The Simpsons, created by cartoonist Matt Groening (and named for the members of his immediate family except for Bart, which is an anagram for Brat), first appeared in 1987 as a series of 30-second spots produced for the Emmy Award-winning variety series The Tracey Ullman Show.

The Simpsons premiered as a half-hour comedy series January 14, 1990 and is now it it's 18th season. Acclaimed by critics and fans alike as one of television's truest and most hilarious portraits of the American family, the series received the 1990, 1991, 1995 and 1997 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program.