About THE SIMPSONS

The longest-running primetime animated series in history and the longest-running comedy on primetime television, THE SIMPSONS is a cultural institution.  Now in its 18th season, THE SIMPSONS will celebrate an unprecedented 400 episodes in May 2007, and the long-awaited feature film will be released in July 2007. The series has an extremely loyal and dedicated fan base worldwide. Intelligently written, subversively humorous and delightfully witty, THE SIMPSONS pokes fun at itself and everything in its wake. 

The critically praised series has been bestowed with numerous honors, including a Peabody Award, 22 Emmy Awards, 21 Annie Awards, four Genesis Awards, eight International Monitor Awards and six Environmental Media Awards. THE SIMPSONS holds the Guinness Book of World Records titles for Longest-Running Primetime Animated Television Series and Most Guest Stars Featured in a Television Series. 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 the best-selling TV on DVD property of all time; most recently, Season 8 was released on Aug. 15, 2006.

Guest stars paying Springfield a visit this season include Kiefer Sutherland, Natalie Portman, Michael Imperioli, Joe Pantoliano, Joe Mantegna, The White Stripes, Dr. Phil McGraw, Fran Drescher, Richard Lewis, John Lovitz, Betty White, Harry Hamlin and Eric Idle.  Later in the season, famed authors Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen will be heard on the show.

The Simpsons reside in the town of Springfield. HOMER works as a safety inspector at the local nuclear power plant; MARGE tries to keep the peace in her family; BART is the mischievous 10-year-old hellion; 8-year-old LISA is the intelligent, saxophone-playing, vegetarian member of the family; and baby MAGGIE conveys emotions via pacifier sucks. Viewers also have come to know and love the rich, and sometimes quirky, universe of Springfield’s other inhabitants.

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 is the animation house.