The Simpsons

Among the publications that deal with it are:. There are 24 Indiana state parks, nine man-made reservoirs and hundreds of lakes in the state. Serious academic work has been done on the show. Many other astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan, were graduates of Purdue University in West Lafayette ([1] (http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/history/space_program/hoosier_astronauts.html)). Neil Armstrong's Purdue class ring may be the only such object that has ever traveled to the moon and back. It is speculated that there will also be guest stars appearing in large roles or cameos. Indiana is the home state of a disproportionately large number of Astronauts, including such notables as "Gus" Grissom, and Frank Borman. Just like the series, the movie will be animated (Matt Groening recently turned down a proposal to make a live action film based on the characters, as this would likely ruin the franchise and anger fans) and will star the six main voice actors: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, and most likely Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell, Pamela Hayden, and Tress MacNeille. Counties would remain under their current time zones, but the bill also asks the federal Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over time zones, to reconsider whether more counties should switch to the Central zone.

This was confirmed by 20th Century Fox June 6, 2005. On April 28, 2005, the state legislature voted 51-46 for the entire state to observe daylight saving time starting April, 2006. With the series being renewed for nineteen seasons, an estimated premier date was set for the summer of 2008. More recently, support has begun to grow for returning Indiana to the Central time zone with Central time zone DST, but this has not been popular enough to implement. In that year, producers announced a theatrical movie is in the very early stages of development, and that it will not be released until after the series ends. In the past several years, there have been attempts to place the entirety of Indiana in the Eastern time zone, with Eastern DST, but these have proved impossible to implement. Rumors were circulated on the Internet about a movie already being in development, but it was not until 2004 that any were confirmed. Eventually, a long-fought battle in the Indiana state legislature led to the current compromise.

The episode Kamp Krusty was originally going to be a movie, but became a regular episode after difficulties were encountered in trying to expand the script to feature-length. However, many parts of the state stayed on Central DST the entire year. Talk about a possible feature-length Simpsons movie has been going on since the early days of the series. When DST was formally adopted, Indiana was in the Central time zone. And the next "Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family" will be released on October 31, 2005; it will be called The Simpsons One Step Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued Yet Again. The history of this unique arrangement is fairly convoluted. The Simpsons - Classics (Region 2: UK/IE only). Several counties in the northwestern corner of Indiana, near Chicago, and several counties in the southwestern corner of Indiana are in the Central time zone and remain subject to daylight saving time.

Individual DVDs. The area that is within the Eastern time zone is legally exempt from daylight saving time; some counties within this area, particularly Floyd, Clark, and Harrison counties near Louisville, Kentucky, and Ohio and Dearborn counties near Cincinnati, Ohio, observe daylight saving time unofficially and illegally by local custom. Box sets. Most of Indiana has historically exempted itself from the observation of daylight saving time (DST). In particular, these DVDs have been released in North America (Region 1) and Europe (Region 2):
. The three largest Protestant denominations in Indiana are: Baptist (17% of the total state population), Methodist (10%), Lutheran (5%). The five DVD volumes rank as the best-selling television series DVDs of all time. Indiana's percentage composition by religious affiliation is as follows:.

When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history (although it would later be overtaken by the first season of Chappelle's Show). Indiana is home to a significant proportion of Mennonite and Amish Christians. Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. The Catholic presence is perhaps better known than its size would imply due to the existence of the University of Notre Dame in the state. Perhaps the best known song is "Do the Bartman", that was released as a single and became an international success. Religiously, Indiana is predominantly Protestant, although there is also a moderate-sized Roman Catholic population. Music has been a recurring theme in The Simpsons with virtually all members of the cast breaking into song at least once during the course of the series. The five largest ancestries in the state are: German (22.7%), American (12%), Irish (10.8%), English (8.9%), African American (8.4%).

The Simpsons and Futurama comics are also reprinted in the UK, under the same titles, with various stories from the other Bongo series reprinted in the main Simpsons comic. Racially, the state is:. Numerous different Simpsons-related comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993. Its largest city and capital is Indianapolis, where the nation's most famous auto race, the Indianapolis 500, is held each year. See also: Made-up words in The Simpsons. Indiana is a state of mostly small towns and midsize cities. The show's creators also take pride in having passed on schoolyard rhymes to a new generation of children who otherwise may not have heard them. As of 2003, the population of Indiana was 6,195,643.

On SlashDot and Fark, one particular meme: "I for one welcome our new <Insert topic here> overlords" stems from a quote of Kent Brockman from the episode "Deep Space Homer":. Like most Great Lakes states Indiana has small to medium operating petroleum fields; the principal location of these today is in extreme southwest Indiana in an area somewhat confusingly called the " Illinois Field"". The expression "excellent" — drawn out as a raspy "eeeexcelllent..." in the style of Montgomery Burns — has also entered popular use, as have Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!". One of the many public buildings faced with this stone is The Pentagon, and after the attack of September 11, 2001, a special effort was made by the mining industry of Indiana to replace those damaged walls with as nearly identical type and cut of material as the original facing. There are also large coal mines in the southern portion of the state. politicians and publications in 2003, after European and especially French opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. In mining Indiana is probably best known for its decorative limestone fron the southern, hilly portion of the state. Groundskeeper Willy's phrase, "cheese-eating surrender monkeys", used to describe the French, was picked up by U.S. ( Source for basic manufacturing facts in the above two paragraphs is generally McCoy and McNamara, "Manufacturers in Indiana", Purdue University Center for Rural Development, Research Paper 19, July 1998 ).

"D'oh" is the accepted spelling, and is certainly the most common; the closed captions for the program (at least in the U.S.), however, spell it "D-OHH". In other words, firms often see in Indiana a chance to obtain higher than average skills at lower than average wages for those skills, which often makes location in the state desirable. The most famous of which is Homer's saying: "D'oh!", which is referred to in scripts, as well as three episode names, as "annoyed grunt". D'oh is now listed in the OED, but without the apostrophe. This makes it possible for firms to offer, and labor accept, somewhat lower wages for these skills than would normally be paid. Several memes (often neologisms) that started on The Simpsons have now become mainstream words or sayings. Second, Indiana's labor force is located primarily in medium-sized and smaller cities rather than in very large and expensive metropolises. Originally, the switch was intended to happen during season 12 with the episode "Tennis the Menace", but after seeing the results, Gracie Films decided to hold off for two more seasons. Tennis the Menace, however, being already completed, was broadcast this way. First, much of the heavy manufacturing, such as industrial machinery and steel, requires highly skilled labor, and firms are often willing to locate where hard-to-train skills already exist.

After season 13, production was switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint. The explanation appears to be certain factors in the labor market. The last episode to be animated by Klasky Csupo was "A Streetcar Named Marge". However, Indiana has been much less hit by declines in traditional Rust Belt manufactures than many of its neighbors. During season four, Gracie Films made a decision to switch domestic production to DPS Film Roman, which continues to animate the show to this day. Like most interior states, Indiana is poorly located with respect to emerging coastal markets and new overseas sources of raw materials for manufacturing. Toonzone Entertainment - 2 episodes. Surprisingly, in view of the large agricultural sector, comparatively little food processing occurs in the state.

U.S. Animation, Inc. - 2 episodes. In addition, Indiana has the international headquarters of the Eli Lilly and the US headquarters of the Roche pharmaceutical companies. Rough Draft Studios - 111 episodes. Indiana's other manufactures include electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, rubber, petroleum and coal products, and factory machinery. Anivision - 55 episodes. The Calumet region of northwest Indiana is the largest steel producing area in the USA, and this activity also requires that very large amounts of electric power be generated. The overseas animation studios are:
AKOM - 188 episodes. In the state industry tends to be concentrated in its northern half.

Throughout the years, different overseas studios have animated different episodes, even episodes within the same season. A high percentage of Indiana's GDP comes from manufacturing, and much of this activity is heavy manufacturing. While character and background layout is done by the domestic studio, inbetweening, coloring and filming is done by the overseas studios. Many isolated parcels of woodland remain, and much of the southern, hilly portion is heavily forested ( a condition which supports a local furniture-making sector in that part of the state). Klasky Csupo was also the animation studio during the first three seasons of the half-hour length series, however, due to the increased workload, production was now being subcontracted to overseas studios, usually in Korea, where labor is cheaper. It should be remembered that while the state is in the Corn Belt, the original land was not prairie and had to be cleared of deciduous trees. Throughout the run of the animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was solely produced domestically at Klasky Csupo. Specialty crops include melons ( southern Wabash Valley), tomatoes (concentrated in central Indiana), grapes, and mint ( Source: USDA crop profiles).

The Simpsons has been animated by many different studios over the past 18 years, both domestic and overseas. The state's nearness to large urban centers, such as Chicago also assures that much dairying, egg production, and specialty horticulture occur. The showrunner is in charge of every aspect of the show for the season(s) he is currently serving as. Soybeans are also a major cash crop. The series has gone through numerous executive producers, also known as showrunners, throughout its run. Indiana is located well within the Corn Belt, and the state's agricultural methods and principal farm outputs reflect this: a feedlot-style system raising corn, to fatten hogs and cattle. The character Professor John Frink was named for writer/producer John Frink. Indiana's Per Capita Income was $28,783 as of 2003.

the Monorail" (9F10), "Homer Goes to College" (1F02) and "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1F04). The total gross state product in 2003 was $214 billion. He wrote "New Kid on the Block" (9F06), "Marge vs. See also: List of Indiana counties, Watersheds of Indiana. Current late-night talkshow host Conan O'Brien was a writer during the fourth and fifth season. The 475 mile long Wabash River bisects the state from northeast to southwest and has given Indiana two themesongs, the state song On the Banks of the Wabash as well as The Wabash Cannonball. When the restaurant closed down, he bought the booth and had it installed in his house. Indiana is one of the Great Lakes states.

According to the DVD commentaries, he used to write episodes while sitting at a booth in his favourite restaurant. Indiana is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan, on the east by Ohio, on the south by Kentucky with which it shares the Ohio River as a border, and on the west by Illinois. He has written the most episodes and many of them were the early classics. See: List of Indiana Governors, Indiana General Assembly. John Swartzwelder is the most famous of the writers on the Simpsons' staff. Lugar (Republican). See List of celebrities on The Simpsons. Evans "Evan" Bayh III (Democrat) and Richard G.

Many episodes feature celebrity guests contributing their voices to the show, as either themselves or fictional characters. senators are B. Here is a list of all the major voice actors and the characters they voice:. The state's U.S. All episodes (with the exception of one) list only the voice actors (not the characters they voice) in keeping with the mystique of having the audience not associate any one character with an actor — this is to discourage the audience from easily identifying exactly which voice actor did what. The current governor of Indiana is Mitch Daniels, whose campaign slogan was "My Man Mitch," elected on November 2, 2004. Another recent episode featured a CGI trailer for a comedy about humanoid playing cards. The area was claimed for New France in the 17th century, handed over to the Kingdom of Great Britain as part of the settlement at the end of the French and Indian War, given to the United States after the American Revolution, soon after which it became part of the Northwest Territory, then the Indiana Territory, and joined the Union in 1816 as the 19th state.

This was one of the few times The Simpsons have strayed from their traditional 2D animation, along with a live action cameo by Regis and Kathie Lee in Treehouse of Horror IX, a couple of claymation scenes in 'Tis The Fifteenth Season featuring The California Prunes and Jimmy Stewart, and a live action couch gag consisting of a sketchbook being flipped by a hand to make the characters run towards the couch and sit down. The specific Native American tribes that inhabited this territory at that time were primarily the Miami and the Shawnee. In a section of Treehouse of Horror VI called Homer³, Homer and Bart go into a three-dimensional world created by Pacific Data Images, a computer animation company. 100-400CE). It was part of the Mississippian culture from roughly 1000CE up to the conventional end of Mississippian dating ("contact with Europeans"). Another mainstay of the Halloween shows is the appearance of the two space aliens Kang and Kodos, introduced in the second segment of the first "Treehouse of Horror.". The area of Indiana has been settled since before the development of the Hopewell culture (ca. The names have changed in subsequent seasons. USS Indiana was named in honor of this state.

This also became a tradition, and has been done in every Halloween episode except I, XII and XIII. A resident of Indiana is called a Hoosier and it is also the mascot for Indiana University, located in Bloomington, in southern Indiana. In Treehouse of Horror II the writers decided to give the cast and crew of the show scary names in the opening and closing credits (like "Mad Matt Groening" and "James Hell Brooks"). postal abbreviation for the state is IN. In later years the series dropped the framing device of characters telling stories, but kept the Treehouse title; for several years the characters broke the fourth wall and introduced their pieces directly to the audience. The U.S. Neither Bart nor Lisa was scared, but Homer was terrified. Its capital is Indianapolis.

The tradition began in the second season episode "Treehouse of Horror", with Bart and Lisa telling scary stories to each other in their treehouse while Homer secretly listened in. Indiana, meaning the "Land of the Indians", is a state of the United States. Episodes spoofed:. State tree: Tulip tree. These Halloween segments have parodied many classic horror and science fiction films; often one of the segments spoofs an episode of The Twilight Zone. State stone: Salem limestone. Regular Simpsons characters play humorous special roles, occasionally being killed in gruesome ways by zombies, monsters, or even each other. State river: Wabash.

These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting; they always take place outside the normal continuity of the show (and are therefore considered to be non-canon), and completely abandon any pretense of being realistic. State poem: Indiana (http://www.in.gov/sic/about/emblems/state_poem.html), by Arthur Franklin Mapes. An annual tradition is a special Halloween episode consisting of three separate, self-contained pieces. State motto: "The Crossroads of America". See main article: List of The Simpsons episodes. State flower: Peony. See also: Bart chalkboard gags. State bird: Cardinal.

The current arrangement is orchestrated by Alf Clausen. Non-Religious – 8%. The series' distinctive theme tune was composed by musician Danny Elfman. Other Religions – 1%. The first season opening sequence featured a number of differences from the later seasons, including a shot of Lisa riding her bike on the way home and Bart's way home consisting of snatching a bus stop sign, forcing several dazed Springfieldians to chase the bus, rather than just riding past a number of well known characters. Other Christian – 1%. Most couch gags last only about five seconds, but the longest one on record lasted 46 seconds. Roman Catholic – 20%.

The "couch gag" sequence is frequently used to help show staff make the show longer or shorter, depending on the length of the episode itself. Protestant – 67%. In the syndicated version, part or all of the opening sequence is usually cut in order to include more commercials in the show's allotted timeslot. 1.2% Mixed race. For each episode, the sequence includes four variations: Bart writes something different on the chalkboard, Lisa plays a different solo on her saxophone, Homer screams in a different way (only done in the first couple of seasons), and the family attempts to sit on the couch as something goes awry in an often surreal manner. 0.3% American Indian. 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. 1% Asian.

The members of the family weave dangerously through traffic and in between fellow (and, from the second season onward, familiar) Springfield denizens, all miraculously reaching home at the exact same time. 3.5% Hispanic. 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 set as a punishment by one of his teachers for some mischievous deed or wayward comment; Homer is shown leaving the power plant, with Mr Burns and Smithers in the background (second season onwards); Marge and Maggie are shown checking out at the supermarket with Maggie travelling across the scanner, ringing up at $847.63, the then-annual cost of raising a baby (although a 'trivia question' shown as a wraparound for commercials during the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" claims that the register says "NRA4EVER" — National Rifle Association For Ever); The sequence then introduces Lisa (who leaves a band rehearsal, usually playing a different saxophone solo); the family is then shown on their way to their house at 742 Evergreen Terrace (the address varied in the beginning, but the writers now use 742 Evergreen Terrace exclusively). 8.4% Black. The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable trademarks. 85.8% White. See also: Who's Who in Springfield (http://www.snpp.com/guides/whoiswho.html).

Other name origins:. Many of the characters in the Simpsons take their names from important people and places in Groening's life:. [2] (http://www.metronews.ca/column_tube_talk.asp?id=2347&cid=650). The universally reported claim that this dispute was in fact a full-blown strike is denied by Harry Shearer.

On May 2, 2004, the actors resolved their dispute with Fox after having their demands met. They asked for $360,000 per episode, or $8 million for a 22-episode season. [1] (http://www.snpp.com/other/interviews/groening99e.html) As the revenue generated by the show continued to increase through syndication and DVD sales, 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 in April 2004 after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Fox. The actors were supported in their action by series creator Matt Groening.

In 1998, the voice actors stopped working, forcing 20th Century Fox TV to increase their salary from $30,000 per episode to $125,000. The voice actors have been involved in much-publicized pay disputes with Fox on more than one occasion. On January 14, 2000 the Simpsons were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 21 Emmy Awards, 22 Annie Awards, a Peabody and numerous others.

Over the years, virtually every Simpsons character has appeared on a magazine cover, ranging from TIME to Christianity Today and even Airliners. Since the series originated as part of The Tracey Ullman Show, it is also considered the longest running and most successful spinoff of all time. He was the only fictional character on the list. In that same issue, Bart Simpson was named to the Time 100, the publication's list of the century's 100 most influential people.

In its 1998 issue celebrating the greatest achievements in arts and entertainment of the 20th Century, TIME magazine named The Simpsons the century's best television series. Some take the view that The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet should continue to be counted as the longest-running sitcom as The Simpsons is animated not live-action although this view is declining as more authorities unambiguously credit The Simpsons as television's longest-running sitcom. In 2004, the series was renewed through its 19th season and if it survives until 2009, it will tie (or will have beaten if The Tracey Ullman Show shorts are counted) Gunsmoke's record as the longest-running prime time series (of any genre) in U.S. television history. 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.

On February 9, 1997 The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones as the longest-running prime time animated series in America, however it has not yet beaten several Japanese anime series such as Sazae-san (which has been running since 1969) and Doraemon (running since 1979). The writers have shown a love for cameo appearances by celebrities and extended pastiches of contemporary and classic movies, as well as subtle visual jokes. Bush said that America needed to be closer to The Waltons than to The Simpsons, causing Bart to say they were a lot like the Waltons, since they were both praying for an end to depression. In another address, Mr.

One of the Simpsons DVD sets includes a special feature that presents an exchange of letters between the First Lady and show staff. Bush were both portrayed by voice actors. and Mrs. Mr.

Wilson). Six years later, an episode had George and Barbara Bush move to Springfield and leave after George gets involved in a feud with the Simpson family (in a style reminiscent of Dennis the Menace and Mr. In September 1990, Barbara Bush said in an interview for People magazine that The Simpsons was the dumbest thing she had ever seen. and proud of it.".

In this episode, the school counselor quotes the controversial T-shirt by stating, "He is an underachiever.. The outcry against Bart was reflected in the second season opener, featuring an episode called Bart Gets an F where Bart's school wants to make him repeat the fourth grade. When a Simpsons T-shirt was marketed featuring Bart and the logo "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')" Simpsons T-shirts and other merchandise was banned from public schools in several areas of the United States. Parents' groups and conservative spokespersons felt that a cartoon character like Bart Simpson provided a poor role model for children.

It also sparked controversy, as Bart Simpson was portrayed as a rebellious troublemaker who caused trouble and got away with it. The Simpsons was the first true TV series hit for Fox; it was the first Fox show to appear in the top twenty highest-rated shows of the time. 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. The shorts were never aired by the BBC in the UK, though some of them, including "Good Night," were included in a Simpsons anniversary episode.

Matt Groening admits the reason that they were so crudely drawn in the beginning was because he could not draw well and the animators did nothing more than just trace over his drawings. The first short "Good Night" airing on April 19, 1987. The Simpson family first appeared in animated form as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. See also: The Springfield Connection (http://www.springfieldconnection.net).

See also: List of The Simpsons episodes by theme. Examples of these stock scenes include:. There are several types of scenes that recur often and have become conventions of the show's storytelling style. Recurring themes in episodes include:.

However the plots have never been very predictable or constant and tend to be very character-driven. The plots of most episodes focus on the adventures of one particular family member, frequently Homer. Viewers also learn that Brockman went by 'Kenny Brockelstein' in the 1960s, but that he anglicized by the time the Simpsons episodes of the 1990s take place. He will endorse any product for a price. Kent Brockman is a self-important, spoiled TV news anchorman with little regard for journalistic ethics possibly thanks to the fact that he won the lottery in one episode.

Krusty the Clown has an enthusiastic following among Springfield's kids, but offstage he is a jaded, cynical hack, in poor health from a long history of overindulgence and substance abuse. The show also routinely mocks and satirizes show business conventions and personalities. As compared with the Simpsons family, the Flanders family is relatively well-off and less dysfunctional, fulfilling certain theories expressed by sociologist Max Weber in his seminal work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. In several episodes, God actually intervenes to protect the Flanders family, invoking such protestant concepts as Predestination.

Social conservatives and some evangelical Christians have also pointed to the positive role-model of devout christian Ned Flanders, though he is portrayed in a less-than-affirming manner. Nevertheless, these affairs never occur, and by the end of every episode, Homer and Marge's marriage is strongly affirmed. The show has toyed with the possibility of extramarital affairs, such as when Homer falls for a female nuclear technician who shares his love of donuts, or when Marge's ex-boyfriend Artie Ziff tries to rekindle their old romance. One of the main explanations of this shift is that the Simpsons portrays a traditional nuclear family among a lineup of television sitcoms that now portray less traditional families.

In a somewhat ironic twist, during the more recent years of Simpsons production, some social conservatives have come to embrace the show. 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. Reverend Lovejoy, the pastor of the local church, is judgemental and moralistic (but only regarding other people). He has frequent flashbacks to his capture and imprisonment by the Viet Cong, and he is repeatedly likened to Norman Bates in Psycho.

Seymour Skinner (who sounds like Charles Kuralt), the principal of Springfield Elementary School, is an uptight, humorless bachelor who lives with his domineering mother. Kennedy — is a corrupt, spend-thrift womanizer. Mayor Quimby — who sounds like John F. Robinson-influenced tone) is obese, stupid, lazy, corrupt and not overly concerned with constitutional rights (not to mention that he somewhat resembles a pig).

Springfield police chief Clancy Wiggum (voiced by Hank Azaria in an Edward G. 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. This negative reaction was most pronounced during the early seasons of the show. This probably explains the often strong negative reaction to the show from social conservatives.

Authority, especially in undeserving hands, is a constant target of the show's often sharp satire. For a comprehensive list, see characters from The Simpsons. Many of these characters have developed a vast cult following of their own. The show also has a vast array of quirky supporting characters, including co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, and local celebrities.

Some characters' ages have fluctuated throughout the years; this is most likely due to simple oversight on the part of the writers. Despite the fact that numerous years (and birthdays) clearly pass (for example, many Christmas episodes), the Simpsons do not appear to age. Maggie is an eternal baby. Bart, the oldest sibling, is a troublemaker and classroom terror ("a vile burlesque of irrepressible youth" is how Lisa once described him) who thinks of himself as a rebel while Lisa is a brainy student, vegetarian, Buddhist and jazz music fan who dreams of a better future (she is referred to as "the future of the family").

Marge was once intelligent and sophisticated, but has come to conform with the stereotype of housewife/mother. Homer, a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, is a generally well-meaning buffoon whose short attention span often draws him into outrageous schemes and adventures. Snowball IV survives and is renamed Snowball II to save money on dishes.). In a later episode, Snowball II is killed, along with replacements Snowball III and Coltrane.

(Snowball I was run over and killed earlier in Simpsons history. The show's basic premise centers on the antics of the family: Homer and Marge, and their children Bart, Lisa and Maggie as well as their pets Santa's Little Helper – the dog – and Snowball II – the cat. The cost of having an episode of The Simpsons take place in the mountains, Europe, the city park, or a cruise ship on the ocean (all of which simply use drawn and painted backgrounds) is hardly more than placing the family in the standard "family comedy setting" of a living room, a kitchen, and one or two related settings (the workplace and a favorite social hangout) (which is also no more than drawn and painted backgrounds). This allows for far more flexibility in plot development than a typical live-action sitcom set sound stages. Animation scholars and fans have noted the series uses the medium of animation to its advantage, allowing the show to take place in many settings (indoors and outdoors) and feature a far greater cast of characters than a live-action sitcom.

(See Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield? (http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html) for more information on this issue.). Creator Matt Groening has stated that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the town he grew up in (see Matt Groening's Portland (http://www.portlandtribune.com/simpsons/)), and the name "Springfield" was chosen because virtually every state has a town or city with that name. In one episode at a graveyard the characters throw dirt that blots out the grave of Adlai Stevenson (either the Vice President or Presidential Candidate of the US) who was a well-known politician based in Illinois, implying Springfield, Illinois. In a later airing the location was changed to "southern Missouri." Also, in the episode "Sweet & Sour Marge", it is mentioned that Tennessee is to the south of Springfield which would put them back in Kentucky or possibly, in Virginia.

For example, in the episode "Behind the Laughter" the Simpsons are described as "a northern Kentucky family". has been both suggested and ruled out by conflicting "evidence" of a location for Springfield, so that the town could theoretically be anywhere. Nearly every state and region in the U.S. However, both the town itself and its location are fictional or a distortion on the real location.

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. The Simpsons is set in the fictional United States town of Springfield. The characters were originally created by Matt Groening as part of a series of original animated segments for The Tracey Ullman Show. Over the course of the series Groening has used many of the themes present in his long-running comic strip series, Life in Hell. (For instance, the idea of creative school children constantly being persecuted and suppressed by totalitarian grown-ups stems from the strip.). In the Channel 4 programs, the 100 Greatest Cartoons and the 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows, it was voted into first place.

Highly satirical, the show lampoons many aspects of the human condition, but primarily parodies the "Middle American" lifestyle its titular family exhibits and more generally American culture, society and even television itself. The Simpsons is the longest-running animated television series in American television history, with 17 seasons and 356 episodes since its debut on December 17, 1989 on the Fox Network and a spin-off of The Tracey Ullman Show. The Jetsons (1962-1963, 1984-1987). The Flintstones (1960-1966).

King of the Hill (1997-present). Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-present). South Park (1997-present). Futurama (1999-2003).

List of TV Channels that air The Simpsons. Trivia about The Simpsons. References to Star Trek in The Simpsons. The Simpsons family tree.

Animation. SNUH (Springfieldians for Nonviolence, Understanding, and Helping). The Simpsons episodes by theme. The Simpsons episode list.

List of Songs featured in The Simpsons. Characters from The Simpsons. Truck-o-Saurus. KBBL.

Flying Hellfish squad. Duff Beer. Keller. The Gospel According to Bart: Examining the Religious Elements of The Simpsons by Beth L.

Pinsky ISBN 0664224199. The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family by Mark I. Conard (Editor), Aeon Skoble (Editor) ISBN 0812694333. The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer by William Irwin (Editor), Mark T.

Parvin ISBN 066422590X. Pinsky, Samuel F. The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leaders Guide for Group Study by Mark I. The Simpsons And Society: An Analysis Of Our Favorite Family And Its Influence In Contemporary Society by Steven Keslowitz ISBN 1587362538.

Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture (Contemporary Film and Television Series) by John Alberti ISBN 0814328490. Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation by Chris Turner ISBN 0679313184. The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leaders Guide for Group Study. The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family.

The Bart Book. The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer. The Homer Book. Planet Springfield.

The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album. The Simpsons Guide to Springfield. The Simpsons Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Still Continued. The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued.

The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family. Bart Simpson's Guide to Life. The Simpsons Pinball Party - Stern Pinball (2003). The Simpsons Hit & Run - PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and PC (2003).

The Simpsons Road Rage - Game Boy Advance (2003). Simpsons Skateboarding - PlayStation 2 (2002). The Simpsons Road Rage - PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube (2001). The Simpsons Wrestling - PlayStation (2001).

Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror - Game Boy Color (2001). Virtual Springfield - PC (1997). The Simpsons Cartoon Studio - PC (1996). Bart and the Beanstalk - Game Boy (1994).

Virtual Bart - Sega Genesis and Super NES (1994). The Itchy and Scratchy Game - Sega Genesis, Super NES and Sega Game Gear (1994). Bart's Nightmare - Sega Genesis and Super NES (1993). Krusty's Fun House and Krusty's Super Fun House - NES, Game Boy, IBM PC, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, SNES (1992–1993).

the Juggernauts - Game Boy (1992). Bart vs. Bart's House of Weirdness - PC (1992). the Space Mutants - NES, Master System, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Atari ST, Commodore Amiga Spectrum ZX, Amstrad, and PC (1991–1992).

Bart vs. The Simpsons: The Arcade Game - Arcade, IBM PC and Commodore 64 (1991). Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly - Game Boy (1991). the World - NES and Sega Master System (1991–1993).

Bart vs. The Simpsons Pinball - Data East (1990). Viva Los Simpsons (April 2005). Springfield Murder Mysteries (April 2005).

Season 5–6: David Mirkin. Season 3–4: Al Jean and Mike Reiss. Brooks, and Sam Simon. Season 1–2: Matt Groening, James L.

Glick, Ann Landers, and others. Agnes Skinner, Cookie Kwan, Dolph, Brandine Del Roy, Mrs. Tress MacNeille: Lindsay Naegle, Mrs. Russi Taylor: Sherri, Terri, Martin Prince, and others. (1990–present).

Edna Krabappel (1990–present). Marcia Wallace: Mrs. Marvin Monroe, Kang, Kent Brockman, Herman and Charles Montgomery Burns. McBain, Itchy, Dr.

Julius Hibbert (sounds like James Earl Jones), Jasper, Lenny Leonard, Officer Eddie, Rainier Wolfcastle a.k.a. Smithers, Ned Flanders, Principal Seymour Skinner (sounds like Charles Kuralt), Otto Mann, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Dr. Harry Shearer: Waylon J. Nick Riviera (sounds like Ricky Ricardo), Snake, Bumblebee Man, Captain McCallister, Akira, Professor John Frink, Cletus Spuckler (or Delroy), Kirk van Houten, Superintendent Chalmers, Drederick Tatum, and others.

Robinson), Comic Book Guy (or Jeff Albertson), Officer Lou (sounds like Sylvester Stallone), Carl Carlson, Dr. Hank Azaria: Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Moe Szyslak, Chief Clancy Wiggum (sounds like Edward G. Yeardley Smith: Lisa Simpson. Nancy Cartwright: Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Todd Flanders, Ralph Wiggum, Kearney, Database, Jimmy, and others.