Move over Housewives and Kardashians…America’s most dysfunctional family is celebrating 800 episodes this Sunday! The Simpsons, the longest-running primetime scripted show in TV history, is right in the middle of their 37th season on FOX. Even after all these years, Bart Simpson is still just ten years old, while his voice (provided by Nancy Cartwright) is 68!
In this Sunday’s episode, “Irrational Treasure”, the animated family celebrates Philadelphia with special guest cameos from Questlove (and The Roots), Quinta Brunson, Kevin Bacon, and the stars from the TV show, The Pitt (Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa and Taylor Dearden). Boys II Men will also sing a new version of the The Simpson’s theme song.
As for the two storylines featured in the episode, FOX says…
“Marge’s crusade to get the family dog in better shape leads to her entering Santa’s Little Helper in canine agility competitions and a trip to the National Dog Show. There, Marge and Homer suddenly find themselves — and the dog — mixed up in a historical conspiracy adventure worthy of a National Treasure movie.”
In another story, “Homer strikes up an unlikely friendship with Kirk Van Houten, which leads to them launching a hugely successful business venture together – a “crumbless” cracker that sweeps the nation.”
Where It All Began
Back when FOX was still a very young TV network, James L. Brooks, the producer of The Tracey Ullman Show, approached Matt Groening to pitch an idea for a series of shorts to be featured on the variety show since he was a fan of Groening’s Life in Hell comic strips. Initially, Groening thought of pitching a series of Life in Hell sketches, but while waiting in the lobby, he changed his mind. In a matter of minutes, he quickly switched gears and came up with another idea – The Simpsons.
Groening named the characters of the family after his own (although he choose “Bart” instead of “Matt”. It’s also an anagram for the word “brat”). He thought “Simpson” sounded similar to “simpleton”.
The Simpsons made their debut on Ullman’s show in 1987. They didn’t get their own show until 1990.
The first episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” aired as The Simpson’s Christmas Special on December 17. 1989. The special told the story of how Homer once got a job playing Santa in order to afford a merry Christmas and how the family got their dog, Santa’s Little Helper. The special was viewed by 13.4 million viewers and was nominated for two Emmy Awards. The show hasn’t left the airwaves since.
The Main Voice Actors Include…
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson, Abe Simpson and Krusty the Clown)
- Julie Kavner (Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma Bouvier)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson, Maggie Simpson and Nelson Muntz)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson)
- Hank Azaria (Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and Lou)
- Harry Shearer (Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Dr. Hibbert, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner and Reverend Lovejoy)
Awards and Accolades
Since the show’s debut, The Simpsons has garnered accolades from various publications including Time, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Empire, Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone. The cartoon has also won 34 Primetime Emmy Awards, 34 Annie Awards and one Peabody Award. The Simpsons also got their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000.
Over the years, The Simpsons have passed a number of milestones including…
- The Flintstones were the longest-running prime-time animated series before The Simpsons caught up in 1997.
- In 2004, The Simpsons passed The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest-running sitcom in number of years airing. In 2009, The Simpsons passed Ozzie and Harriet’s record of 435 episodes.
- In 2010, The Simpsons passed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American scripted primetime TV series and in 2018, it passed Gunsmoke’s 635-episode count.
Up Next
FOX will air 800th episode of The Simpsons on Sunday, February 15 and later on Disney+ and HULU. A sequel to 2007’s The Simpsons Movie is set to open in theaters on July 23, 2027.
Leave a comment