"The Simpsons" (1989) TV series 1989-????

Creator:

Matt Groening

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

Release Date:

17 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy

Tagline:

On Your Marks, Get Set, D'Oh!

Plot:

The satiric adventures of a working class family in the misfit city of Springfield.

Plot Keywords:

Nuclear Power | Dysfunctional Family | Principal | Tavern | Beer

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 101 wins & 122 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Jan. 7	7:00 PM	Fox	Apocalypse Cow	#19.17
Fri. Jan. 8	12:00 AM	Fox	Lost Verizon	#20.2

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 12 of 92)

Dan Castellaneta	...	Homer Simpson / ... (450 episodes, 1989-2010)
Julie Kavner	...	Marge Simpson / ... (450 episodes, 1989-2010)
Nancy Cartwright	...	Bart Simpson / ... (450 episodes, 1989-2010)
Yeardley Smith	...	Lisa Simpson / ... (450 episodes, 1989-2010)
Harry Shearer	...	Ned Flanders / ... (450 episodes, 1989-2010)
Hank Azaria	...	Chief Wiggum / ... (440 episodes, 1989-2010)
Pamela Hayden	...	Milhouse Van Houten / ... (374 episodes, 1989-2010)
Tress MacNeille	...	Agnes Skinner / ... (325 episodes, 1990-2010)
Karl Wiedergott	...	Additional Voices / ... (221 episodes, 1998-2009)
Maggie Roswell	...	Maude Flanders / ... (171 episodes, 1990-2009)
Marcia Wallace	...	Edna Krabappel / ... (158 episodes, 1990-2009)
Russi Taylor	...	Martin Prince / ... (148 episodes, 1990-2009)

Runtime:

22 min (441 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Albanian | French | Japanese | German | Russian | Hindi | Swahili | Italian | Swedish | Turkish | Cantonese | Mandarin | Hebrew | Arabic | Klingon | Bengali

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (seasons 3- | Stereo (season 1-2)

Certification:

Canada:14A (Manitoba) (DVD) | Canada:G (Quebec) (DVD) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (DVD) | Denmark:11 (DVD releases) | Ireland:12 (DVD rating) (seasons 2, 4, 5, and 6) | Ireland:PG (DVD rating) (seasons 1, 3, and 7) | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Australia:M (4 episodes) | China:(Banned) (Banned from Prime Time TV) | Ireland:G (Some episodes) | USA:TV-14 (some episodes) | Singapore:NC-16 (season 6) (season 10) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:NC-16 (season 11) | Norway:11 (DVD release) | Australia:M (Season 12 DVD) | Singapore:PG (season 1 -5) (season 7 - 9) (season 12) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 (some episodes) | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-12 (some episodes) | Finland:K-7 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-8 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Japan:U | Mexico:A | Portugal:M/12 (some episodes) | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:7 | UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:PG | UK:U (some episodes) | USA:TV-G (some episodes) | USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG (Season 2-11 DVD) | Australia:G (Season 1 DVD)

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The blue/red discrepancy of Bart's shirt is referenced in one episode. Homer holds out Lisa (who wears a red dress) to tease a bull, then, thinking that he can placate the bull with something blue, he reaches for Bart, only to find him wearing his red shirt. He asks, "Where's your blue shirt?" to which Bart replies that he doesn't have one.

Goofs:

Continuity: Chief Wiggum's proper hair color is blue. A common animation error is for it to be black in certain scenes (this generally happens in night scenes, or other scenes in dark places.)

Quotes:

[TV executives want Homer for a TV ad about bald and impotent men]
Homer: Well, I am bald and important!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Golden Girls: If at Last You Do Succeed (#6.3)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

'The Itchy & Scratchy Show' Theme

It started off fantastic...

No one, not even Matt Groening himself, could've imagined that The Simpsons would become as big as it did. Nor could anyone anticipate it could become so cultural. "D'oh" is in the dictionary, and it has spawned off several catch-phrases and one liners. Truly, The Simpsons is the biggest thing since Seinfeld! The first three seasons showed them as if they were an actual family. Like the kind of family you'd meet on the street (only a lot more dysfunctional). Homer trying to do the fatherly thing in each episode. Marge being the voice of reason all the time. Lisa and Bart with their sibling rivalry. These first three seasons are not usually sighted as being the best, but they are often brought up when one speaks of "The Best Episode Ever!" By Season four, the show took a turn for what may have been the best. It left it's more realistic roots and became more of a satire. With more zany antics and more clever, witty, and often times sophisticated humor, The Simpsons became the most popular family on television. Each episode still contained it's own merits, themes and messages. Seasons 4 to about 10 are often said to be the "Golden Age" of The Simpsons.

However, as the year 2000 came, fans began to see themselves divided. Those who stuck with the show since it came about in 1989 were quick to jump on how the show changed. The humor became more lurid and toilet like, with antics becoming heavily more unrealistic and zany (to the point where some even say it isn't funny... but stupid). Some characters becoming unrealistically stupid, and the show shifting gears from focusing on Bart to Homer... to everyone outside of the Simpson family. The show also began to see more cumbersome and meaningless plots. Plots that didn't focus on current issues, or that didn't seem to be as strong as older episodes. Despite this, new fans seem to have come about to replace then, and the show continues to remain at the top of its game, even today.

I'm sure you all know where I stand on that debate. Nine stars to nine fantastic seasons.