: Created by Matt Groening , the characters first appeared as short vignettes on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 before being developed into a standalone series for the Fox network.

The Simpsons premiered as a full-length half-hour series on , with the Christmas special " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ".

: Before 1989, primetime animation was largely absent since The Flintstones in the 1960s. The Simpsons proved that animation could tackle complex, adult-oriented social and political satire. Cultural Impact and Legacy

: It was Fox's first series to break into the Top 30 ratings during its inaugural season (1989–1990), establishing the fledgling network as a major competitor to ABC, NBC, and CBS.

The series has become the in U.S. history, with over 800 episodes as of early 2026.