'The Simpsons':
The Simpsons, created by cartoonist Matt Groening first appeared in 1987 as a series of bumps (short transition clips) on The Tracey Ullman Show. The Simpsons premiered as a half-hour comedy series on Fox on January 14, 1990. The Simpsons has won many Emmy awards and even spawned a feature film, The Simpsons Movie.
Premise:
The Simpsons is about an everyday family, living in Springfield, and all the mishaps and adventures they find themselves in. One of the most enjoyable aspects of The Simpsons is the world of Springfield, full of other characters fans have come to know and love. Because the characters don't age (much) they find themselves in the same situations time and again: in trouble, fired, competing, being duped, or fighting and making up.
Characters:
The characters of The Simpsons are the keystones of the success of the show. We tune in not just for the main characters in the family, but also for the other folks in Springfield, such as Moe, Apu, Barney, Milhouse and Comic Book Guy.
Creators:
Matt Groening was a cartoonist, drawing Life in Hell when he came up with The Simpsons. He was approached by James L. Brooks, the executive producer of The Tracey Ullman Show, to create bumps for the show (transitional cartoons between the show and the commercials). After that, Groening and Brooks created a half-hour series for Fox, and expanded the world of the Simpsons to include Springfield.
Groening has said in many interviews that the characters are based on his own family. And if you look at Homer's hair and ears, you'll see the initials "MG."
My Two Cents:
The Simpsons gave me my love of primetime cartoons. Though I had watched The Flintstones as a child, I could really get the humor and messages of The Simpsons as an adult. After twenty years, The Simpsons is still going strong in ratings, though I don't feel it's been the same since Matt Groening left it in the hands of other executive producers. There are still moments that shine, but overall, it's become too slick and lacking in depth. The characters have been reduced to (literally) two dimensions, rather being flawed, complicated, lovable folks.
