Now the longest-running comedy in television history, THE SIMPSONS immediately struck a chord with viewers across the country as it poked fun of itself and everything in its wake. With its subversive humor and delightful wit, the series has made an indelible imprint on American pop culture, and the family members have become television icons.
January 14, 2009 kicked off “Best. 20 Years. Ever.,” a year-long global 20th anniversary celebration of all things SIMPSONS. The year will conclude on January 14, 2010 with The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – in 3-D! on Ice!, produced and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me,” “30 Days”). In the special, Spurlock will examine the cultural phenomenon of THE SIMPSONS in his distinctive and innovative style.
In May 2009, THE SIMPSONS were commemorated on 44-cent First-Class U.S. Mail stamps. Featuring images of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, the stamps were personally designed by creator and executive producer, Matt Groening.
The critically praised series has been bestowed with numerous honors, including recently receiving five Emmy nominations for the 2008-2009 season. Over the course of their two-decade run, THE SIMPSONS have won 24 Emmy Awards: 12 for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, 10 for Outstanding Animated Program and two for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.
Additionally, THE SIMPSONS have earned a Peabody Award, 23 Annie Awards, five Genesis Awards, nine International Monitor Awards and seven Environmental Media Awards. THE SIMPSONS holds the Guinness Book of World Records titles for Longest-Running Primetime Animated Television Series, Most Guest Stars Featured in a Television Series, Most Searched-For Television Show on the Internet and Longest-Running Sitcom (Episode Count).
Recognized as a pop culture icon, Homer Simpson’s annoyed grunt (“D’oh!”) is an official word in the Oxford English Dictionary, and THE SIMPSONS has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With record-breaking retail sales, THE SIMPSONS reigns as one the best-selling TV DVD properties of all time.
During the upcoming 21st season, HOMER (Dan Castellaneta) is cast as the lead in a new comic book feature film adaptation and hires fitness trainer LYLE MCCARTHY (guest voice Seth Rogen) to whip him into shape for the part, while BART (Nancy Cartwright) learns there is a better prankster in school and vows to take him down. In the annual “Treehouse of Horror” trilogy, the family fights to survive a zombie outbreak, Bart and LISA (Yeardley Smith) become entangled in a murder scheme and Homer’s blood becomes the secret ingredient in MOE’s (Hank Azaria) new beer.
Guest stars paying Springfield a visit next season include Seth Rogen (who co-wrote the episode to which he lends his voice), Jonah Hill, Anne Hathaway, Chris Martin, Sarah Silverman, Angela Bassett, Chuck Liddell, Neve Campbell, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Bob Costas, The Smothers Brothers, the late Eartha Kitt and Jackie Mason.
Giving voice to the Simpsons and other Springfield citizens are Dan Castellaneta as HOMER, KRUSTY, GRAMPA, BARNEY, MAYOR QUIMBY and GROUNDSKEEPER WILLIE; Julie Kavner as MARGE, PATTY and SELMA; Nancy Cartwright as BART, NELSON and RALPH WIGGUM; Yeardley Smith as LISA; Hank Azaria as MOE, APU, CHIEF WIGGUM, PROFESSOR FRINK, COMIC BOOK GUY and DR. NICK RIVIERA; and Harry Shearer as MR. BURNS, SMITHERS, NED FLANDERS, PRINCIPAL SKINNER, REVEREND LOVEJOY and KENT BROCKMAN.
THE SIMPSONS, created by cartoonist Matt Groening, first appeared in 1987 as a series of 30-second shorts produced by Groening for the FOX series “The Tracey Ullman Show.” The first of these shorts aired on April 19, 1987, during the third week of primetime broadcasts on FOX. Soon they had their own series, premiering on FOX as a half-hour Christmas special on Dec. 17, 1989, and then as a regular series on Jan. 14, 1990.
THE SIMPSONS is a Gracie Films production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening and Al Jean are the executive producers. Film Roman, a Starz Media company, is the animation house.
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