Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the Simpson family first appeared as an animated short in 1987, nobody could have predicted the series’s influence on pop culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Created by cartoonist Matt Groening, \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d originally started as a 30-second short on \u201cThe Tracey Ullman Show\u201d \u2014 a variety program akin to \u201cRobot Chicken\u201d \u2014 airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company. Eventually, it expanded to half an hour and aired Dec. 17, 1989, as a Christmas special titled \u201cSimpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.\u201d The rest of season one began airing regularly in January 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oregon-born Groening partnered with seasoned producer-director James L. Brooks as the show\u2019s executive producer with Sam Simon attached as a writer. Brooks is best known for \u201cMary Tyler Moore\u201d and \u201cAs Good As It Gets,\u201d while Simon is known for \u201cFriends\u201d and \u201cCheers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The show centers on a family with all the dysfunctions of the modern world but with the demographics of the 1950s: two married parents, two preteen children, an infant and plenty of living extended family. Springfield \u2014 named after Springfield, Oregon \u2014 is filled with all kinds of strange residents, ones that often fulfill stereotypical roles seen on television. An endless rollout of walk-on guest stars eventually joined the show and were voiced by their real-life counterparts \u2014 former President George Bush and astrophysicist Stephen Hawking were among these guest stars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the \u201990s, the show\u2019s popularity skyrocketed and was so successful in its first two years that the term \u201cSimpsonmania\u201d was coined and used to describe the show\u2019s rise to fame. In 1990, as many as one million Bart Simpson shirts were sold in a day, and Simpson merchandise generated $2 billion in revenue for the series. \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d was Fox Network\u2019s first television series to rank among the top 30 highest-rated shows in 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As time went on, \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d began to pass other shows in terms of series longevity. \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d surpassed \u201cThe Flintstones\u201d as the longest-running prime-time animated series in the United States Feb. 9, 1997. In 2004, the series surpassed \u201cThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,\u201d which ran from 1952 to 1966, as the longest-running sitcom \u2014 animated or live-action \u2014 in the United States. \u201cThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet\u201d was also originally the leader in number of episodes \u2014 a whopping 453 \u2014 but in the spring of 2009, \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d surpassed it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Simpsons\u201d and \u201cScooby-Doo\u201d battled it out in October of 2004 for American animated show with the highest number of episodes, but when network executives canceled \u201cScooby-Doo\u201d again the following year, \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d reclaimed it with 378 episodes at the end of season 17. By season 18, the series had 400 episodes. It is now recognized by Guinness World Records as the world\u2019s longest-running sitcom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Simpsons Movie\u201d was released July 27, 2007, and grossed $536.4 million worldwide, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2007, the second-highest-grossing traditionally animated film \u2014 second only to Disney’s \u201cThe Lion King\u201d \u2014 as well as the highest-grossing film based on an animated television series and the highest grossing adult animated movie of all time. The film was nominated for numerous awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The movie, much like the series, includes celebrity cameos, with Tom Hanks and the members of Green Day playing themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, by the time \u201cThe Simpsons Movie\u201d was released to theaters, critics began calling the show \u201ctired\u201d and fans were becoming disillusioned with the series. Jim Schembri of The Morning Herald believed the show\u2019s decline was due to an abandonment of character-driven storylines and overused celebrity cameos and references to popular culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe central tragedy of \u2018The Simpsons\u2019 is that it has gone from commanding attention to merely being attention-seeking. It began by proving that cartoon characters don’t have to be caricatures; they can be invested with real emotions. Now the show has in essence fermented into a limp parody of itself. Memorable story arcs have been sacrificed for the sake of celebrity walk-ons and punchline-hungry dialogue,\u201d Schembri said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many fans and critics say the show\u2019s golden era was in its first ten seasons and claim that when showrunners Mike Scully and Al Jean were added to the roster, then began the show\u2019s true decline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Groening was quick to defend the show, as well as his showrunners, saying: \u201cI honestly don’t see any end in sight. I think it’s possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it’s ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven’t done before. So creatively there’s no reason to quit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, viewership of \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d has been on the decline since season 21, which first aired in September 2009. While season one had an average viewership of 13.4 million viewers, season 21 had a dismal average of 7.2 million viewers. The first two episodes of season 36 have even worse numbers \u2014 episode two did not even break a million viewers, currently stagnant at 886,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although, even as the show’s viewership declines, fans still come together to share their love of \u201cThe Simpsons,\u201d especially the first ten seasons. Instagram accounts such as @bortposting, @the_simpsons_man and @bortofdarkness regularly post memes about the show\u2019s golden era and all three accounts have a combined following of 281,200. r\/Simpsons on Reddit has 43,000 members and is among the top three percent of Reddit pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Critics and fans alike do have hope for season 36. The season\u2019s premiere began with a fake series finale and featured altered clips from classic episodes that were given tragic outcomes. On X (formerly Twitter), user @tonygoldmark shared their theory that the show\u2019s recent quality could be because \u201cthe show is now being run by people who grew up watching it, and precisely understand the memetic impact it’s had.\u201d Many fans also attributed this increase in episode quality to Matt Selman taking over as the primary showrunner starting in season 33. And although the season premiere was very standalone, its references reminded viewers that it is still the same show they loved watching years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Episode three of season 36 aired on Fox Oct. 20 and is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n