The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical depiction of a dysfunctional middle-class American lifestyle starring the eponymous family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Set in the town of Springfield, the show lampoons both American culture and the human condition.[1] The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks. Groening named each character (other than Bart) after members of his own family. The shorts became part of the Fox series The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[1][2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour primetime hit show.[3]
The show holds several American television longevity records. It is the longest-running primetime animated series and longest-running sitcom in the United States.[4] With its 21st season (2009–10), the series surpassed Gunsmoke (which had 20 seasons) to claim the spot as the longest-running American primetime scripted television series, and later also surpassed Gunsmoke (which had 635 episodes) for episode count in this category, starting with the 29th-season episode "Forgive and Regret" on April 29, 2018.
Episodes of The Simpsons have won dozens of awards, including 31 Emmys (ten for Outstanding Animated Program), 30 Annies, and a Peabody.[5] The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 26 and 27, 2007, and grossed US$526.2 million worldwide.[6] The first 20 seasons are available on DVD in regions 1, 2, and 4, with the twentieth season released on both DVD and Blu-ray in 2010 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series. On April 8, 2015, showrunner Al Jean announced that there would be no more DVD or Blu-ray releases, shifting focus to digital distribution,[7] although this was later reversed on July 22, 2017.[8] Almost two years later, on July 20, 2019, it was announced that Season 19 would be released on December 3, 2019, on DVD.[9]
On March 3, 2021, The Simpsons was renewed for seasons 33 and 34.[10] On April 28, 1994, The Simpsons reached its 100th episode in its 5th season. On April 26, 1998, The Simpsons reached its 200th episode in its 9th season. On February 2, 2003, The Simpsons reached its 300th episode in its 14th season. On May 20, 2007, The Simpsons reached its 400th episode in its 18th season. On February 19, 2012, The Simpsons reached its 500th episode in its 23rd season.[11] On October 16, 2016, The Simpsons reached its 600th episode in its 28th season. On March 21, 2021, The Simpsons reached its 700th episode[12] in its 32nd season.
On January 26, 2023, The Simpsons was renewed for seasons 35 and 36.[13]
As of December 29, 2024,[update] 781 episodes of The Simpsons have aired, currently in its thirty-sixth season.