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The Simpsons is an animated television series created by Matt Groening. It is now the longest-running animated sitcom in television history, with 15 seasons and airing over 310 episodes since its debut in 1989.
The Simpson family
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The Simpson Family first appeared in animated form as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, the first short Good Night airing on April 19, 1987 (The shorts were not aired by the BBC in the UK). The Simpsons was converted, by a team of production companies that included what is now the Klasky-Csupo animation house, into a series for the Fox Network in 1989, and has run as a weekly show on that network ever since.
Set in the fictional - and vaguely located - U.S. town of Springfield, and highly satirical of many facets of the stereotypical American way of life (including beer, fast food, television, and religion), The Simpsons was a massive hit, generating a huge popular following, and criticism from then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush. In September of 1990, Barbara Bush said in an interview for People magazine that The Simpsons was the dumbest thing she'd ever seen. The writers also showed a love for cameo appearances by celebrities and extended pastiches of contemporary and classic movies, as well as subtle visual jokes showing a high regard for the sophistication of the audience.
On February 9, 1997 The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones as the longest-running prime-time animated series and in January 2003, it was announced that the show had been renewed by Fox through 2005, meaning it has replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as longest-running sitcom (animated or live-action) ever in the United States.
The voice actors have gone on strike on more than one occasion. In 1998, the actors were making $30,000 per episode and stopped working, forcing Twentieth Century Fox TV to renegotiate the amount to $125,000. More recently, in April 2004, six actors (playing over 50 characters) -- Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer stopped showing up for script readings. They are now asking for $360,000 an episode, or $8 million for a 22-episode season. In years past, the show has killed off characters from failed negotiations; Maude Flanders was killed in a freak accident in an episode because the Fox Studios were unable to agree on a contract with Maggie Roswell, the voice of Maude. However, it is unlikely to do the same here, since the foregoing actors play indispensable roles in the show, not least of all Dan Castelleneta, who does the voice for Homer.
The show's basic premise centers around the antics of the Simpson family, which consists of Homer and Marge Simpson, and their three children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie (in decreasing order of age), as well as their pets Santa's Little Helper the dog and Snowball II the cat (Snowball I was run over and killed earlier in Simpsons history). Homer is a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and a generally well-meaning buffoon whose short attention span is often drawn to outrageous schemes and adventures. Marge once was intelligent and sophisticated, but has come to conform with the stereotype of housewife/mother. Bart is a troublemaker and classroom terror who thinks of himself as a rebel, while Lisa is a brainy student and jazz music fan who dreams of a better future. Maggie is an eternal baby. The Simpson children have had a number of birthdays but remain the same age.
The show also has a vast array of quirky supporting characters, many of whom are even more popular among fans than the five main characters. For a comprehensive list, see characters from The Simpsons.
Authority, especially in undeserving hands, is a constant target of the show's often sharp satire. This probably explains the often strong negative reaction to the show from social conservatives. Nearly every authority figure in the show is portrayed unflatteringly. Homer is thoughtless and irresponsible, the antithesis of the ideal 1950s TV father, though he always comes through for his family in the end. Springfield police chief Clancy Wiggum is morbidly obese, stupid, lazy, corrupt and not overly concerned with constitutional rights. Mayor Quimby -- who sounds like one of the Kennedys -- is a corrupt, alcoholic womanizer. Seymour Skinner, the principal of Springfield Elementary, is an uptight, humorless bachelor who lives with his domineering mother; he is frequently likened to Norman Bates in Psycho. Reverend Lovejoy is jaded and moralistic. While most of these characters are more incompetent than truly evil, there is one true sadist: Montgomery Burns, owner of the Springfield Nuclear Plant and Homer Simpson's boss; he is often compared to Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane.
The show also routinely mocks and satirizes show business conventions and personalities. Krusty the Klown has an enthusiastic following among Springfield's kids, but offstage he is a jaded, cynical hack who will endorse any product for a price. Kent Brockman is a self-important, spoiled TV news anchorman.
The plots of most episodes focus on the adventures of one particular family member, frequently Homer. However the plots have never been very predictable or constant and tend to be very character-driven. Recurring themes in episodes include:
The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable trademarks. Almost every episode opens with a title shot coming through the cumulus clouds and into the school where Bart is writing sentences on the class chalkboard, presumably a punishment by one of his teachers for some mischevious deed or wayword comment; the sequence then introduces Lisa, Homer, Marge, and Maggie on their way to their house on Evergreen Terrace Road. The members of the family weave dangerously through traffic and in between fellow (and familiar) Springfield denizens, miraculously reaching home at the exact same time. Upon entering, they all speed towards the family room couch where, in comedic parallel with the audience, they settle to watch their 'must-see' TV show. For each episode, the sequence includes three variations: Bart writes something different on the chalkboard; Lisa plays a different solo on her saxophone; and the attempt of the family to sit on the couch goes awry in an often surreal manner. In syndication, sometimes the chalkboard and/or couch gags are cut from the intro.
The series' distinctive theme tune was composed by musician Danny Elfman. The current arrangement was orchestrated by Alf Clausen.
An annual tradition is a special Halloween episode, entitled Treehouse of Horror, consisting of three separate, self-contained pieces. The tradition began in the first season with Bart and Lisa telling scary stories to each other in their treehouse while Homer secretly listened in. Neither Bart nor Lisa was scared, but Homer was terrified. In later years the episode dropped the treehouse storytelling "frame", but kept the Treehouse title; for several years the characters broke the fourth wall and introduced their pieces directly to the audience. These pieces usually involve the family in some fantasy setting, and always takes place outside the normal continuity and rules of the show. Regular Simpsons characters play humorous special roles, and the two space aliens Kang and Kodos featured in the original Treehouse episode usually make an appearance. These Halloween segments have parodied many classic horror and science fiction films, and one segment is often a parody of a classic Twilight Zone television episode. The Halloween episodes are generally considered among the best Simpsons episodes.
Actors frequently contributing their voices to the series include Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden, Marcia Wallace, the late Phil Hartman and others.
See: List of celebrities on the Simpsons
Since its appearance, some Scots have made Scotchtoberfest into a real festival, held on the third Friday of every October. For most people who celebrate it, it is simply "a celebration of all things Scottish". More information is available by using a Google search to locate some of the pages (mostly made by individuals) on Scotchtoberfest.
Kwyjibo acquired some later notoriety as an alias used by the writer of the Melissa worm.
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