The Simpsons
Clockwise from top left: Homer, Marge, Maggie, Santa's Little Helper (dog), Bart, Snowball II (cat), and Lisa. Homer Jay Simpson is a main fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father of the eponymous family. Marjorie "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a Fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. Santa's Little Helper is the Simpson family 's pet Dog. He is a charming but untrained Greyhound. Bartholomew J "Bart" Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons Snowball, Snowball II, Snowball III, Coltrane, and Snowball V are five fictional cats that have been owned by the Simpson family Lisa Marie Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated Television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Yeardley Smith.
Genre	Animation Comedy
Created by	Matt Groening
Developed by	James L. Brooks Matt Groening Sam Simon
Voices of	Dan Castellaneta Julie Kavner Nancy Cartwright Yeardley Smith Hank Azaria Harry Shearer (Complete list)
Theme music composer	Danny Elfman
Opening theme	"The Simpsons Theme"
Composer(s)	Alf Clausen
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Matthew Abram Groening (ˈɡreɪnɪŋ GRAY-ning) (born February 15 1954 is an American Cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland James L Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, Screenwriter and director. Sam Simon (born c 1955) is an American Television producer and writer, most notable as one of the original developers of The Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta ( October 29, 1957) is an American voice actor, Actor and Comedian, best known for providing Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1951) is an American Emmy Award -winning actress, perhaps best known for providing the voice of Nancy Campbell Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American Voice actress. Yeardley Smith (ˈjɑrdli born July 3, 1964) is an Emmy Award -winning American actress and Voice actor who is perhaps Hank Albert Azaria (born April 25 1964 is an American Film and Television Actor, director, Comedian and voice artist Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American comedic Actor, Writer, Musician, and radio host This is a complete listing of cast members from the long-running animated comedy television series The Simpsons. Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American Musician, who is famous for composing scores and songs for Tim Burton "The Simpsons Theme", also referred to as "The Simpsons Main Title Theme" in album releases is the theme song of the animated Television Alf Clausen (born March 28, 1941) is an American film and television Composer. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States of seasons	19
No.  of episodes	420 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Al Jean James L. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists/Archive 1#Proposed change to all featured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The following is an Al Jean (born January 9, 1961 Detroit Michigan) is a Television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons Brooks Matt Groening Sam Simon
Running time	22–24 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	FOX
Picture format	NTSC or ATSC 720p60 pillarbox
Audio format	Dolby Surround (NTSC) Dolby Digital 2. NTSC ( National Television System Committee) is the Analog television system used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico 720p is the shorthand name for a category of HDTV video modes The pillar box effect occurs in Widescreen video displays when black bars ( Mattes or masking are placed on the sides of the image 2 0-1 channels (dolby surround labelsvg|right|200px|thumb]] Dolby Surround was the earliest consumer version of Dolby's multichannel analog film sound decoding format Dolby Digital is the marketing name for a series of lossy audio compression technologies developed by Dolby 0 (ATSC)
Original run	December 17, 1989 – present
Chronology
Related shows	The Tracey Ullman Show
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The Tracey Ullman Show was a weekly American Television Variety show, hosted by British Comedian and onetime pop singer Television is one of the major major mass media of the United States. An animated cartoon is a short hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn Film for the cinema, Television or computer Matthew Abram Groening (ˈɡreɪnɪŋ GRAY-ning) (born February 15 1954 is an American Cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland It is a satirical parody of the middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its titular family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Simpson family is a family of Fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. Homer Jay Simpson is a main fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father of the eponymous family. Marjorie "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a Fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons Bartholomew J "Bart" Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons Lisa Marie Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated Television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Yeardley Smith. Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and it lampoons many aspects of the human condition, as well as American culture, society as a whole, and television itself. Springfield is the fictional city in which the animated American sitcom The Simpsons is set The human condition encompasses all of the Experience of being Human. The development of the culture of the United States of America — music, cinema, dance, architecture, literature, poetry A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. The Simpsons shorts are a series of 48 one-minute shorts that ran on the variety show The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons before the characters spun off into James L Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, Screenwriter and director. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. A dysfunctional family is a Family in which Conflict, misbehavior and even Abuse on the part of individual members of the family occur continually leading ^[1] The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. The Tracey Ullman Show was a weekly American Television Variety show, hosted by British Comedian and onetime pop singer Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) ^[2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1992-1993). Prime Time is the major News analysis current affairs and Politics programme broadcast on Radio Telefís Éireann in Ireland ^[3]

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has broadcast 420 episodes and the twentieth season will commence airing in fall of 2008. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Wikipedia talkFeatured lists/Archive 1#Proposed change to all featured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The following is an The Simpsons ' twentieth season began airing on Fox September 28 2008 Autumn (also known as fall in North American English) is one of the four Temperate Seasons Autumn marks the transition from Summer ^[4] The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 26 and July 27, 2007, and has grossed approximately US$526. The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated Comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 2 million worldwide to date.

The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 23 Emmy Awards, 26 Annie Awards and a Peabody Award. The George Foster Peabody Awards, better known as simply the Peabody Awards, are annual international awards for excellence in Radio and Television broadcasting Time magazine's December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century's best television series,^[5] and on January 14, 2000 it was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom^[6] and the longest-running American animated program. An animated cartoon is a short hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn Film for the cinema, Television or computer ^[7] Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has influenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms. " D'oh! " is a Catch phrase used by the Fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running Animated series The Simpsons ^[8]

Origins

Main articles: History of The Simpsons and The Simpsons shorts

Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. This is a history of the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons shorts are a series of 48 one-minute shorts that ran on the variety show The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons before the characters spun off into James L Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, Screenwriter and director. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. Life is Swell (originally titled Life in Hell until early 2007 is a weekly Comic strip by Matt Groening. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work, he chose another approach and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family. The publication right is a Copyright granted to the publisher who first publishes a previously unpublished work after that work's original copyright has expired A dysfunctional family is a Family in which Conflict, misbehavior and even Abuse on the part of individual members of the family occur continually leading ^[9] He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. ^[1]

The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show. The Simpson family is a family of Fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Tracey Ullman Show was a weekly American Television Variety show, hosted by British Comedian and onetime pop singer

The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. The Simpson family is a family of Fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons shorts are a series of 48 one-minute shorts that ran on the variety show The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons before the characters spun off into The Tracey Ullman Show was a weekly American Television Variety show, hosted by British Comedian and onetime pop singer Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) ^[2] Groening submitted only basic sketches to 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 short episodes. ^[1]

In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Klasky Csupo Inc (pronounced "Class-key Chew-po" is a multimedia entertainment production company located in Los Angeles Jim Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content. ^[10] 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. ^[11] The half-hour series premiered on December 17, 1989 with "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", a Christmas special. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire " also known as " The Simpsons Christmas Special "In the ending credits the family sings Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists writers and weavers of folklore ^[12] "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first full-length episode produced, but it did not broadcast until May 1990 because of animation problems. This article is about the Simpsons episode for other uses see Some Enchanted Evening. ^[13]

The Simpsons was the Fox network's first TV series to rank among a season's top 30 highest-rated shows. ^[14] Its success prompted Fox to reschedule the series to compete with The Cosby Show, a move that hurt the ratings of The Simpsons. The Cosby Show is an American television Situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, first airing on September 20, 1984 ^[15] 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. ^[16]

The show was controversial from its beginning. The rebellious lead character at the time, Bart, frequently received no punishment for his misbehavior, which led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined The term role model was introduced by Robert K Merton. Merton says that individuals compare themselves with "reference groups" of people who occupy the social ^[17][18] At the time, then-President George H. W. Bush said, "We're going to strengthen the American family to make them more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 The Waltons is an American Television series created by Earl Hamner Jr "^[19] Several U. S. public schools even banned The Simpsons merchandise and t-shirts, such as one featuring Bart and the caption "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')". In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a Shirt which is pulled on over the head to cover most of a person's Torso. ^[19] Despite the ban, The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated US$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[19]

Production

Executive producers

Matt Groening and James L. Matthew Abram Groening (ˈɡreɪnɪŋ GRAY-ning) (born February 15 1954 is an American Cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland James L Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, Screenwriter and director. Sam Simon (born c 1955) is an American Television producer and writer, most notable as one of the original developers of The Al Jean (born January 9, 1961 Detroit Michigan) is a Television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons Michael "Mike" Reiss (born September 15, 1959) is an American television comedy writer David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955) is an American Feature film and Television director, Writer and producer Bill Oakley (born in 1966 is an American television writer best known for his work on The Simpsons. Josh Weinstein (born May 5, 1966 in Maryland) is an American television writer best known for his work on The Simpsons. For the football player see Mike Scully (football player. Mike Scully (born October 2, 1956 in West Springfield Massachusetts Al Jean (born January 9, 1961 Detroit Michigan) is a Television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons Brooks have served as executive producers during the show's entire history, and also function as creative consultants. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production Sam Simon, who served as creative supervisor for the first four seasons, also still receives an executive producer credit despite not having worked on the show since 1993. Sam Simon (born c 1955) is an American Television producer and writer, most notable as one of the original developers of The ^[20] A more involved position on the show is the show runner, who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season. Show runner (alternatively showrunner) is a term used in the United States television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation ^[21]

Writing

Main article: List of writers of The Simpsons

Al Jean (left) is the current executive producer of the show and David Mirkin (right) is a former executive producer and has been a part of the writing staff since 1994. The following is a list of writers who have worked on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. Al Jean (born January 9, 1961 Detroit Michigan) is a Television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955) is an American Feature film and Television director, Writer and producer

The Simpsons's writing team consists of sixteen writers who propose episode ideas at the beginning of each December. ^[22] 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. ^[23] The leader of these sessions is George Meyer, who has developed the show since Season One. George A Meyer (born 1957 is a producer and Emmy Award -winning writer best known for his work According to long-time writer Jon Vitti, Meyer usually invents the best lines in a given episode, even though other writers may receive script credits. Jon Vitti is a writer who is most noted for his writing for the Television series The Simpsons. ^[23] Each episode takes six months to produce so the show rarely comments on current events. ^[24] However, episodes occasionally mention planned events, such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL

Part of the writing staff of The Simpsons in 1992. Back row, left to right: Mike Mendel, Colin ABV Lewis (partial), Jeff Goldstein, Al Jean (partial), Conan O'Brien, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Mike Reiss, Ken Tsumara, George Meyer, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti (partial), CJ Gibson and David M. Stern. Al Jean (born January 9, 1961 Detroit Michigan) is a Television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an Emmy Award -winning American Television host and Comedian, best known Bill Oakley (born in 1966 is an American television writer best known for his work on The Simpsons. Josh Weinstein (born May 5, 1966 in Maryland) is an American television writer best known for his work on The Simpsons. Michael "Mike" Reiss (born September 15, 1959) is an American television comedy writer George A Meyer (born 1957 is a producer and Emmy Award -winning writer best known for his work John Swartzwelder (born November 16 1950 is an American Writer, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons Jon Vitti is a writer who is most noted for his writing for the Television series The Simpsons. David M Stern is an American Television Writer. He is the brother of actor Daniel Stern, and worked with his brother on The Wonder Front row, left to right: Dee Capelli, Lona Williams and Unknown. Lona Willams (born 1962 is an American Television producer, Writer and Actor.

Credited with sixty episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons' staff. John Swartzwelder (born November 16 1950 is an American Writer, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons ^[25] 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 the talk show Late Night. Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an Emmy Award -winning American Television host and Comedian, best known David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American late-night Talk show host and Comedian and the host since 1993 A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien on NBC ^[26] English comedian Ricky Gervais wrote the episode "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife", becoming the first celebrity to both write and guest star in an episode. Ricky Dene Gervais (dʒɜːˈveɪz born 25 June 1961 is an English Actor, Comedian, Writer, director, Producer and former "Homer Simpson This is Your Wife" is an episode of The Simpsons, that aired on March 26, 2006. ^[27] Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, writers of the film Superbad will write an episode and Rogen will voice a character in it. Seth Rogen (born April 15 1982 is a Canadian actor Comedian, writer and Film producer. Evan Goldberg born in 1982 is a Canadian comedy television and film writer and producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Superbad is a 2007 American Comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera ^[28][29]

At the end of 2007 the writers of The Simpsons went on strike together with the rest of the Writers Guild of America. The 2007&ndash2008 Writers Guild of America strike, or more commonly known as the Writers' Strike was a strike by the Writers Guild of America East The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE representing The show's writers had joined the guild in 1998. ^[30] The strike will only affect one of the planned twenty-three episodes in the 19th season. The Simpsons ' nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18 ^[31]

Voice actors

Main articles: List of cast members of The Simpsons, List of guest stars on The Simpsons, and Non-English versions of The Simpsons

With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. This is a complete listing of cast members from the long-running animated comedy television series The Simpsons. This is a list of guest stars who appeared on The Simpsons. Many episodes of animated series The Simpsons feature Celebrity guests contributing The animated TV show The Simpsons is an American English-language animated sitcom which in the United States is being broadcast since 1987 on FOX Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters (including those in feature films television series animated shorts and Video games) and 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. ^[32] 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. " Old Money " is the 17th episode of the second season of The Simpsons. ^[33] In 2003, the cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, doing live performances of their characters' voices. Inside the Actors Studio is the Emmy-nominated longest-running original series on the Bravo Cable television channel hosted by James Lipton

The Simpsons has six main cast members. Dan Castellaneta performs Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and other adult, male characters. Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta ( October 29, 1957) is an American voice actor, Actor and Comedian, best known for providing Homer Jay Simpson is a main fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father of the eponymous family. Abraham "Abe" "Grampa" J Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) is a Fictional character featured in the Animated cartoon Television ^[34] Julie Kavner speaks the voices of Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma, as well as several minor characters. Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1951) is an American Emmy Award -winning actress, perhaps best known for providing the voice of Marjorie "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a Fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons Patty and Selma Bouvier are fictional characters in the Fox Broadcasting animated series The Simpsons, and are voiced by Julie Kavner. ^[34] Nancy Cartwright performs the voices of Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum and other children. Nancy Campbell Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American Voice actress. Bartholomew J "Bart" Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons Ralph Wiggum is a Fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. ^[34] Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters. Yeardley Smith (ˈjɑrdli born July 3, 1964) is an Emmy Award -winning American actress and Voice actor who is perhaps Lisa Marie Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated Television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Yeardley Smith. ^[34] There are two male actors who do not voice members of the title family but play a majority of the male townspeople. Hank Azaria voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu, and Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, and Dr. Hibbert. Hank Albert Azaria (born April 25 1964 is an American Film and Television Actor, director, Comedian and voice artist Moe Szyslak (ˈsɪzlæk is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. Chief Clancy Wiggum is a Fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Hank Azaria. Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American comedic Actor, Writer, Musician, and radio host Charles Montgomery Burns, also referred to as Mr Burns is a recurring Fictional character and Antagonist in the animated television series Waylon Smithers Jr is a recurring Fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Principal Seymour Skinner (born in Capitol City as Armin Tamzarian) is a Fictional character on the animated sitcom The Simpsons Nedward "Ned" Flanders is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Reverend Timothy Lovejoy is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. Julius M Hibbert MD, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. ^[34] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. Rules While most of the Primetime Emmy Awards choose winners from a group of nominees the award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is juried ^[35]

Hank Azaria has been a part of the Simpsons regular voice cast since the second season. Hank Albert Azaria (born April 25 1964 is an American Film and Television Actor, director, Comedian and voice artist ^[36]

Up until 1998, the six main actors were paid $30,000 per episode. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been In 1998 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. The series creator Groening supported the actors in their action. ^[37] However, the issue 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. ^[38][39] The strike was resolved a month later^[40] and their salaries were increased to something between $250,000^[41] and $360,000 per episode. ^[42] In 2008, production for 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 Simpsons ' twentieth season began airing on Fox September 28 2008 ^[42] The dispute was soon resolved, and the actors' salary was raised to $400,000 per episode. ^[43]

In addition to the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell, and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters. Pamela Hayden (born on November 27, 1953 in United States) is an American Actress, best known for providing various Voices Tress MacNeille (born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series Marcia Joan Wallace (born November 1, 1942) is an American character actress of stage Maggie Roswell (born November 14 1952 is an American voice actress. Russi Taylor (born on May 4, 1944 in Cambridge Massachusetts) is the current voice actress for Disney 's Minnie Mouse character ^[34] From 1999 to 2002, Maggie Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Marcia Mitzman Gaven (born on February 28, 1959 in New York City, New York) was the voice for Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy Karl Wiedergott has appeared in minor roles, but does not voice any recurring characters. Karl Aloysious Treaton (February 8 1969 Berlin Germany is currently a voice actor on the long-running FOX sitcom The Simpsons, usually voicing such celebrities ^[44] Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Joe Mantegna, and Kelsey Grammer. Albert Brooks (born July 22 1947 is an Academy Award -nominated American Actor, Writer, Comedian and director. Phil Hartman (September 24 1948 &ndash May 28 1998 was a Canadian -born American Emmy Award -winning Writer as well as an Actor, Jonathan M "Jon" Lovitz (born July 21, 1957) is an American Actor and Comedian perhaps best known as a cast member of Saturday Joseph Anthony “Joe” Mantegna Jr (born November 13, 1947) is an American Tony Award -winning Actor, producer, Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21 1955) is an American Actor best known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr ^[45]

Episodes will quite often feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, athletes, authors, bands, musicians and scientists. In 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". Tony Bennett (born Anthony Dominick Benedetto; August 3 1926) is an American Singer of popular music, standards " Dancin' Homer " is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ' second season. ^[46] The Simpsons holds the world record for "Most Guest Stars Featured in a Television Series". Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U ^[47]

The show has been dubbed into several other languages, including Japanese, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. The animated TV show The Simpsons is an American English-language animated sitcom which in the United States is being broadcast since 1987 on FOX is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. It is also one the few programs dubbed in both French and Quebec French. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Quebec French ( le français québécois, le français du Québec) or less often Québécois French, is the predominant varieties ^[48] The Simpsons has been broadcast in Arabic, but due to Islamic customs, numerous aspects of the show have been changed. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. 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 life-long Simpsons fans in the area. ^[49] It has also been confirmed that the show has been renewed until at least 2012 too. ^[50]

Animation

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. Klasky Csupo Inc (pronounced "Class-key Chew-po" is a multimedia entertainment production company located in Los Angeles ^[51] With the debut of the series, because of an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to several international studios, located in South Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː ^[51] Artists at the U. S. animation studio, Film Roman, draw storyboards, design new characters, backgrounds, props and draw character and background layouts, which in turn become animatics to be screened for the writers at Gracie Films for any changes to be made before the work is shipped overseas. See also Pre-production Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of Illustrations or Images displayed in sequence for the purpose of See also Pre-production Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of Illustrations or Images displayed in sequence for the purpose of 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. Tweening, short for in-betweening is the process of generating intermediate frames between two images to give the appearance that Traditional animation, also referred to as classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation, is the oldest and historically the most popular ^[52]

For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. Klasky Csupo Inc (pronounced "Class-key Chew-po" is a multimedia entertainment production company located in Los Angeles In 1992, the show's production company, Gracie Films, switched domestic production to Film Roman,^[53] who continue to animate the show as of 2008. Gracie Films is an American Film and television production company created by James L Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for the television shows The Simpsons and

In Season 14, production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint. The Simpsons ' 14th season (November 2002 - May 2003) began on Sunday November 3, 2002 with Treehouse Traditional animation, also referred to as classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation, is the oldest and historically the most popular Traditional animation, also referred to as classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation, is the oldest and historically the most popular ^[54] The first episode to experiment with digital coloring was "Radioactive Man" in 1995. " Radioactive Man " is the second episode of The Simpsons ' seventh season which originally aired September 24, 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 Simpsons ' 12th season ( November 2000 - May 2001) began on Sunday November 1, 2000 with " " Tennis the Menace " is the twelfth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons which originally aired February 11, 2001 The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made. ^[55]

Characters

Main article: List of characters in The Simpsons

The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters. This is a list of characters in The Simpsons. Along with the Simpson family, The Simpsons includes a large array of characters co-workers teachers

The Simpsons are a typical family who live in a fictional "Middle American" town of Springfield. Middle America is an American Colloquialism used to describe either a cultural mindset or region of the United States that geographically comprises the ^[56] Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant—a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. Profile The plant the core of which is a Fissionator 1952 Slow-Fission Reactor is poor and badly maintained largely due to owner Montgomery Burns' negligence especially considering A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon is a member of a profession that came into popularity He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group Homemaker is a mainly American term which may refer either to the person within a family who is primarily concerned with the management of the household whether They have three children: Bart, a ten-year-old troublemaker; Lisa, a precocious eight-year-old activist; and Maggie, a baby who rarely speaks, but communicates by sucking on a pacifier. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. A pacifier, dummy, or soother is a Rubber, Plastic, or Silicone Nipple given to an Infant or other young The family owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Santa's Little Helper is the Simpson family 's pet Dog. He is a charming but untrained Greyhound. Snowball, Snowball II, Snowball III, Coltrane, and Snowball V are five fictional cats that have been owned by the Simpson family Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. Despite the passing of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age and still appear just as they did at the end of the 1980s. Ageless is an adjective describing a person or thing whose age cannot be defined is nonexistent or does not change

The show includes an array of quirky characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople and local celebrities. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters 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 the concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV. Second City Television (SCTV was a Canadian television Sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between ^[15]

Setting

Main article: Springfield (The Simpsons)

The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield, without any geographical coordinates or references to U.S. states that might identify which part of the country it represents. Springfield is the fictional city in which the animated American sitcom The Simpsons is set A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Nevertheless, fans have tried to determine the town's location by taking the town's characteristics, surrounding geography, and nearby landmarks as clues. As a response, the show has become intentionally evasive in regard to Springfield's location. ^[57] The name "Springfield" is a common one in America and appears in over half of the states. ^[58] Springfield's geography, and that of its surroundings, contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires. ^[59] Despite this, Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up. Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[60]

Themes

Main article: List of The Simpsons episodes

See also: Politics in The Simpsons and Religion in The Simpsons

The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy or "sitcom" as its premise. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists/Archive 1#Proposed change to all featured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The following is an Politics is a common theme in the Animated Television series The Simpsons, and this phenomenon has had some crossover with real Religion is one of the major themes on the animated show The Simpsons. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town. ^[56] However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons's scope 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. ^[61] Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School, the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. Springfield Elementary School is a fictional school on The Simpsons, attended by Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and other Springfieldian children The town features a vast array of media channels—from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry. ^[62]

Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias. ^[63] Al Jean admitted in an interview that "We [the show] are of liberal bent. Al Jean (born January 9, 1961 Detroit Michigan) is a Television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons "^[64] The writers often evince an appreciation for progressive ideals, but the show makes jokes across the political spectrum. ^[65] The show portrays government and large corporations as callous entities that take advantage of the common worker. ^[64] 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 indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent. The Reverend Timothy Lovejoy is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. ^[66] Religion also figures as a recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions. ^[67]

Hallmarks

Opening sequence

Main article: The Simpsons opening sequence

See also: Chalkboard gag and couch gag

Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short). The Simpsons opening sequence is an element of the American TV show The Simpsons.

The Simpsons' opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. Title sequence generally refers to the method by which cinematic films or television shows present their title key cast and/or production members utilizing conceptual visuals Most episodes open with the camera zooming through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. Springfield is the fictional city in which the animated American sitcom The Simpsons is set 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 opening was created by David Silverman, the first task he did when production began on the show. David Silverman (born on 15 March 1957 in New York City, New York) is an Animator best known for directing numerous episodes ^[68] The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro style piece. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American Musician, who is famous for composing scores and songs for Tim Burton This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career. ^[69]

One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that several segments are changed from episode to episode. Bart writes something different on the school chalkboard,^[68] Lisa might play a different solo on her saxophone and a different visual gag accompanies the family as they enter their living room to sit on the couch. ^[70]

Halloween episodes

Main article: Treehouse of Horror (series)

Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery. The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes, also known as The Simpsons Halloween episodes, are a series of episodes in the animated television " Treehouse of Horror IV " is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ' fifth season, first aired on October 28, Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling ( December 25, 1924 &ndash June 28, 1975) was an American Screenwriter, best known Night Gallery is Rod Serling 's follow-up series to The Twilight Zone that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973

The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. "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. This article refers to the first Treehouse of Horror episode For an overview of the series of episodes see Treehouse of Horror (series. The Simpsons ' second season originally aired between October 11 1990 and May 9 1991, and contained 22 episodes beginning ^[71] These pieces usually involve 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. Horror films are Movies that strive to elicit Fear, Horror and terror responses from viewers ^[72] They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, in recent years, new installments have premiered after Halloween due to Fox's current contract with Major League Baseball's World Series. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. ^[73]

Humor

Main article: Recurring jokes in The Simpsons

The show's humor turns on cultural references that cover a wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show. There are many Recurring jokes in The Simpsons, many of which have been retired during the series or implemented later on in the run ^[74] Such references, for example, come from movies, television, music, literature, science, and history. ^[74] Whenever possible, the animators also put jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, and elsewhere. ^[75] The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in a single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show. ^[75] 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. "^[76]

The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each. ^[77] Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!", Mr. " D'oh! " is a Catch phrase used by the Fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running Animated series The Simpsons Burns' "Excellent. . . " and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!". Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as "¡Ay, caramba!", "Don't have a cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on t-shirts in the show's early days. ¡Ay caramba! ( comes from the Spanish interjection ¡ay! (denoting surprise or pain and caramba (a Minced oath, a Euphemism ^[78] 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. " Bart Gets Famous " is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons fifth season, which originally aired on February 3, 1994. "^[79]

Influences on culture

Influences on language

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Matthew Abram Groening (ˈɡreɪnɪŋ GRAY-ning) (born February 15 1954 is an American Cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland

A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered the popular vernacular. A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word" is a word that although devised relatively recently in a specific time period has been ^[80] Mark Liberman, director of 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. Mark Liberman is an American linguist. He has a dual appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, as Trustee Professor of Phonetics in the Department The Linguistic Data Consortium is an open consortium of universities companies and government research laboratories "^[81] 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. " D'oh! " is a Catch phrase used by the Fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running Animated series The Simpsons The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English ^[82] Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed the phrase from James Finlayson, an actor in early Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone. James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson ( August 27, 1887 – October 9, 1953) was a Scottish-American Actor Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957 The director of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise, and it went on to become the well-known exclamation in the TV series. ^[83]

Other Simpsons expressions that have entered popular use include "excellent" (drawn out as a sinister "eeeexcelllent…" in the style of Charles Montgomery Burns), Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!" Groundskeeper Willie's description of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" was used by conservative National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg in 2003, after France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. Groundskeeper Willie is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. " Cheese-eating surrender monkeys ", sometimes shortened to " surrender monkeys " is a phrase referring to the French that gained notoriety in the National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F Jonah Jacob Goldberg (born March 21, 1969) is an American syndicated columnist and author The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia The phrase quickly spread to other journalists. ^[84] "Cromulent", a word used in "Lisa the Iconoclast" has since appeared in the Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English. " Lisa the Iconoclast " is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons ' seventh season, and is probably the most important episode Webster's Dictionary is the name given to a common type of English language dictionary in the United States. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[85] "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. The verb "to scrabble" also means to scratch scramble or scrape about see Wiktionaryscrabble. " Bart the Genius " is the second episode of The Simpsons ' first season, which originally aired on the Fox network The Melissa worm, also known as "Mailissa" " Simpsons " " Kwyjibo " or "Kwejeebo" is a mass-mailing macro virus, ^[86] "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords", was used by Kent Brockman in "Deep Space Homer" and has seeped into popular culture to describe a number of events. Kent Brockman is a recurring Fictional character in the Animated Television series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer " Deep Space Homer " is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons ' fifth season and first aired on February 24 1994 Variants of Brockman's utterance are used to express mock submission, usually for the purpose of humor. ^[87] It has been used in media, such as New Scientist magazine. New Scientist is a weekly International science magazine and website covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English -speaking ^[88] The dismissive term "Meh" has also been popularized by the show. ^[89]

Influence on television

The Simpsons was the first successful animated program in prime time since Wait Till Your Father Gets Home in the 1970s. Wait till Your Father Gets Home is an Animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera which aired in first-run syndication in the United ^[90] During most of the 1980s, 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. ^[51] The use of Korean animation studios doing in-betweening, coloring, and filming made the episodes cheaper. Tweening, short for in-betweening is the process of generating intermediate frames between two images to give the appearance that The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted television networks to take chances on other animated series. ^[51] This development led to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows, such as South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama, and The Critic. South Park is an animated American television comedy series created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other King of the Hill is an American animated series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and The Critic is an American Animated series that revolved around the life of movie critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon ^[51] South Park later paid homage to The Simpsons with the episode "Simpsons Already Did It". "Simpsons Already Did It" is the seventh episode in the sixth season of the Comedy Central series South Park. ^[91]

The Simpsons has also influenced live-action shows like Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted January 9, 2000 in the time slot after The Simpsons. Malcolm in the Middle was a seven-time Emmy Award -winning one-time Grammy -winning He had run off and married a good-natured Canadian woman Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[8][92] Malcolm in the Middle featured the use of sight gags and did not use a laugh track like most sitcoms. In comedy a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its Humor visually often without words being used at all Ricky Gervais has called The Simpsons a major influence on his British comedy The Office, which also dispenses with a laugh track. Ricky Dene Gervais (dʒɜːˈveɪz born 25 June 1961 is an English Actor, Comedian, Writer, director, Producer and former This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the ^[93]

Reception and achievements

The Simpsons has been praised by many critics, being described as "the most irreverent and unapologetic show on the air. "^[94] In a 1990 review of the show, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly described it as "the American family at its most complicated, drawn as simple cartoons. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc It's this neat paradox that makes millions of people turn away from the three big networks on Sunday nights to concentrate on The Simpsons. "^[95] Tucker would also describe the show as a "pop-cultural phenomenon, a prime-time cartoon show that appeals to the entire family. "^[96]

Awards

Main article: List of awards won by The Simpsons

The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Awards for The Simpsons Annie Awards First awarded in 1972 the Annie Awards are given exclusively to animated programs

The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 23 Emmy Awards,^[47] 26 Annie Awards^[97] and a Peabody Award. The George Foster Peabody Awards, better known as simply the Peabody Awards, are annual international awards for excellence in Radio and Television broadcasting ^[98] In a 1998 issue celebrating the 20th century's greatest achievements in arts and entertainment, Time magazine named The Simpsons the century's best television series. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and ^[5] In that same issue, Time included Bart Simpson in the Time 100, the publication's list of the century's 100 most influential people. The Time 100 The Most Important People of the Century is a compilation of the 20th century's most influential politicians artists innovators scientists and cultural icons ^[99] Bart was the only fictional character on the list. On January 14, 2000, the Simpsons were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that ^[100] Also in 2000, Entertainment Weekly magazine TV critic Ken Tucker named The Simpsons the greatest television show of the 1990s. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc Furthermore, viewers of the UK television channel Channel 4 have voted "The Simpsons" at the top of two polls: 2001's 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows,^[101] and 2005's 100 Greatest Cartoons,^[102] with Homer Simpson voted into first place in 2001's 100 Greatest TV Characters. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began ^[103] Homer would also place ninth on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Greatest TV icons". Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc ^[104] In 2002, The Simpsons ranked #8 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time;^[105] in 2007 it was included in TIME's list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time";^[106] and in 2008 the show placed first on AOL's list of "TV's 50 best comedies - ever". The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is a list of American TV series compiled by TV Guide as a cover story for the week of May 4 ^[107]

Run length achievements

On February 9, 1997, The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones with the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" as the longest-running prime-time animated series in the United States. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Flintstones is an animated American television sitcom that ran from 1960 to 1966 on ABC. " The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show " is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season of The Simpsons, which originally aired February 9 1997 Prime Time is the major News analysis current affairs and Politics programme broadcast on Radio Telefís Éireann in Ireland In 2004, The Simpsons replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as the longest-running sitcom (animated or live action) in the United States. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was a long-running American Television series, airing on ABC from October 3, ^[6] In October 2004, Scooby-Doo briefly overtook The Simpsons as the American animated show with the highest number of episodes. Scooby-Doo is a long-running American animated series produced for Saturday morning television in several different versions from 1969 to the ^[108] However, network executives in April 2005 again cancelled Scooby-Doo, which finished with 371 episodes, and The Simpsons reclaimed the title with 378 episodes at the end of their seventeenth season. ^[7] In May 2007, The Simpsons reached their 400th episode at the end of the eighteenth season. While The Simpsons has the record for the number of episodes by an American animated show, other animated series have surpassed The Simpsons. ^[109] For example, the Japanese anime series Sazae-san has close to 2,000 episodes to its credit. (anime in Japanese, is a Japanese Comic strip created by Machiko Hasegawa. Sazae-san was first published in Hasegawa's local paper the, on April 22, ^[109]

The year 2007 marks the twentieth anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. With its nineteenth year (2007–2008), the series will be only one season behind Gunsmoke's U. Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston S. primetime, scripted television record of 20 produced seasons. However, Gunsmoke's episode count of 635 episodes far surpasses The Simpsons, which would not reach that mark until its 29th season, under normal programming schedules. ^[6]

Criticism of declining quality

For many years, critics' reviews of new Simpsons episodes praised the show for its wit, realism, and intelligence. ^[11][110] In the late-1990s, the tone and emphasis of the show began to change. Some critics started calling the show "tired". ^[111] By 2000, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics. ^[112][113] Author Douglas Coupland described claims of declining quality in the series as "hogwash", saying "The Simpsons hasn't fumbled the ball in fourteen years, it's hardly likely to fumble it now. Douglas Coupland (born December 30, 1961) is a Canadian Novelist. "^[114] Mike Scully, who was showrunner during seasons nine through twelve, has been the subject of criticism. For the football player see Mike Scully (football player. Mike Scully (born October 2, 1956 in West Springfield Massachusetts The Simpsons ' ninth season originally aired between September 1997 and May 1998 beginning on Sunday September 21 1997 with " The City The Simpsons ' 12th season ( November 2000 - May 2001) began on Sunday November 1, 2000 with " ^[115][116] Chris Suellentrop of Slate wrote "under Scully's tenure, The Simpsons became, well, a cartoon. Slate is an English-language online current affairs and culture Magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael [. . . ] Episodes that once would have ended with Homer and Marge bicycling into the sunset now end with Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge's neck. The show's still funny, but it hasn't been touching in years. "^[115]

In 2003, to celebrate the show's 300th episode "Barting Over", USA Today published a pair of Simpsons related articles: a top-ten episodes list chosen by the webmaster of The Simpsons Archive fansite,^[117] and a top-15 list by The Simpsons' own writers. " Barting Over " is an episode of The Simpsons advertised by FOX, and indicated on-screen to be the 300th episode of the show USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. The Simpsons Archive, better known as snppcom or simply SNPP (named for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant) is a Simpsons fan site that has been online ^[118] The most recent episode listed on the fan list was 1997's "Homer's Phobia"; the Simpsons' writers most recent choice was 2000's "Behind the Laughter". " Homer's Phobia " is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons ' eighth season, which originally aired on the Fox Network " Behind the Laughter " is the 22nd episode of The Simpsons' eleventh season. In 2004, Harry Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show's declining quality: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so Season Four looks very good to me now. Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American comedic Actor, Writer, Musician, and radio host "^[119]

The Simpsons managed to maintain a large viewership and attract new fans. While the first season enjoyed an average of 13. 4 million viewers per episode in the U. S. ,^[14] the nineteenth season had an average of 7. 7 million viewers. ^[120] In an April 2006 interview, Matt Groening said, "I honestly don't see any end in sight. I think it's possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome. . . but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it's ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven't done before. So creatively there's no reason to quit. "^[121]

Merchandise

Main article: List of The Simpsons publications

See also: The Simpsons discography

Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition

The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion-dollar merchandizing industry. This is a discography of music related to The Simpsons. Albums Singles See also Monopoly is a Board game published by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro. ^[19] The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from t-shirts to posters. On April 24, 2007, it was officially announced that a Simpsons Ride will be implemented into the Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Ride summary Queue To enter the ride's queue area visitors must walk through a giant Krusty the Clown head which leads them into a pavilion under various circus Universal Orlando Resort is a Theme park Resort in Orlando Florida. Universal Studios Hollywood is a Movie studio in the Universal City community of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, It is scheduled for a Spring 2008 opening. ^[122] The Simpsons has inspired special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons Jeopardy!. Cluedo ( Clue in North America) is a Mystery Crime fiction Board game originally published by The verb "to scrabble" also means to scratch scramble or scrape about see Wiktionaryscrabble. Monopoly is a Board game published by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro. Operation is a battery-operated Game of physical skill that tests players' hand-eye co-ordination LIFE, also known as The Game of Life, is a Board game originally created in 1861 by Milton Bradley, as The Checkered Simpsons Jeopardy! began as a Board game (published by Pressman) which took the popular game show Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been released. The Simpsons Trading Card Game is a Collectible card game based on the popular FOX animated television series The Simpsons.

A sampling of Simpsons comic books.

Numerous Simpson-related publications have been released over the years. So far, nine comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Bongo Comics is a Comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Steve and Cindy Vance Bill Morrison, Mike Rote and Simpsons ^[123] The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comics are also reprinted in the United Kingdom, under the same titles, with various stories from the other Bongo series reprinted in the main Simpsons comic. The comics have also been collected in book form; many other Simpsons books such as episode guides have also been published.

Collections of original music featured in the TV series have been released on the albums Songs in the Key of Springfield and Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons. Songs in the Key of Springfield is a Soundtrack / Novelty album from The Simpsons compiling many of the musical numbers from the Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons is the 1999 Soundtrack album from The Simpsons. Several songs have been recorded with the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The best known single is "Do the Bartman", which was co-written by Michael Jackson,^[124] and became an international success, topping the UK Singles Chart for three weeks,^[125] and being certified gold by the BPI. " Do the Bartman " is a song from The Simpsons ' 1990 album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry The British Phonographic Industry (BPI is the British record industry's trade association. ^[126] In the United Kingdom, "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as a follow up to "Do The Bartman". " Deep Deep Trouble " is a song from the album The Simpsons Sing the Blues, which was a novelty album for the television series The Simpsons The albums The Simpsons Sing the Blues and The Yellow Album contained cover versions of songs, as well as some originals. The Simpsons Sing the Blues is the 1990 album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons. The Yellow Album is The Simpsons second album of originally recorded songs released as a follow up to the 1990 album The Simpsons Sing the In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released

A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie. 7-Eleven is a worldwide chain of Convenience stores It is since March 2007 the largest chain store in any category beating McDonald's by 1000 stores Role in The Simpsons The Kwik-E-Mart is a convenience store that sells the usual fare at extraordinarily high prices including the always popular Squishee The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated Comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons

As a promotion for the The Simpsons Movie, twelve 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts and sold The Simpsons related products. The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated Comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons 7-Eleven is a worldwide chain of Convenience stores It is since March 2007 the largest chain store in any category beating McDonald's by 1000 stores Role in The Simpsons The Kwik-E-Mart is a convenience store that sells the usual fare at extraordinarily high prices including the always popular Squishee These included "Buzz Cola", "Krusty-O" cereal, Pink doughnuts with sprinkles, and "Squishees". ^[127]

In 2007, it was announced that The Simpsons Ride, a motion simulator ride, would open at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood and would replace Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations. Ride summary Queue To enter the ride's queue area visitors must walk through a giant Krusty the Clown head which leads them into a pavilion under various circus Universal Studios Florida is an Amusement park located in Orlando Florida. Universal Studios Hollywood is a Movie studio in the Universal City community of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, Back to the Future The Ride is a simulator ride based on the Back to the Future trilogy of films and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to ^[128] The ride at Universal Studios Florida opened on April 28, 2008, with the official ceremonies set to take place in May. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[129] The ride at Universal Studios Hollywood is planned for a grand opening on May 17, 2008. Universal Studios Hollywood is a Movie studio in the Universal City community of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[130] In the ride, patrons are introduced to a cartoon theme park called Krustyland built by Krusty the Clown. However, Sideshow Bob is loose from prison to get revenge on Krusty and the Simpson family. Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known by his stage name Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons The Simpson family is a family of Fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. ^[131]

DVDs

Main articles: The Simpsons DVDs and The Simpsons DVD boxsets

Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. The following Simpsons DVDs are all compilation releases in various regions The following Simpsons DVDs are all compilation releases in various regions When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history, although it was later overtaken by the first season of Chappelle's Show. Chappelle's Show is an American Comedy Television ^[132] In particular, seasons one through ten have been released on DVD in the U. S. (Region 1), Europe (Region 2) and Australia/New Zealand/Latin America (Region 4) with more seasons expected to be released in the future. DVD video discs may be encoded with a region code restricting the area of the world in which they can be played DVD video discs may be encoded with a region code restricting the area of the world in which they can be played DVD video discs may be encoded with a region code restricting the area of the world in which they can be played ^[133]

Video games

Main article: The Simpsons video games

The video game industry was quick to adapt the characters and world of Springfield into games. The Simpsons video games are a line of official Video games that use the characters from the animated television show The Simpsons A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Some of the early games include Konami's arcade game The Simpsons (1991) and Acclaim Entertainment's The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991). () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in businesses such as Restaurants Pubs Video arcades and Family Entertainment The Simpsons The Arcade Game is an Arcade game developed by Konami in 1991. Acclaim Entertainment was an American Video game developer and publisher. The Simpsons Bart vs the Space Mutants is the title of a Video game based on the cartoon series The Simpsons. More modern games include The Simpsons Road Rage (2001), The Simpsons Hit & Run (2003) and The Simpsons Game (2007). The Simpsons Road Rage is a 2001 Video game based on the Animated television series The Simpsons, and it is part of a series The Simpsons Hit & Run is an action - adventure Video game based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons The Simpsons Game is a Video game based on the animated Television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation Two Simpsons pinball machines have been produced; one that was available briefly after the first season, and another that is still available for purchase. Pinball is a type of coin-operated Arcade game where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more Metal balls on a playfield inside a Glass ^[134]

Film

Official film poster

Main article: The Simpsons Movie

20th Century Fox, Gracie Films, and Film Roman produced an animated The Simpsons film that was released on July 27, 2007. The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated Comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons Gracie Films is an American Film and television production company created by James L Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for the television shows The Simpsons and Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[135] The film was directed by long-time Simpsons producer David Silverman and written by a team of Simpsons writers comprising Matt Groening, James L. David Silverman (born on 15 March 1957 in New York City, New York) is an Animator best known for directing numerous episodes Brooks, Al Jean, George Meyer, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, and Ian Maxtone-Graham. Michael "Mike" Reiss (born September 15, 1959) is an American television comedy writer John Swartzwelder (born November 16 1950 is an American Writer, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons Jon Vitti is a writer who is most noted for his writing for the Television series The Simpsons. David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955) is an American Feature film and Television director, Writer and producer For the football player see Mike Scully (football player. Mike Scully (born October 2, 1956 in West Springfield Massachusetts Matt Selman has written for Seinfeld, The Simpsons and was one of eleven writers that worked on The Simpsons Movie Ian Maxtone-Graham (born on July 3, 1959 in New York City) is an American Television Writer and producer ^[135] Production of the film occurred alongside continued writing of the series despite long-time claims by those involved in the show that a film would enter production only after the series had concluded. ^[135] There had been talk of a possible feature-length Simpsons film ever since the early seasons of the series. James L. Brooks originally thought that the story of the episode "Kamp Krusty" was suitable for a film, but encountered difficulties in trying to expand the script to feature-length. " Kamp Krusty " is the first episode of The Simpsons ' fourth season, which originally aired on the Fox network in the ^[136] For a long time, difficulties such as lack of a suitable story and an already fully engaged crew of writers delayed the project. ^[121]

After winning a Fox and USA Today competition, Springfield, Vermont hosted the film's world premiere. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. Springfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. ^[137] The Simpsons Movie grossed a combined total of $74 million in its opening weekend in the United States, taking it to the top of the box office,^[138] and set the record for highest grossing opening weekend for a film based on a television series, surpassing Mission Impossible II. Mission Impossible II, or MI-2 as it is also known is a 2000 film directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise, ^[139] It opened at the top of the international box office, taking $96 million from seventy-one overseas territories — including $27. 8 million in the United Kingdom, making it Fox's second highest opening ever in that country. ^[140] In Australia, it grossed AU$13. The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas 2 million, the biggest opening for an animated film and third largest opening weekend in the country. ^[141] As of December 17, 2007 the film has a worldwide gross of $526,622,545. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[142]

Notes

References

• Alberti, John (ed. ) (2003). Leaving Springfield: 'The Simpsons' and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2849-0.  
• Richmond, Ray; Antonia Coffman (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family. The Simpsons A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family is a Book published in 1997 by HarperCollins. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-060-19348-4.  
• Turner, Chris. Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation. Planet Simpson How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation or Planet Simpson is a non-fiction book about The Simpsons Random House of Canada. ISBN 0-679-31318-4.  

Further reading

• Brown, Alan; Chris Logan (2006). The Psychology of The Simpsons. The Psychology of The Simpsons D'oh! is a Non-fiction book analyzing Psychology themes in the television series The Simpsons ISBN 1-932100-70-9.  
• Gray, Jonathan (2006). Watching with The Simpsons: Television, Parody, and Intertextuality. ISBN 0-4153-6202-4.  
• Irwin, William; Mark T. Conrad; Aeon Skoble (eds. ) (1999). The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer. Chicago: Open Court. ISBN 0-8126-9433-3.
• Keller, Beth L. (1992). The Gospel According to Bart: Examining the Religious Elements of The Simpsons. Regent University. ISBN 0-8126-9433-3.  
• Keslowitz, Steven (2003). The Simpsons And Society: An Analysis Of Our Favorite Family And Its Influence In Contemporary Society. Hats Off Books. ISBN 1-58736-253-8.  
• Pinsky, Mark I. The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family. ISBN 0-664-22419-9.  
• Pinsky, Mark I. ; Samuel F. Parvin. The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leaders Guide for Group Study. ISBN 0-664-22590-X.  

External links

• The Simpsons official website at FOX.com
• The Simpsons at the Internet Movie Database
• The Simpsons at TV.com
• The Simpsons Wiki at Wikia.com
• The Simpsons Archive (see The Simpsons Archive)
• The Simpsons at the Encyclopedia of Television