History Series / TheTraceyUllmanShow

----

Of course, the reason most people today know this show even existed is because of a series of animated skits that were used as interstitial material on the show: ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', featuring Castellaneta and Kavner as Homer and Marge. After becoming the show's [[EnsembleDarkhorse Ensemble Darkhorses]], producer Creator/JamesLBrooks spun them off into their own series. Besides Castellaneta and Kavner, many of the Ullman writers also went to work on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' full time after this show went off the air.

* '''Summer Storm:''' A Los Angeles dick jockey.

Of course, the reason most people today know this show even existed is because of a series of animated skits that spun off into its own series, ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Castellaneta, Kavner and many of the writers went with ''The Simpsons'' as well.

* SketchComedy: The big selling point was that it was a sketch show done more in the production style of a {{Sitcom}} than a VarietyShow. Fox even used the term "skitcom" to promote it.

Of course, the reason most people today know this show even existed is because of a series of animated skits that spun off into its own series, ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

* ArtEvolution: The Simpsons' designs were initially crude and ''very'' prone to being OffModel (due to the artists basically tracing over Matt Groening's rough storyboards), but they were eventually streamlined.

* UnnamedParent: In the credits, Homer and Marge were referred to as either "Dad" and "Mom", or "Mr. Simpson" and "Mrs. Simpson".

Of course, the reason most people today know this show even existed is because of a series of animated skits about [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons a certain family of yellow skinned people]] that spun off into its own series.

-----
-->'''''[[ThatsAllFolks GO HOME!!!]]'''''

Hosted by Creator/TraceyUllman, the series was a VarietyShow that featured comedy skits and musical numbers. Among the players in her troupe were Creator/DanCastellaneta, Julie Kavner, Sam [=McMurray=] and Joseph Malone, as well as a slew of guest stars. The show also had Music/PaulaAbdul as its choreographer.

* DungFu: "Zoo Story" has Homer getting a face full of dung when he teases some monkeys.

Of course, the reason most people today know this show even existed is because of a series of animated skits about a family of yellow skinned people that spun off into a little series called ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

Of course, the reason most people today know this show even existed is because of a series of animated skits that spun off into a little series called ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

* CallingMeALogarithim: One of the Tina and Meg sketches had Tina asking Meg what "satiated" meant, and then phoning her boyfriend to apologize for [[NoodleIncident what she had done]] after he had said he was satiated following sex.

* GoMadFromTheIsolation: A sketch had an isolated military weather station manned by a lone serviceman. Every day, after practicing talking, he would play with his pet patch of air.

* GoMadeFromTheIsolation: A sketch had an isolated military weather station manned by a lone serviceman. Every day, after practicing talking, he would play with his pet patch of air.

Hosted by Tracey Ullman, the series was a VarietyShow that featured comedy skits and musical numbers. Among the players in her troupe were Creator/DanCastellaneta, Julie Kavner, Sam [=McMurray=] and Joseph Malone, as well as a slew of guest stars. The show also had Music/PaulaAbdul as its choreographer.

->'''''[[ThatsAllFolks GO HOME!!!]]'''''

* UnreliableNarrator: "Maggie in Peril: The Thrilling Conclusion" opens with a PreviouslyOn narrated by Bart, who of course wasn't paying attention to Maggie in the first place and insists that nothing is wrong.

* CharacterisationMarchesOn: Which should come as no surprise to fans of the Simpsons but the shorts were not very accurate to the Simpsons eventually personalities in their own show. Special mention goes to Bart in the first short who asks a philosophical question about the nature of the mind and Lisa who, throughout the entirety of the shorts run, was just as much of a BrattyHalfPint as Bart.

* TheFunInFuneral: "The Funeral" involves the Simpsons going to a funeral for their Uncle Hubert. Bart is excited to see a dead body, but turns green when he finally sees it.

* HypocriticalHeartwarming: In the short "Family Therapy" The Simpsons go to a psychiatrist due to driving each other crazy and while there proceed to be their usual dysfunctional selves. However once the annoyed psychiatrist gets sick of them and starts listing their faults the Simpsons get indignant on each others behalf. They then have a good laugh about the situation after being kicked out of the office.

* UnnamedParent: In the credits, Homer and Marge were referred to as either "Dad" and "Mom", or "Mr. Simpson" and "Mrs. Simpson".

* DysfunctionalFamily: The Simpsons.

!!Tropes:
* ArtEvolution: The Simpsons' designs were initially crude and ''very'' prone to being OffModel (due to the artists basically tracing over Matt Groening's rough storyboards), but they were eventually streamlined.
* DartboardOfHate: In one short, Homer forces the kids to play with a punching bag and they get into it by drawing his face on it.
* DysfunctionalFamily: The Simpsons.
* DungFu: The Simpsons short "Zoo Story" has Homer getting a face full of dung when he teases some monkeys.
* EatTheEvidence: In the sketch "Shoplifting", Bart gets busted for trying to steal candy bars and is taken into security. Bart is left alone with the goods for a moment and he eats them before the guard comes back, expecting not to be held accountable without evidence. He then looks in a mirror and sees chocolate smeared all over his face and hands.
-->'''Bart:''' Uh, is it too late to make a full confession?

* TheFunInFuneral
** An animated sketch involves the Simpsons going to a funeral for their Uncle Hubert. Bart is excited to see a dead body, but turns green when he finally sees it.
** The sketch "Goodbye, Butchie" features a funeral for Summer Storm's beloved dog. She didn't take the death well.

* HypocriticalHumor:
** In an early Simpsons short, Bart and Lisa argue about changing the channel, and then get angry when Maggie changes the channel.
** In another short, Homer says to Bart, "You watch your mouth, you little smartass!"
* MockCousteau: One Simpsons sketch has Bart pretending to be "Bart Simpseau" while taking a bath.
* MultiPartEpisode: The Simpsons short "Maggie in Peril" was a two-part sketch.
* NoNameGiven: In the credits, Homer and Marge were referred to as "Mr. Simpson" and "Mrs. Simpson".

* ShellGame: A Simpsons short involves Bart using this on his parents to avoid getting in trouble for taking a cookie.

* SocietyIsToBlame: In the Simpsons short "Grampa and the Kids", Lisa blames Bart for Grampa's apparent death, and Bart instead claims that "society killed Grampa".

* ThemeTuneCameo: In one of the first ''Simpsons'' shorts, Maggie changes the TV channel and the show's theme song, "You're Thinking Right", can be heard coming from it.
* ThisIsNotADrill: One memorable Simpsons sketch has Homer repeatedly waking up the family, saying that it's World War III, and taking them down to the fallout shelter before berating them for not making it sooner. They eventually turn the tables on him by making up their own drill and locking him in the shelter for the night.
* VacationEpisode: The sketch "Kay on Vacation" involves Kay going to a beachside resort and not exactly fitting in with other vacationers.

* FunnyAnsweringMachine: The sketch "Answering Machine" involves a sad-sounding woman being criticized for her machine recording (with one caller recommending a suicide hotline), so she decides to recording a song for the machine, complete with jazz band.