‘We jumped the shark in the very first episode!’ Thirty-five years of The Simpsons

From launching with an inexplicable Christmas show to wowing the public – and then being widely derided, the meta-cartoon changed TV for ever. Now, some say it’s back to its best

The Simpsons first aired 35 years ago, on 17 December 1989, with a Christmas special originally scheduled to run eighth in the series – but brought forward because the ugly animation on the planned debut episode was so disliked, it was shuffled to last place. With a scheduled autumn start already delayed, the creators had to begin by airing their festive episode, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, in mid-March. Despite this fumbling start, however, the series was an instant hit.

“After the Christmas show aired, I had a Simpsons jacket; I was at Disney World and people were approaching me asking me if they could buy it,” says Al Jean, who co-wrote the first series and is the show’s executive producer today. “They’d all seen the special. It was this phenomenon.”

Topics

How we met: ‘It was like love at first sight’

Lisa and Andrea, both 64, met in New Jersey 40 years ago. Despite living on different continents, they’ve been friends ever since. For Lisa, the 1980s were an incredibly fun decade. Living in ...
The Guardian - Dec. 11
We Take [Whatever We Just Got in Trouble for] Very Seriously

If you have to issue a public apology, avoid using these four phrases.
Inc. - Dec. 11
15-Year-Old Western Australian Surfer Relives Shark Attack (Graphic)

Yahoo News - Dec. 10
American Figure Skater Caps Off Undefeated Year With a Quad Axel Jump

Since the 2022 Beijing Games, Ilia Malinin has become the new force in men’s figure skating
The New York Times - Dec. 9
Paris’ Notre Dame celebrates first Sunday Mass since fire five years ago

PARIS — Notes boomed from the meticulously cleaned grand organ, the choir’s voices echoed off of walls scrubbed clean of scorch marks, and light shone through restored stained glass windows.
NBC News - Dec. 8
Notre Dame celebrates first mass in five years after devastating fire

Archbishop of Paris consecrates the cathedral’s new altar with perfumed oil to the sound of the restored organ. Parisians, the French and the world rediscovered the breathtaking beauty of the Notre ...
The Guardian - Dec. 8
Canada's jobless rate jumps to near 8-year high of 6.8% in November

Yahoo News - Dec. 6
Five things we learned from the Scottish Budget

Scrapping the two-child cap and changes to tax thresholds are among plans for the next financial year.
BBC News - Dec. 4
Nintendo Switch 2 'Leak' Could Offer A Very Blurry First-Look At The Console

A low-quality video of what appears to be a Nintendo Switch 2 has emerged, prompting fan speculation over the as-yet-unseen console and the validity of this footage.. The video was posted on ...
GameSpot - Dec. 2