NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning, animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox TV Network. It is a satirical parody of the "Middle American" lifestyle epitomized by its title family, consisting of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, the show lampoons many aspects of the human condition, as well as American culture, society as a whole, and even television itself. // Simpson may refer to: Locations Simpson, Illinois Simpson, Kansas Simpson, Louisiana Simpson, North Carolina The Simpson desert, Australia People whose surname is or was Simpson Alan Simpson, British scriptwriter, part of the Galton and Simpson team Albert B. Simpson, Canadian-American evangelist and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance... Several works based on the television series The Simpsons are also titled The Simpsons: The Simpsons (arcade game), released by Konami in 1991 The Simpsons (pinball), released by Data East in 1990 The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family, a 1997 book The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide... Image File history File links C-SimpFamily. ... Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ... Marjorie Marge Simpson (Born February 28, 1959. ... Margaret Maggie Simpson is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Santas Little Helper or once known as Santos L Halper (voiced by Frank Welker or Dan Castelanetta) is the Simpson familys pet dog. ... Bart and his sister Lisa as news anchors Bartholomew Jo-Jo Bart Simpson is a main character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. ... Snowball, Snowball II, Snowball III, Coltrane, and Snowball V are five fictional cats that have been owned by the Simpson family in the TV show The Simpsons. ... Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is voiced by Yeardley Smith. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke[[ laughter in general). ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[3] his family name is pronounced ) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons,[4] Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... James L. Brooks James L. Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, writer, and film director. ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[3] his family name is pronounced ) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons,[4] Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... Sam Simon was one of the original developers of The Simpsons, along with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. ... Daniel Louis Castellaneta (born October 29, 1957) is an American voice actor best known for providing the voice of Homer Simpson and other characters on the animated series The Simpsons. ... Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1950) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress, best known for her role as Brenda Morgenstern on Rhoda in the 1970s, as an actress in several Woody Allen-directed films, and for providing the voice of Marge Simpson on the animated television show The... Nancy Evan Cartwright (born December 6, 1980) is an American voice actress. ... Martha Maria Yeardley Smith (; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress and voice actor who is best known for providing the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Henry Albert Azaria (born April 25, 1964) is a three-time Emmy Award-winning American actor, comedian and voice artist. ... Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American comedic actor and writer. ... 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 in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer-songwriter who led the rock band Oingo Boingo from 1978 until its breakup in 1995, and has since gone on to become one of the most sought-after film score composers working in Hollywood today. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Al Jean is a TV comedy writer most known for his work on The Simpsons. ... James L. Brooks James L. Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, writer, and film director. ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[3] his family name is pronounced ) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons,[4] Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... Sam Simon was one of the original developers of The Simpsons, along with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. ... For the animal, see Fox. ... 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1989. ... An Emmy Award. ... The George Foster Peabody Awards, more commonly referred to as the Peabody Awards, are annual international awards given for excellence in radio and television broadcasting. ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[3] his family name is pronounced ) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons,[4] Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... For the animal, see Fox. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Simpson Family The Simpson family is the title family featured in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. ... Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ... Marjorie Marge Simpson (Born February 28, 1959. ... Bart and his sister Lisa as news anchors Bartholomew Jo-Jo Bart Simpson is a main character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. ... Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is voiced by Yeardley Smith. ... Margaret Maggie Simpson is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. ... For the Simpsons episode, see $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling). ... This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ... Young people interacting within an ethnically diverse society. ...

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with James L. Brooks. He sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name.^[1] The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.^[2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show. The Simpsons made their TV debut on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 The Simpsons shorts is a series of one-minute shorts that ran on the variety show The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, before the characters spun off into their own half-hour prime time show called... James L. Brooks James L. Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, writer, and film director. ... The Tracey Ullman Show was a weekly American television variety show, hosted by comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ...

The Simpsons was an early hit for Fox, winning several major awards. Time magazine's 1998 issue named it the century's best television series,^[3] and on January 14, 2000 it was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is currently the longest-running American sitcom,^[4] as well as the longest-running American animated program.^[5] As a testament to the show's influence on popular culture, Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English lexicon. The Simpsons is also cited as an influence to many adult-oriented animated sitcoms of the late 1990s.^[6] A pocket watch, a device used to tell time Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A band plays on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ... This is a list of the longest running United States television series, ordered by number of broadcast seasons. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Look up Doh! in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has aired 397 episodes over 18 seasons. As of March 20, 2006, it was renewed for a 19th season due to be aired in 2007–2008.^[7] The 18th season finale will be the 400th episode, and 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie, is currently being produced to be released on July 27, 2007.^[8] December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... 24 Minutes will be the 400th episode of The Simpsons and will air on May 20, 2007 as part of the one hour season finale, alongside the episode You Kent Always Say What You Want. ... The Simpsons Movie is an upcoming animated film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini era. ...

Origins

Groening first conceived of the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. He had been called in to pitch a series of animated shorts, and had intended to present his Life in Hell series. When he realized that animating Life in Hell would require him to rescind publication rights for his life's work, Groening decided to go in another direction.^[1] He hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family and named the characters after his own, substituting Bart for his own name.^[1] The Simpsons made their TV debut on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 The Simpsons shorts is a series of one-minute shorts that ran on the variety show The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, before the characters spun off into their own half-hour prime time show called... James L. Brooks James L. Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, writer, and film director. ... Life in Hell is a weekly comic strip by Matt Groening. ...

The Simpson family first appeared in animated form as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, with the first episode, "Good Night", airing on April 19, 1987.^[2] The family was crudely drawn because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead they just traced over his drawings.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Simpson Family The Simpson family is the title family featured in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. ... The Tracey Ullman Show was a weekly American television variety show, hosted by comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. ... The Simpson Family The Simpson family is the title family featured in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. ... Homer tucks in Bart in the very first scene. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1989, The Simpsons was adapted into a half-hour series for the Fox network by a team of production companies, including what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Due to the fledgling position of the Fox network, Jim Brooks obtained an unusual contractual provision that ensured the network could not interfere with the creative process by providing show notes.^[9] Groening has been quoted as saying that his goal in creating the show was to "offer an alternative to the audience, and show them there's something else out there than the mainstream trash that they are presented as the only thing."^[10] The first full length episode shown was "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" in place of the intended first episode, "Some Enchanted Evening." The latter had to be reanimated after the creators saw the poor quality of the final animation and the episode was eventually shown as the final episode of the first season. For the animal, see Fox. ... Klasky Csupo Inc. ... Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, also known as The Simpsons Christmas Special,[2] is the first episode of The Simpsons to air, although it was the eighth episode produced in season one. ... This article is about the Simpsons episode; for other uses see Some Enchanted Evening (disambiguation). ...

The Simpsons was the first TV series of the Fox network to appear in the top 30 highest-rated shows of the season.^[11] Its success led Fox to reschedule the series to compete directly against The Cosby Show, a move that hurt the ratings of The Simpsons.^[12] Ullman later filed a lawsuit, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success and therefore she should receive a share of The Simpsons' profit. Eventually the courts ruled in favor of the network.^[13] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The show was also involved in controversy early on in the series. Bart was rebellious and frequently escaped without punishment, which led some parents' groups and conservative spokespeople to believe he provided a poor role model for children. George H. W. Bush rallied, "We're going to keep trying to strengthen the American family. To make them more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons."^[14] The Simpsons t-shirts, one featuring Bart with the legend "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')", alongside other merchandise was banned from several public schools in the United States.^[14] The Simpsons merchandise however, sold very well; during the first 14 months, $2 billion in revenue was generated worldwide.^[14] This article is about a person who sets examples for others. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... Cover art for the DVD release of The Waltons first season. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ...

Production

List of show runners throughout the series' run:

Season 1–2: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, & Sam Simon
Season 3–4: Al Jean & Mike Reiss
Season 5–6: David Mirkin
Season 7–8: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Season 9–12: Mike Scully
Season 13–present: Al Jean

Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[3] his family name is pronounced ) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons,[4] Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... James L. Brooks James L. Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, writer, and film director. ... Sam Simon was one of the original developers of The Simpsons, along with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. ... Al Jean is a TV comedy writer most known for his work on The Simpsons. ... Mike Reiss is an American TV comedy writer. ... David Mirkin is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Bill Oakley (born in 1966) is an American televison writer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. ... This article is about The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. ... Mike Scully Mike Scully is a former executive producer of the Fox series The Simpsons (Seasons 9-12, 1997-2001). ... Al Jean is a TV comedy writer most known for his work on The Simpsons. ...

Executive producers

Groening, Brooks, and Simon have been executive producers during the entire run and now function as creative consultants. A more involved position on the show is known as the show runner, who serves as head writer and governs every aspect of the show's production for the entire season.^[15] Credited as executive producers in the episode credits, runners often remain for multiple seasons. From season five onwards, the show runner receives first billing on the closing credit run. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Especially in the United States television industry, the show runner is the person responsible for the day to day operation of a television series. ...

Voice actors

With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wished to keep their identities a secret during the early seasons, and therefore closed most of the recording sessions and refused to publish photos.^[16] They eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode "Old Money," because the producers felt the voice actors should receive credit for their work.^[17] This is a complete listing of cast members from the long-running animated comedy television series The Simpsons. ... (left to right) Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Homer, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz and Brian Setzer guest starred in the heavily promoted season 14 episode How I Spent My Strummer Vacation. This is a list of guest stars who appeared on The Simpsons. ... In some countries the animated show The Simpsons is dubbed. ... A voice actor (also a voice artist) is a person who provides voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts), voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides. ... Old Money is the 17th episode of the second season of The Simpsons. ...

There are six main cast members who voice The Simpsons. Dan Castellaneta performs the voices of Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, alondside many other adult male characters.^[18] Julie Kavner performs the voices of Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma^[18] and occasionally plays other one-time characters. She has been known to refuse to perform Marge's voice in public, to maintain the mystique of the character. Nancy Cartwright performs the voice of Bart Simpson and other children.^[18] Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only main cast member who regularly voices solely one character, although she occasionally voices other one-time characters.^[18] The remaining two male actors who do not voice members of the title family play a majority of the male townspeople. Hank Azaria voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu^[18] whereas Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Dr. Hibbert.^[18] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. Daniel Louis Castellaneta (born October 29, 1957) is an American voice actor best known for providing the voice of Homer Simpson and other characters on the animated series The Simpsons. ... Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ... Abraham Abe Grampa J. Simpson is a fictional character featured in the animated cartoon television series The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ... Herschel Pinkus Yerucham Krustofski, more commonly known as Krusty the Clown is a fictional character in the cartoon The Simpsons. ... Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1950) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress, best known for her role as Brenda Morgenstern on Rhoda in the 1970s, as an actress in several Woody Allen-directed films, and for providing the voice of Marge Simpson on the animated television show The... Marjorie Marge Simpson (Born February 28, 1959. ... Patty Bouvier Selma Bouvier [[ The Bouvier Sisters (Patricia Patty and Selma, voiced by Julie Kavner) are fictional characters on The Simpsons. ... Nancy Evan Cartwright (born December 6, 1980) is an American voice actress. ... Bart and his sister Lisa as news anchors Bartholomew Jo-Jo Bart Simpson is a main character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. ... Martha Maria Yeardley Smith (; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress and voice actor who is best known for providing the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is voiced by Yeardley Smith. ... Henry Albert Azaria (born April 25, 1964) is a three-time Emmy Award-winning American actor, comedian and voice artist. ... Morris Moe Lester Szyslak (pronounced //) is a fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Hank Azaria. ... Police Chief Clancy Wiggum (voiced by Hank Azaria) is a fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Ph. ... Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American comedic actor and writer. ... Charles Montgomery Burns, normally referred to as Mr. ... Waylon J. Smithers, Jr. ... Seymour Spanky Skinner (born in Capital City, 1953, as Armin Tanzarian), known to most of Springfield as Principal Skinner, is a fictional character on the animated sitcom The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. ... Nedward Ned Flanders is a fictional character on The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. ... Julius Hibbert, M.D. is a doctor and physician from the TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. ... The Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Primetime Emmy that is awarded by a committee. ...

Alongside the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell, and Russi Taylor are regular cast members who voice several recurring characters.^[18] From the 1999 season to the 2002 season, Maggie Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Karl Wiedergott has made many appearances in minor roles but does not voice any recurring characters. Recurring "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks, the late Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Jane Kaczmarek, Jan Hooks, Joe Mantegna, Maurice LaMarche and Kelsey Grammer. The show is known for its frequent use of celebrity guest stars, who often play a stylised version of themselves. Pamela Hayden is an United States actress, best known for providing various voices for the animated television show The Simpsons (1989). ... Tress MacNeille (born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress who is best known for providing various voices on the animated television shows The Simpsons and Futurama, and also Animaniacs. ... Marcia Wallace (born November 1, 1942) is an actress from Creston, Iowa. ... Maggie Roswell is an actress best known for her voice work on The Simpsons depicting the characters of Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover, and Luann Van Houten among others. ... Russi Taylor is the current voice actress for Disneys Minnie Mouse character. ... Marcia Mitzman Gaven (born on 28 February 1959 in New York City, New York, USA) was the voice for Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover and others on The Simpsons from 1999 until 2002, when Maggie Roswell returned after a pay dispute. ... Karl Wiedergott has regularly played various voice roles in the television program The Simpsons, beginning in 1998. ... Albert Brooks (born July 22, 1947 as Albert Lawrence Einstein) is an Academy Award nominated American actor, writer, comedian and director. ... Phil Hartman (born as Philip Edward Hartmann) (September 24, 1948 â€“ May 28, 1998) was an Emmy-winning Canadian/American graphic artist, writer, actor, voice artist, and comedian. ... Jonathan Lovitz (born July 21, 1957 in Tarzana, California) is an American actor and comedian perhaps best known as a cast member of Saturday Night Live and for his show The Critic. ... Jane Kaczmarek (born December 21, 1955 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actress, probably best known for playing the character Lois in Malcolm in the Middle. ... Jan Hooks in 1988 Jan Hooks (born April 23, 1957 in Decatur, Georgia) is an American actress and comedian best known for her work on NBCs Saturday Night Live, on which she appeared from 1986 to 1991. ... Joe Mantegna as Detective Will Girardi in Joan of Arcadia Joe Mantegnas character, Fat Tony in The Simpsons Joseph Anthony Mantegna, Jr. ... Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian voice actor and former stand up comedian. ... Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is a five-time Emmy and Golden Globe-winning American actor who is best known for his two decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. ...

The main cast has been involved in much-publicized pay disputes with Fox on more than one occasion. In 1998, they threatened to strike, forcing 20th Century Fox to increase their salary from $30,000 per episode to $125,000. The actors were supported in their action by series creator Groening.^[19] As the revenue generated by the show continued to increase through syndication and DVD sales, the main cast stopped appearing for script readings in April 2004 after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Fox, requesting an increase to $360,000 per episode, or $8 million over a 22-episode season. On May 2, 2004, the actors resolved their dispute with Fox after reaching an agreement.^[20] Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the major American film studios. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Image File history File links Simpsons_writing_team. ... Image File history File links Simpsons_writing_team. ... Promotional Picture from Treehouse of Horror XII. The Simpsons 13th season (November 2001 - May 2002) began on Sunday, November 6, 2001 with Treehouse of Horror XII. The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 12 (CABF) production line. ... Al Jean is a TV comedy writer most known for his work on The Simpsons. ... Mike Scully Mike Scully is a former executive producer of the Fox series The Simpsons (Seasons 9-12, 1997-2001). ... David Mirkin is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Mike Reiss is an American TV comedy writer. ...

Writing

The Simpsons is created by a writing team consisting of 16 writers.^[21] The team proposes episode ideas at the beginning of December^[21] and each episode is assigned to a main writer who produces the first draft of the script. The final scripts are developed during group rewriting sessions, during which the writers can add or remove jokes, insert scenes, and call for re-readings of lines by the show’s vocal performers.^[22] The leader of these sessions is George Meyer, who has developed the show since season one. Long time writer Jon Vitti once explained that even though he will receive the script credit for an episode, the best quotes are usually invented by Meyer.^[22] Since it requires six months to produce an episode of The Simpsons,^[23] it is very rare for the show to comment on spontaneous current events, though they occasionally cite planned events such as the Olympics or the World Series. The Simpsons writing staff in season 13, including current show runner Al Jean (fourth from left in middle row) and previous show runners Mike Scully (first from left in back row), David Mirkin (sixth from left in back row), and Mike Reiss (fourth from left in back row). ... George Meyer is a producer and writer for The Simpsons, and arguably the writer who has contributed the most to the show over its long run. ... Jon Vitti is a writer who is most noted for his well-received scripts for the television series The Simpsons. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons staff, credited with 60 episodes. Interestingly, Conan O’Brien wrote four scripts before becoming the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. English comedian Ricky Gervais is the only celebrity to have guest written an episode^[24] although there have been other guest writers, such as Spike Feresten, a Seinfeld writer famous for "The Soup Nazi" episode. One of the few pictures of John Swartzwelder John Swartzwelder (born November 16, 1950) is a writer for the animated television series The Simpsons and a published author. ... Conan Oâ€™Brien (born April 18, 1963) is a comedian best known as host of NBCs late-night talk show/variety show Late Night with Conan Oâ€™Brien. ... Late Night with Conan OBrien is an American late night talk show on NBC, that is also syndicated worldwide. ... Ricky Dene Gervais (IPA: or ) (born June 25, 1961) is an award-winning English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire. ... Spike Feresten is a television writer for The Simpsons (Sideshow Bobs Last Gleaming), Seinfeld (The Soup Nazi, among others), The Michael Richards Show, The Dana Carvey Show, and an episode for Saturday Night Live who currently hosts Talkshow with Spike Feresten on FOX. FOX announced that Spike wiould host... This article is about the sitcom. ... The Soup Nazi is the title of the 116th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was the 6th episode of the 7th season. ...

Animation

International animation studios involved:

AKOM AKOM is a South Korean animation studio that has provided much work since its conception in 1985 by Nelson Shin. ...

Exclusively produced the first two seasons of the series.
Produced various episodes throughout the run of the series.

Anivision Anivision is a division of Sunwoo Entertainment, a large Korean animation studio. ...

Produced animation for episodes from seasons 3–10.

Rough Draft Studios Rough Draft Studios, Inc. ...

Produced animation for episodes from season four onwards.

U.S. Animation, Inc. U.S. Animation, Inc. ...

Jointly produced "Radioactive Man" with Anivision.
Produced "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"

Toonzone Entertainment For the character and Bongo comic, see Radioactive Man Radioactive Man is the second episode in the seventh season of The Simpsons. ... The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular is the tenth episode of The Simpsons seventh season, and is, as the title suggests, the 138th episode. ... Toonzone Entertainment is an animation studio that has worked on The Simpsons (Seasons 15+) and King of the Hill (Seasons 8+). The overseas director for Toonzone Entertainment is Eom Hyoung Sik. ...

Produced "The Fat and the Furriest" and "She Used to Be My Girl".

The Simpsons has been animated by many different studios over the past 18 years, both American and international. Throughout the run of animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was solely produced domestically at Klasky Csupo.^[25] Due to the increased workload, production began to be subcontracted to international studios for the half-hour show, usually to South Korea.^[25] Character and background layout is drawn by the domestic studio whereas tweening, coloring and filming is animated by the international studios. Throughout the years, different international studios have animated different episodes, even those within the same season. The Fat and the Furriest is an episode from The Simpsons that aired in the fifteenth season on November 30, 2003. ... She Used to Be My Girl is the fourth episode from the sixteenth season of the animated TV series The Simpsons. ... Klasky Csupo Inc. ... This animated GIF demonstrates the effects of Adobe Flash shape, motion and color tweening. ...

For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo acted as the domestic animation studio although onwards, Gracie Films made the decision to switch the domestic production to Film Roman from season four ^[26] who continue to animate the show as of December 2006. The last episode (in terms of production order) to be animated by Klasky Csupo was "Kamp Krusty." Gracie Films logo Gracie Films is an American film and television production company, created by James L. Brooks in 1986 for The Tracey Ullman Show. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kamp Krusty is the first episode of The Simpsons fourth season. ...

After season 13, production was switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint.^[27] The first episode to experiment with digital coloring was "Radioactive Man" in 1995, and was used again during season 12 with the episode "Tennis the Menace". However, after seeing the results, Gracie Films decided to delay using 'digital ink and paint' for two more seasons. "Tennis the Menace," being already completed, was broadcast as made. Traditional animation, sometimes also called cel animation or hand-drawn animation, is the oldest and historically the most popular form of animation. ... Traditional animation, sometimes also called cel animation or hand-drawn animation, is the oldest and historically the most popular form of animation. ... Radioactive Man is the second episode in the seventh season of The Simpsons and was the first one to use Digital Ink and Paint. ... Tennis the Menace is the twelfth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons. ...

Characters

The Simpsons are a typical nuclear "Middle American" family who live in the town of Springfield. ^[28] Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant although his personality his personality would suggest otherwise, being that of a well-meaning buffoon. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother, and together they have three children. The eldest, Bart, is a ten-year-old troublemaker who considers himself to be a rebel. On the other hand, Lisa, aged eight, is an extremely intelligent middle child, often involved in left-wing activism and loves playing the saxophone. Lastly, Maggie Simpson is a baby who is always seen with a pacifier and never speaks, lest for one episode. The family own a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II, both of which have been the focus of several episodes. Despite numerous yearly milestones passing such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1020x358, 408 KB)The Simpsons animated cast. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1020x358, 408 KB)The Simpsons animated cast. ... The following is a list of characters featured in the American animated television series The Simpsons. ... The Simpson Family The Simpson family is the title family featured in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. ... The term nuclear family developed in the western world to distinguish the family group consisting of parents (usually a father and mother) and their children, from what is known as an extended family. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is a fictional nuclear power plant in the television animated cartoon series The Simpsons. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the 1996 Blur single, see Stereotypes (song). ... Two homemakers. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ... A pacifier A pacifier (North American English), dummy (British, New Zealand, and Australian English) or soother (Canadian and Irish English), is a rubber, plastic, or silicone nipple given to an infant or other young child to suck upon. ... Lisas First Word is the 10th episode of The Simpsons fourth season. ... Santas Little Helper or once known as Santos L Halper (voiced by Frank Welker or Dan Castelanetta) is the Simpson familys pet dog. ... Snowball II Snowball II (a fictional cat in the television series The Simpsons) was the Simpson familys cat. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Ageless. ...

The show sports a vast array of quirky supporting characters, including co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives and local celebrities. Originally, many of these characters were planned as one-time jokes or to fill a function in the town. However, a number of them gained expanded roles and subsequently have been the subject of their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show's large supporting cast was very much inspired by the sketch comedy show SCTV, in which all the characters interact within the in-show universe.^[12] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Setting

The Simpsons is set in the fictional American city of Springfield. The state in which it is located has never been made clear and is not actually intended to exist in any specific state. Nevertheless, throughout the show's history, fans have tried to determine where Springfield is by taking the town's characteristics, surrounding geography and nearby landmarks as clues. As a response, the show has become intentionally deceptive about the state, and nearly every state and region in the U.S. has been both suggested and ruled out by conflicting evidence. ^[29] Only once, in the season 11 episode "Behind the Laughter", the Simpsons are described as a "Northern Kentucky family," but since there are many counterexamples contradicting this statement in other episodes, this could just be seen as a teaser from the writers at the increasing curiosity of the fans. Groening has stated that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city he grew up in,^[30] and the name "Springfield" was chosen because it is a common city name, appearing in more than thirty states. The geography of Springfield and its surroundings is seen to be flexible and has been shown to contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, and tall mountains, or whatever a story or joke requires.^[31] For the Simpsons episode, see $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling). ... Behind the Laughter is an Emmy winning episode from the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Nickname: Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government - Mayor Tom Potter Area - City 145. ...

Themes

The basic premise of The Simpsons is a standard sitcom setup. It is a series about a family and their life in a typical American town.^[28] The scope of The Simpsons, however, is larger than the regular sitcom. The town of Springfield is a complete universe in which they can explore all themes of modern society. Homer is deliberately working in a nuclear power plant, so that the show can make a comment on the environment.^[32] Bart's and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School can make a statement on education. The town features a vast in-universe media landscape, which has everything from kids' television programming to local news. This is used to make a statement about the entertainment industry.^[33] The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Mr. ... Along with politics, religion remains a major theme on the animated show The Simpsons. ... Springfield Elementary School Education is a common recurring theme in the Television show The Simpsons. ... Springfield Elementary School In the television series The Simpsons, Springfield Elementary School is the name of the school that Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and their fellow students attend. ...

The show is sometimes political with a left-wing bias.^[34] There is a general fondness for progressive ideals, but the show does make jokes from both sides of the political spectrum.^[35] The overall philosophy of The Simpsons is nihilism.^[36] The show portrays government and big business so that they are out to screw the little guy.^[36] Thus any authority figure in the show is portrayed in a negative light. The politicians are corrupt, Reverend Lovejoy is indifferent to the people going to his church and the local police force is incompetent.^[37] Religion is also a recurring theme. In the time of crisis the family will turn to God and the show has dealt with most of the major religions.^[38] Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that the world, especially past and current human existence, is without objective meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value. ... This article contains a list of recurring characters from The Simpsons with descriptions. ...

The plots of many episodes focus on one particular character, or the relationship between two characters. Common plots have involved the following: Homer getting a new job or attempting a get-rich-quick scheme; Marge attempting to escape the monotony of keeping house by finding employment or taking up a hobby; Bart causing a large problem and attempting to fix it, cover it up, or ignore it entirely; and Lisa embracing or advocating the merits of a particular cause or group. Some episodes have focused on the problems of secondary or tertiary characters, which are usually solved with the help of a member of the Simpson family. This is a list of jobs held by the fictional character Homer Simpson from the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Get-rich-quick schemes promise high rates of return for a small investment. ...

Hallmarks

Simpsons couch gag This is a screenshot of a copyrighted movie or television program. ... Simpsons couch gag This is a screenshot of a copyrighted movie or television program. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ...

Opening sequence

The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. Almost every episode opens with the camera zooming through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. Then we follow the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, they settle down on their couch to watch television. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a "retro" style piece. This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.^[39] A typical chalkboard gag. ... Bart writes The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with Hail Satan The chalkboard gag is a running visual joke that occurs during the opening credits of many episodes of The Simpsons. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ... This example of a title sequence, from long-running serial drama Another World, was seen from 1966 to 1981, making it one of the longest-running continuous title sequences on television. ... For the Simpsons episode, see $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music Musicians can be classified by their role in creating or performing music: A singer (or vocalist) uses his or her voice as an instrument. ... Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953 in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer-songwriter who led the rock band Oingo Boingo from 1978 until its breakup in 1995, and has since gone on to become one of the most sought-after film score composers working in Hollywood today. ...

One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that there are several segments that are changed from episode to episode. Bart writes something different on the blackboard. Lisa sometimes plays a different solo on her saxophone and something different happens when the family enters the living room to sit on the couch. This last segment is often the only one of the three gags to survive the process of shortening the opening for some syndicated episodes and for later episodes which needed extra time. This concept of rotating elements has been subsequently used both by Groening in Futurama, and by others, such as a newspaper headline in American Dad. Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen for the Fox network, and will resume airing in 2008 on Comedy Central. ... The Smiths, from left to right: Roger, Francine, Stan, Klaus, Hayley, and Steve. ...

Halloween episodes

An annual tradition is a special Halloween episode. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990) started a tradition of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. 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.^[40] 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. This is due to Fox's current contract with Major League Baseball's World Series. Screenshot from Treehouse of Horror IV This is a screenshot of a copyrighted movie or television program. ... Screenshot from Treehouse of Horror IV This is a screenshot of a copyrighted movie or television program. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ... Rodman Edward Rod Serling (December 25, 1924 â€“ June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, most famous for his science fiction anthology television series, The Twilight Zone. ... Night Gallery was Rod Serlings follow-up to The Twilight Zone, airing on NBC from 1970 to 1973. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Treehouse of Horror. ... Halloween, or Halloween, is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other gifts. ... This article refers to the first Treehouse of Horror episode. ... DVD cover showing horror characters as depicted by Universal Studios. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

Humor

The show uses catchphrases and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one catchphrase each.^[41] Notable catchphrases include Homer's famous annoyed grunt "D'oh!", Mr. Burns' "Excellent..." and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!". An interesting phenomenon occurred with Bart's catchphrases. The phrases "¡Ay, caramba!," "Don't have a cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" were featured on t-shirts in the early days of the show's run.^[42] However, the latter two phrases were rarely actually spoken on the show itself until after they became popular through merchandise, and the use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons. The use of catchphrase-based humor was mocked in the episode "Bart Gets Famous" in which Bart gets famous on the Krusty show for saying the line "I didn't do it."^[43] Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Simpsons catch phrases There are many recurring jokes in The Simpsons, many of which have been retired during the series. ... Look up Doh! in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Â¡Ay, caramba! (pronounced ; from Spanish Â¡ay! (interjection denoting surprise) and caramba, lace worn on the head, (euphemism for carajo, an exclamation of disgust), from Caramba, nickname of MarÃa Antonia FernÃ¡ndez, music composer of the 18th century who wore that kind of laces; carajo in south america means hell... Bart Gets Famous is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons fifth season, which originally aired on February 3, 1994. ...

Another part of the show's humor is to make cultural references.^[44] They cover a wide range of references so that viewers from all generations can have a piece of the show. These references could be scenes from a movie or TV show, which is played out in the Simpson universe. It could also be references to music, literature, science or history.^[44]

Encyclopedia > The Simpsons

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