The Simpsons Premieres as a Series

Setting the scene

In the late 1980s, prime-time animation was dead since The Flintstones, with Fox a fledgling fourth network airing Married... with Children. Matt Groening had created crude Simpsons shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show starting 1987, based on his own family. Networks doubted adults would watch cartoons, but Fox sought edgy counterprogramming to challenge the Big Three.

What happened

The Simpsons debuted as a half-hour Christmas special, 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,' on Fox December 17, 1989. Created by Groening with James L. Brooks and Sam Simon, it followed Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson in Springfield as Homer becomes a mall Santa to afford presents. Despite crude animation, it drew 26.7 million viewers, finishing second in its timeslot.

Why it still matters

The premiere launched the longest-running American scripted prime-time series, exceeding 800 episodes and 37 seasons, winning 34 Emmys. It proved animation could satirize politics, religion, and pop culture for adults, inspiring South Park and Family Guy. Memorable detail: Bart's catchphrase 'Eat my shorts' and the show's opening couch gag became weekly cultural events, with the animation outsourced to South Korea's AKOM.

Background

It became one of the longest-running scripted TV shows.