The Simpsons

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer Brooks. He created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after his own family members, substituting Bart for his own name; he thought Simpson was a funny name in that it sounded similar to "simpleton". The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After three seasons, the sketch was developed into a half-hour primetime show and became Fox's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990).

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, 814 episodes of the show have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American animated series, longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, both in seasons and individual episodes. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie (2007), was released in theaters worldwide to critical and commercial success, with a sequel set to release in 2027. The series has also spawned numerous comic book series, video games, books and other related media, as well as a billion-dollar merchandising industry. The Simpsons was initially a joint production by Gracie Films and 20th Television. In March 2021, 20th Television launched 20th Television Animation, a new production unit overseeing The Simpsons and its other animated series. On April 2, 2025, the show was renewed for four additional seasons on Fox, with 15 episodes and up to four Disney+ specials each.

The Simpsons received widespread critical acclaim throughout its early seasons in the 1990s, which are generally considered its "golden age". Since then, it has been criticized for a perceived decline in quality. Time named it the 20th century's best television series while Erik Adams of The A.V. Club named it "television's crowning achievement regardless of format". The Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 14, 2000. It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, 34 Annie Awards, and 2 Peabody Awards. Homer's exclamatory catchphrase of "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English language. Upon its debut, The Simpsons was often credited with changing comedy on television and is noted for inspiring many other later adult-oriented, popular animated sitcom television series.