Thirty years ago today, the first episode of The Simpsons , titled “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” premiered.
It was born as a series of animated shorts two years before on The Tracey Ullman Show by Matt Groening, who based the family on his own — right down to their names, only changing his to “Bart.” After three seasons, the shorts were developed into the half-hour we know today, and quickly became a ratings juggernaut for Fox.
The satirical show, which follows a working-class family in the fictional town of Springfield, became only the second series (after Gunsmoke ) to hit 600 episodes, in 2016. It surpassed Gunsmoke’s record, however, in 2018, becoming the longest-running primetime scripted series. It spoofed the show in tribute, with its opening theme and a special duel between Maggie (who, lest we forget, almost killed Mr. Burns years ago and is not to be messed with) and the western’s Marshal Matt Dillon.
It’s often been praised for its knack at predicting major real-life cultural events, including President Donald Trump’s election (in 2000’s “Bart to the Future”) and the sale of Fox to Disney (in 1998’s “When You Dish Upon A Star”), among countless other instances.
The series has, however lost some of its cultural dominance over the years, with the consensus being that the initial 10 seasons are its “golden age.” Its ratings, too, have declined: In its first season, The Simpsons pulled in an average of 13.4-million viewers per episode, but have since dwindled to half that — still an impressive number for modern television.
Mike Scully, who became showrunner for Seasons 9 to 12, and Al Jean, who has been showrunner since Season 13, have both been criticized for the show’s decline in quality and lack of substance. In a 2007 interview with Hot Press, Scully responded, “Lower your quality standards. Once you’ve done that, you can go on forever.”
The series saw much furor last year when the character of Apu was heavily criticized for being a racial stereotype, from his accent to his career to his religion, by comedian Hari Kondabolu in his documentary The Problem With Apu. In response, Groening told USA Today , “I’m proud of what we do on the show. And I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended.”
In the same interview, Groening talked about the longevity of the series: “We always try to surprise ourselves and then hope we surprise the audience. After doing so many episodes, those surprises become harder to think up.” Still, he added, “I don’t see any end in sight. It’s always possible. (But) I live in denial of death, much less the cancellation of The Simpsons .”
The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series has been renewed through to a 32nd season set to air in 2021, which will bring it to well over 700 episodes, meaning there truly is no end in sight for The Simpsons.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
