalkboard, Lisa plays different solos on her saxophone (or occasionally a different instrument), and different gags accompany the family as they enter their living room to sit on the couch. The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. " Treehouse of Horror " first broadcast in 1990 as part of season two and established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. These pieces usually involve
22656-404: The school principal Seymour Skinner and staff members such as Edna Krabappel and Groundskeeper Willie ; students such as Milhouse Van Houten , Nelson Muntz and Ralph Wiggum ; shopkeepers such as Apu Nahasapeemapetilon , Comic Book Guy and Moe Szyslak ; government figures Mayor "Diamond" Joe Quimby and Clancy Wiggum ; next-door neighbor Ned Flanders ; local celebrities such as Krusty
22833-532: The series as funny, entertaining, zany, and amusing. From August to October 2002, the final few episodes of The Oblongs , another adult animation, would air on Adult Swim after The WB did not air the last five episodes of the series. The latter, which some called a "stray gem in the early 2000s," was noted for the romance between a married couple, Bob and Pickles Oblong, who had a healthy relationship where both would "constantly support each other." In 2008, Usha M. Rodrigues and Belinda Smaill argued that bro'Town
23010-427: The series progressed, it became more difficult for the writers to come up with a fake name and to write Moe's angry response, and the pranks were dropped as a regular joke during the fourth season. The Simpsons also often includes self-referential humor . The most common form is jokes about Fox Broadcasting. For example, the episode " She Used to Be My Girl " included a scene in which a Fox News Channel van drove down
23187-438: The series would expand the "types of new animated stories" with more variety in adult animation, allowing for "different ways" to do adult animation in the future. In December 2020, Hoops was cancelled by Netflix after its first season received low ratings and negative reviews. Hoops was described as "puerile comedy ... perfect for Trump 's America," not funny, and "crude, rude, and aimless." On January 15, 2021,
23364-459: The series' main canon are the Treehouse of Horror episodes, which often feature the deaths of main characters. Characters who die in "regular" episodes, such as Maude Flanders , Mona Simpson and Edna Krabappel , however, stay dead. Most episodes end with the status quo being restored, though occasionally major changes will stick, such as Lisa's conversions to vegetarianism and Buddhism ,
23541-463: The series, and the two with whom he identifies with most. Marge and Lisa are more popular than Homer and Bart in Japan, France, and many French speaking countries. Matt Groening has spoken fondly of them, though he prefers Homer and Bart. Sam Simon also prefers Homer and Bart finding Marge and Lisa to be too "goody two-shoes" for his tastes. Dear First Lady, I recently read your criticism of my family. I
23718-411: The show switched to high-definition in 2009). Each has the same basic sequence of events: the camera zooms through cumulus clouds , through the show's title towards the town of Springfield . The camera then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, the Simpsons settle down on their couch to watch television. The original opening was created by David Silverman , and
23895-400: The show's entire history, and also function as creative consultants. Sam Simon , described by former Simpsons director Brad Bird as "the unsung hero" of the show, served as creative supervisor for the first four seasons. He was constantly at odds with Groening, Brooks and the show's production company Gracie Films and left in 1993. Before leaving, he negotiated a deal that sees him receive
24072-462: The show. As well as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys", Homer's lines, "Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try", from " Burns' Heir " ( season five , 1994) as well as "Kids are the best, Apu. You can teach them to hate the things you hate. And they practically raise themselves, what with the Internet and all", from " Eight Misbehavin' " ( season 11 , 1999), entered
24249-529: The sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and became Fox's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990). Since its debut on December 17, 1989, 775 episodes of the show have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American animated series , longest-running American sitcom , and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series , both in seasons and individual episodes. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie ,
24426-538: The sole English-language mainstream adult-oriented animated sitcom until the 1990s, which saw the debuts of Beavis and Butt-Head , King of the Hill , South Park , Daria , Family Guy and Futurama . Some scholars argued that Matt Groening emulated the sci-fi genre shown in The Jetsons . Futurama would be complimented for its "intelligent, scientifically accurate, and humanized" approach to adventures, romances, and parodies of sci-fi. This included
24603-614: The street while displaying a large "Bush Cheney 2004" banner and playing Queen 's " We Are the Champions ", in reference to the 2004 U.S. presidential election and claims of conservative bias in Fox News . The show uses catchphrases , and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each. Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt " D'oh! ", Mr. Burns' "Excellent" and Nelson Muntz 's " Ha -ha!" Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as " ¡Ay, caramba! ", "Don't have
24780-747: The style of All in the Family . The series dealt with subjects such as feminism and the generation gap . In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of animated television programs appeared which challenged the Standards & Practices guidelines, including The Simpsons , Beavis and Butt-Head , The Critic , The Brothers Grunt , The Ren & Stimpy Show , Rocko's Modern Life , Cow and Chicken , I Am Weasel , SpongeBob SquarePants , Duckman , and All Grown Up! . In 1987, The Simpsons shorts debuted on Fox 's The Tracey Ullman Show . This show aired in prime time, meaning it
24957-483: The talk show Late Night . English comedian Ricky Gervais wrote the episode " Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife ", becoming the first celebrity both to write and guest star in the same episode. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg , writers of the film Superbad , wrote the episode " Homer the Whopper ", with Rogen voicing a character in it. At the end of 2007, the writers of The Simpsons went on strike together with
25134-529: The television series, Marge regularly appears in issues of Simpsons Comics , which were published from 1993 to 2018. Marge also plays a role in The Simpsons Ride , launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood . Marge appeared in a 2005 advertisement for Dove Styling , where her normal beehive hair was exchanged for a more stylish look for a series of ads featuring several popular cartoon women. In April 2004, Marge appeared on
25311-551: The townspeople are frustrated or contemptuous of her failure to recognize or react correctly to breaches of social norms. Marge is the only member of the family who encourages, and often forces, church attendance. In " Homer the Heretic " ( season four , 1992), Homer starts skipping church and Marge tells him "don't make me choose between my man and my God, because you just can't win." Yet, in some episodes, Marge's stereotypical attitude seems to affect her relationship with Lisa, who
25488-457: The voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists. However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode " Old Money ", because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work. In 2003,
25665-412: The voice of Lisa Simpson , is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters. The producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high, so she was given the role of Lisa instead. Cartwright
25842-490: The voices of Marge's mother Jacqueline and her sisters Patty and Selma. Kavner had been part of the regular cast of The Tracey Ullman Show . Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Kavner and fellow cast member Dan Castellaneta to voice Marge and Homer rather than hire more actors. Part of Kavner's contract says that she will never have to promote The Simpsons on video and she rarely performs Marge's voice in public because she believes it "destroys
26019-410: The way Lisa and Maggie are drawn. The eyes are then drawn, with one roughly in the middle of the sphere, and the other to the front side of the head. Then, the nose and lip are drawn. Her hair is then drawn on top as a long tube coming out of the sphere. An original idea the animators had for when Marge walked through doorways was that her hair would be forced down as she walked through, then once clear of
26196-444: The writers at Gracie Films for any changes to be made before the work is shipped overseas. The overseas studios then draw the inbetweens , ink and paint, and render the animation to tape before it is shipped back to the United States to be delivered to Fox three to four months later. The series began high-definition production in season 20; the first episode, " Take My Life, Please ", aired February 15, 2009. The move to HDTV included
26373-423: The year the episode is produced. For example, the 1991 episodes " The Way We Was " and " I Married Marge " depict Homer and Marge as high schoolers in the 1970s who had Bart (who is always 10 years old) in the early '80s, while the 2008 episode " That '90s Show " depicts Homer and Marge as a childless couple in the '90s, and the 2021 episode " Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars " portrays Homer as an adolescent in
26550-571: Was " Radioactive Man " in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during production of the season 12 episode " Tennis the Menace ", but Gracie Films delayed the regular use of digital ink and paint until two seasons later. The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made. The production staff at the U.S. animation studio, Film Roman, draws storyboards , designs new characters, backgrounds, props and draws character and background layouts, which in turn become animatics to be screened for
26727-428: Was a "home grown animated sitcom" that is comparable to The Simpsons . Adult animation became more popular, premiering critically acclaimed shows such as Drawn Together , Family Guy , American Dad! , Archer , Bob's Burgers , Rick and Morty , BoJack Horseman , F Is for Family , and Big Mouth . Some argued that animated sitcoms have formed some of the "most enduring and valuable franchises in
26904-612: Was also nominated for an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature for her performance in The Simpsons Movie . In 2000, Marge, along with the rest of her family, was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . The Simpsons uses a floating timeline (the characters do not physically age), and as such the show is generally assumed to be set in the current year. In several episodes, events have been linked to specific time periods, although this timeline has been contradicted in subsequent episodes. Marge Simpson
27081-410: Was also produced by Gracie Films). For Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane , " The Simpsons created an audience for prime-time animation that had not been there for many, many years ... As far as I'm concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways—you could classify it as—a wholly new medium." Animated sitcom The Flintstones , which debuted in 1960,
27258-699: Was called "one of the most controversial shows on television." In May 1995, another adult animated sitcom began airing on Comedy Central . It was titled Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist , featured the voice talents of Jonathan Katz , Jon Benjamin , and Laura Silverman , won a Peabody Award in 1998. and was animated in a crude, easily recognizable style produced with the software Squigglevision in which all persons and animate objects are colored and have constantly squiggling outlines, while most other inanimate objects are static and usually gray in color. Some critics stated that this series offered "plenty of cleverness and humor for those who looked", with funny lines,
27435-459: Was caught shoplifting. In the beginning of the episode, Bart protested her "over-mothering", but as she started becoming distant, he felt bad about it and made up with her. Marge has expressed understanding for her "special little guy" and has defended him on many occasions. She once said "I know Bart can be a handful, but I also know what he's like inside. He's got a spark. It's not a bad thing ... Of course, it makes him do bad things." Marge has
27612-461: Was deeply hurt. Heaven knows we're far from perfect and, if truth be known, maybe just a wee bit short from normal; but as Dr. Seuss says, "a person is a person". I try to teach my children ... always to give somebody the benefit of the doubt and not talk badly about them, even if they're rich. It's hard to get them to understand this advice when the very First Lady in the country calls us not only dumb, but "the dumbest thing" she ever saw. I hope there
27789-408: Was described as a welcome addition to the "Sunday lineup," with passionate relationship between Bob and Linda Belcher while maintaining a large audience. In November 2020, the show was approaching its 200th episode. and that Some reviewers called Drawn Together a "bizarre and highly entertaining series" which has a unique style of humor and "level of self-parody." Some reviewers would point to how
27966-420: Was finally revealed that Clancy died of lung cancer in season 27 episode " Puffless ". Marge believes she has higher morals and is more law-abiding than most other characters, once leading a family values crusade against the violent The Itchy & Scratchy Show and being a prominent member of the "Citizens' Committee on Moral Hygiene". She often provides a voice of reason for the town itself, but many of
28143-423: Was his age, meaning she could have been anywhere between 36 and 40. During this episode (Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore), Lisa questions Homer's memory of Marge's birthday. When he cannot remember, Marge yells that it is in May. In the season eighteen episode " Marge Gamer " she states that she and actor Randy Quaid share the same birthdate (October 1). Marge has been nonworking for most of the series, choosing to be
28320-522: Was his prank calls to Moe's Tavern owner Moe Szyslak where he asks for a gag name . Moe tries to find that person in the bar, but soon realizes it is a prank call and angrily threatens Bart. These calls were apparently based on a series of prank calls known as the Tube Bar recordings , though Groening has denied any causal connection. Moe was based partly on Tube Bar owner Louis "Red" Deutsch , whose often profane responses inspired Moe's violent side. As
28497-528: Was included in Time 's list of the "10 Best Moms Ever". In a 2004 poll in the United Kingdom, Marge was named the "most respected mother" by respondents. Still in 2004, Marge was ranked third in a poll conducted by the Opinion Research Company. In May 2012, Marge was one of the 12 moms chosen by users of iVillage on their list of "Mommy Dearest: The TV Moms You Love". AOL has named Marge
28674-522: Was inspired by a combination of the Bride's in Bride of Frankenstein and the style that Margaret Groening wore in the 1960s. Julie Kavner, who was a member of the original cast of The Tracey Ullman Show , was asked to voice Marge so that more voice actors would not be needed. Kavner has won several awards for voicing Marge, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. She
28851-481: Was later described as one of the "more vulgar adult-animation offerings" of the 2010s, with Kaitlin Olson only staying "for the first season as the female lead," voicing a "recently transferred Yellowstone ranger named Ethel." It was also said that show had a divided reception from critics but received favorably by audiences, who appreciated the show's "shameless sense of offensive humor and fast-paced writing." Archer
29028-410: Was named after Groening's mother Margaret "Marge" Groening, who has said she bears little similarity to the character, stating, "It's really weird to have people think you're a cartoon." Marge's beehive hairstyle was inspired by the titular Bride in Bride of Frankenstein and the style that Margaret Groening wore during the 1960s, although her hair was never blue. Marge debuted with the rest of
29205-464: Was not self-censored as much as programs intended to air on Saturday mornings. As such, the show would have brief nudity and mild language, while dealing with mature themes and subjects such as death, gambling addiction, religion, and suicide. The first full-length episode, " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ", debuted on December 17, 1989. It is the first American animated sitcom not to have a laugh track , unlike other animated sitcoms prior. It remained
29382-409: Was not until the early 1990s that "cartoons specifically for adults" rather than children, did not come to "mainstream prominence" until after the success of The Simpsons , with Fox later airing King of the Hill and Family Guy both of which "generated massive audiences." As animation critic Reuben Baron described it, for a long time, "adult action/drama cartoons" were scarce on television, with only
29559-427: Was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do." Many landmarks, including street names, have connections to Portland. When producer James L. Brooks was working on the television variety show The Tracey Ullman Show , he decided to include small animated sketches before and after
29736-412: Was originally brought in to voice Lisa, but upon arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever". Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her
29913-484: Was primarily popular with children. David Bennett argued that when it was originally released, it was aimed at an adult audience, and called it the "direct ancestors" of current adult animation, because it covered adult subjects. Bennett stated that it specifically influenced The Simpsons , along with animations on Adult Swim and Netflix . His argument was confirmed by the fact that The Huckleberry Hound Show , created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera , became
30090-402: Was released in theaters worldwide on July 27, 2007, to critical and commercial success, with a sequel in development as of 2018. The series has also spawned numerous comic book series , video games , books , and other related media, as well as a billion-dollar merchandising industry . The Simpsons is a joint production by Gracie Films and 20th Television . On January 26, 2023, the series
30267-488: Was released. Evershed also said that the show made clear that animation is "more than just kids content ." Others also argued that the show marked a turning point in U.S. attitudes "toward cartoons written primarily for adult audiences" The Simpsons would later win the Guinness World Records award for "Longest-running animated sitcom (by episode count)." Chris Turner , author of Planet Simpson: How
30444-498: Was renewed for its 35th and 36th seasons, taking the show through the 2024–25 television season. Both seasons contain a combined total of 51 episodes. Seven of these episodes are season 34 holdovers, while the other 44 will be produced in the production cycle of the upcoming seasons, bringing the show's overall episode total up to 801. Season 35 premiered on October 1, 2023. Season 36 premiered on September 29, 2024. The Simpsons received widespread acclaim throughout its early seasons in
30621-478: Was said to be a "standard bearer" for adult animation and an "eclectic comedy" and praised for its "tight, fast-paced, and ever impressively intelligent dialogue," with a "power couple": Sterling Archer and Lana Kane. American Dad! was praised for breaking away from the "cynicism and formulas of its adult animation contemporaries" with the romance between Stan Smith and Francine said to be a wonderful romantic pair akin to Archie and Edith Bunker . Bob's Burgers
30798-470: Was soon resolved and, from 1998 to 2004, they were paid $ 125,000 per episode. The show's revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, and in April 2004 the main cast stopped appearing for script readings, demanding they be paid $ 360,000 per episode. The strike was resolved a month later and their salaries were increased to something between $ 250,000 and $ 360,000 per episode. In 2008, production for
30975-419: Was the dumbest thing I had ever seen," she says, "but it's a family thing, and I guess it's clean." The writers decided to respond by privately sending a polite letter on September 28 to Bush where they posed as Marge Simpson. On October 9, Bush sent a reply: "Dear Marge, How kind of you to write. I'm glad you spoke your mind ... I foolishly didn't know you had one. I am looking at a picture of you ... depicted on
31152-428: Was the first task he did when production began on the show. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro-style piece. This piece has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career. One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that three of its elements change from episode to episode: Bart writes different things on
31329-581: Was used by Kent Brockman in " Deep Space Homer " and has become a snowclone , with variants of the utterance used to express obsequious submission. It has been used in media, such as New Scientist magazine. The dismissive term " Meh ", believed to have been popularized by the show, entered the Collins English Dictionary in 2008. Other words credited as stemming from the show include "yoink" and "craptacular". The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations includes several quotations from
#819180