The Simpsons 20th Anniversary

The Simpsons, created by cartoonist and writer Matt Groening, began in 1987 as a series of 30 second shorts produced for the Fox Variety Program "The Tracey Ullman Show". The first short aired on April 19, 1987 and the series caught on quickly. After three seasons, the shorts were developed into a half hour primetime show. By December 17, 1989, they aired their first half hour episode, a Christmas Special, entitled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The regular season Premier aired on January 14, 1990 with the episode "Bart the Genius". The show was a hit from the beginning and became the first Fox series to make it in the Top 30 ratings in the 1992-1993 season.

The Simpsons family was conjured up by the imagination of Matt Groening, writer and cartoonist, who was originally known for his comic strip series "Life in Hell". While sitting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks' office, waiting to pitch a series of animated shorts about his "Life in Hell" series, Groening realized that he would have to give up the publication rights of the series if it was to be animated. Not wanting to lose control of his life's work, he chose to create "The Simpsons" instead. He created his version of a dysfunctional family, naming the characters after members of his own family, and substituting Bart, an anagram for Brat, for his own name.