D’oh! The Simpsons - No Signs of Stopping After 36 Years
Graphic by Emma Novy
Back in 1989, upstart Fox TV’s decision to take a chance on a new animated show continues to have ramifications on the global media landscape. After 36 years, and taking the mantle as the longest-running scripted primetime TV series in the U.S., “The Simpsons” still feels fresh and relevant. Whether it is satirical commentary on current topics, featuring of current pop culture icons or an incredible knack for predicting future events, The Simpsons has one of the largest global fan bases. With a dedicated theme park, seemingly endless memorabilia, multiple feature films and more,it seems like it’ll never end.
The Simpsons has aired in over 100 countries worldwide. It has been translated into dozens of languages, including Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Arabic, Italian and more, making it one of the most globally distributed television shows ever created.
Over time, The Simpsons has become one of the highest-grossing entertainment franchises in history generating an estimated $50 billion to $70 billion. Few shows have equaled its mass cultural reach, longevity or financial impact.
Licensed products and merchandise are estimated to have reached the tens of thousands of unique licensed products created since 1989. Categories include clothing, toys, video games, food products, theme park attractions and collectibles. It is estimated that hundreds of millions of individual “Simpsons” merchandise items have been sold globally since the series started three decades ago. The strangest officially licensed “Simpsons” product ever made is considered to be the 2009 Simpsons coffin, a real burial casket featuring images of Bart’s family.
A big reason for the show’s success is its more than 1,075 guest appearances, which have earned “The Simpsons” a Guinness World Record. Guest stars have helped the long-running series stay connected to fans, while giving it a unique vantage point to comment on modern culture. Guests have included TV and film stars, chart-topping musicians, world leaders, athletes, scientists and more. Interestingly, The Simpsons does not treat each guest the same. Some end up lending their voice to an animated version of the real person, while others have stepped into entirely different roles. Guests have included musicians like U2, The Who and Michael Jackson. It included actors like Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Hanill and Tom Hanks And athletes like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams.
The Simpsons is also frequently credited for predicting the future, which is more likely due to the show’s long run and hundreds of jokes about future technology, politics and events. The writing team tries to stay on top of cultural and technological trends. Building plotlines based on trends has led to early episodes about candidates being elected president, video calling, smart watches, autocorrect errors, and many global events. When jokes later closely resemble real world events fans credited The Simpsons for accurate prediction - even when that is really not the case.
And if you ever wondered, the main characters were named after Matt Groening’s real family…
Homer (his father), Marge (his mother), Lisa and Maggie (his sisters). Bart, the exception, is actually an anagram of Brat!