Since "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", the show has become a pillar of American TV culture (particularly the one holding up the Fox network, due to its shoddy foundations). It's success has led to a series of comics books, a number of video games, a few music albums, a number 1 hit single, a movie, a wheelbarrow's worth of Emmys, and even the ultimate accolade - a ride in Universal Studios (and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame).
It has gained a lot of cultural power. It has introduced a number of words and phrases in the dictionary, most notably D'oh! and the idea that the French are "Cheese-eating surrender monkeys."
(I like to point out that, according to history (and Stephen Fry), the French have had a successful battle record in the 19th century. According to another source of historical accuracy (the Hetalia: Axis Powers web manga series) its the Italians who deserve to be called cheese-eating.. I mean, pasta-eating surrender monkeys. Don't blame me, blame Hidekaz Himaruya for pointing this out.)
The Simpsons are everywhere (in over 200 countries in fact). They have been seen on T-shirts, slippers, fridge magnets, TV ads for butterfingers, Even Marge made an appearance on the cover of Playboy magazine. You have really made it when you appear on the cover of Playboy (like Drew Barrymore and the Commodore PET).
With such cultural power The Simpsons has had a huge influence on TV. The show is credited for resurrecting animation as a medium on prime-time television. It's thanks to The Simpsons we have Family Guy, South Park, The Critic, King of the Hill, and (especially) Futurama. There's even a Georgian "copy" of The Simpsons (the ultimate accolade for a successful show - been copied by another country).
"The Simpsons created an audience for prime-time animation that had not been there for many, many years ... As far as I'm concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways—you could classify it as—a wholly new medium." - Seth MacFarlane, Vanity Fair (2008)But its influence isn't limited to to animation. It has influenced live-action show too. British director Edgar Wright (for example) has admitted that his sitcom Spaced was "an attempt to do a live-action The Simpsons."
One reason for its influence is its longevity. The show has been a staple on Fox's schedules since December 1989. This has earned the show the world record for world's longest running animated TV show. However, this actually depends on what you mean by "long-running". The show first gained the world record when it's episode count surpassed The Flintstones in 1997. In 2004 it gained the longest running sitcom title by surpassing the episode count of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. But then it briefly lost the longest animated show title to Scooby-Doo, but got it back when execs cancelled the dog show (for a while). In 2009 it gained the record for longest running scripted prime-time show on US TV - chronologically. It took the record from Gunsmoke by been on TV for more years than the western did. But if The Simpsons manage to stay on screen every year until 2018 it will been Gunsmoke in episode count.
That is, if you exclude the "non-American" parts of TV land. The record for longest-running animated TV show outside the US is the Japanese weekly anime Sazae-san, which is as old as Monty Python (Really, they both began broadcasting in the same month - October 1969). I highly doubt The Simpsons will beat Sazae-san's 20-year head start. I can't think of over 3,000 possible plots for The Simpsons (Sazae-san aired its 3,000 episode in 2008), despite the claim of this episode of South Park. But the longevity of Sazae-san does prove a point I remember been said by either Jimmy Perry or David Croft (the creators BBC sitcoms Dad's Army and Hi-de-Hi!) about how to achieve a long successful comedy show - set it in the past. The jokes will last long as they will be already dated.
On the subject of aging jokes, despite been on for 25 years, the Simpson family themselves have never aged. Its the classic cliche about animated cartoons, as observed in this classic clip...
Bart watches Pokemon while doing homework in "Postcards from the Wedge" (2010)
There's even a Doctor Who crossover fan fiction that tackles this very issue. It's worth reading (despite been unfinished by the time of writing).
However, as The Simpsons continue to appear on our TV screens, I am aware that there is a huge debate that the quality of the show has fallen since the late-1990s, with a noticeable shift from character-led plots to crazy antics. Admittedly, I am a fan of crazy stuff, which is why unlike a number of early fans, I have endured the show's later years, including the Family Guy crossover show. But even I know everything can't last forever.
So, how come a show set in the present lasted for so long? This video may provide an answer....
And now the final sketch, and its a sketch with a story...
Back in 2009 (during the show's 20th anniversary) their was a competition to design a poster celebrating it. I had a great idea for it, but because, at the time, I was in college creating two interactive apps for my multimedia course, I wasn't able to make it. I did plan to have it made as an Illustrator gif by Christmas that year as a gift to all my friends, but time caught up with me and it laid unfinished... until now. I had been busy this year so their was a chance this couldn't have been made in time for Christmas. But I did it, thanks to a big decision - its not an Illustrator gif (that will have taken forever to make). It is in my classic hand-drawn style (kind of like when The Simpsons were first made back in 1989, long before computers took over). I admit it is a bit rushed, but its a bit more fitting don't you think? Adds authenticity (if you consider Photoshop as a hand-tool).
Happy Holidays everyone!
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