History WesternAnimation / TheSimpsons

For roughly the first 10 seasons, ''The Simpsons'' was widely considered to be one of the most consistently funny TV shows ever produced. However, it is generally considered that at some point after (or near the end of) that, the series declined in quality. [[BrokenBase Exactly]] ''[[BrokenBase when]]'' [[BrokenBase it declined, and by how much, is difficult to find a consensus on]], but viewership has decreased over the years. Its numbers remain strong, though, and the merchandising juggernaut shows no signs of stopping. Fox at one point [[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/tv/the-simpsons-network-49783.html considered setting up a separate Simpsons/spin-off network]]; though that didn't happen, Simpsons re-runs became a cornerstone of the comedy-oriented FXX cable network when that was spun off from the Creator/{{FX network|s}}. Despite claims that it's not as good as it once was, [[LongRunners there's something to be said about a show that debuted (as a series of shorts) when]] UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan [[TheEighties was U.S. President]], debuted in prime-time and was referenced by name when UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush was in office, had its best years when UsefulNotes/BillClinton [[TheNineties was in office]], was more-or-less still going strong during the UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush [[TurnOfTheMillennium administration]], saw UsefulNotes/BarackObama [[TheNewTens get elected twice]], predicted UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump would run for and win the presidency 16 years before it happened, and is still around for Obama's VP UsefulNotes/JoeBiden becoming president.

'''''[[TropeCodifier The]]''''' Prime Time cartoon.

'''''[[TropeCodifier The]]''''' adult cartoon.

Sunday nights will never be the same.]][[note]]Left to right: [[BumblingDad Homer]], [[CanineCompanion Santa's Little Helper]], [[WetBlanketWife Marge]], [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Lisa]], [[CatsAreMean Snowball II]], [[CuteMute Maggie]], [[ThePrankster Bart]].[[/note]]]]

Sunday nights will never be the same.]][[note]]Left to right: [[BumblingDad Homer]], [[CanineCompanion Santa's Little Helper]], [[WetBlanketWife Marge]], [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Lisa]], [[TeamPet Snowball II]], [[CuteMute Maggie]], [[ThePrankster Bart]].[[/note]]]]

** [[CatchPhrase/TheSimpsons Catchphrase]]

The show first aired from 1987 to 1989 as a series of animated shorts on ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow''. Unofficially known as "Season 0", the original 48 ad-bumpers led Groening and ''Tracey Ullman Show'' producers Sam Simon and Creator/JamesLBrooks to develop the show as a {{spinoff}} which premiered on the then-fledgling Creator/{{FOX}} network in December 1989. It reached the thirty season mark in 2018-19, making it the longest-running prime-time sitcom in American TV history (worldwide, that honor belongs to ''Series/LastOfTheSummerWine'', although the latter has [[BritishBrevity fewer episodes]], with 297 while ''The Simpsons'' has made more than twice that), and surpassed ''Series/{{Gunsmoke}}'' as the [[LongRunners longest-running scripted television program by episode count ever]] in 2018.[[note]]Unless, as Bart notes in the episode before they broke ''Gunsmoke''[='=]s record, one factors in the 432-episode radio adaptation.[[/note]]

'''''[[TropeCodifier The]]''''' adult animated sitcom.

** [[VideoSource/TheSimpsons Video Source]]

** [[CourtroomEpisode/TheSimpsons Courtroom Episode]]

** [[PrisonEpisode/TheSimpsons Prison Episode]]

** [[AluminumChristmasTrees/TheSimpsons Aluminum Christmas Trees]]

''[[TropeCodifier THE]]'' adult animated sitcom.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a3153c19_0a10_4e1b_96c7_da993c8fc2e1.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} Finally... A television family you can believe in.\\

Many of the people behind the show are also responsible for ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' and, much later, ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}''. While both are {{Spiritual Successor}}s and feature a similar comedic style, they have a more refined tone and affirmed canon, featuring both story arcs and character arcs that ''The Simpsons'' generally lacks.

Creator/MattGroening has said he created the core family members in ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow'''s production office waiting room after realizing he didn't want to sign the rights to his ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'' characters over to UsefulNotes/RupertMurdoch.

The brainchild of independent cartoonist Creator/MattGroening, author of ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'', ''The Simpsons'' is an AnimatedSitcom depicting the animated adventures of the upper-lower-middle class Simpson family. The show initially started as a parody of DomCom conventions, but quickly went on to incorporate elements of social satire, pop culture references, and a mix of highbrow and lowbrow humor that has kept it popular year after year. 35 years on, it is now well established as one of television's all-time classic series.

The brainchild of independent cartoonist Creator/MattGroening, author of ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'', ''The Simpsons'' is an AnimatedSitcom depicting the animated adventures of the upper-lower-middle class Simpson family. The show initially started as a parody of DomCom conventions, but quickly incorporated elements of social satire, pop culture references, and a mix of highbrow and lowbrow humor that has kept it popular year after year, and is now well established as one of television's all-time classic series.

''The Simpsons'' is an AnimatedSitcom and the brainchild of independent cartoonist Creator/MattGroening, author of ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'', now well established as one of television's all-time classic series. Depicting the animated adventures of the upper-lower-middle class Simpson family, the show started as a parody of DomCom conventions, but quickly incorporated elements of social satire, pop culture references, and a mix of highbrow and lowbrow humor that has kept it popular year after year.

'''''[[TropeCodifier THE]]''''' adult animated sitcom.

'''''[[TropeCodifier THE]]''''' adult animated series.

** [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome/TheSimpsons Surprisingly Realistic Outcome]]