Premieres Apr 30, Sun, 7pm
It's witty. It slyly references pop culture. Famous personalities (anyone from the blonder-than-thou Olsen twins to quiet-loud rock outfit The Smashing Pumpkins to Brit politician Tony Blair) have appeared in Simpson-ised fashion on the show. Even chill-out musical baldie Moby is a fan of its dry humour.
Little surprise then, that The Simpsons have come such a long way. The longest-running primetime animated series in history and the longest-running sitcom currently on primetime television, The Simpsons is also a cultural institution. Intelligently written, subversively humorous and delightfully witty, the show pokes fun at itself and everything in its wake.
Who can forget the time when Bart 'raged against the (vending) machine'? Or the time when water amusement park dolphins decided to conspire to take over the world? Or the characters, like Homer, the warm fuzzy American dad with the beer-gut, trademark "D'oh!" exclamation and weakness for "Mmmm... donuts"?
The critically praised series has been bestowed with numerous honours, including a Peabody Award, 21 Emmy® Awards, 21 Annie Awards, four Genesis Awards, eight International Monitor Awards and six Environmental Media Awards. The Simpsons currently 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.
Guest stars paying Springfield a visit this season include Alec Baldwin, William H. Macy, Ricky Gervais, Terry Bradshaw, Lily Tomlin, former basketball great Dennis Rodman, Michael York, boxer Joe Frazier, Kelsey Grammer returning as Sideshow Bob and, to the delight of Patty and Selma, Richard Dean Anderson. Later in the season, Frances McDormand, Rob Reiner and famed Yankee pitcher Randy Johnson turn up to throw a curve ball on The Simpsons.
For those who need an introduction to the family based 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 characters who inhabit Springfield.
The Simpsons 17 is happening every Sun, 7pm from Apr 30.
