THE SIMPSONS

The Simpsons is an animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical parody of the "Middle American" lifestyle epitomized by its title family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and lampoons many aspects of the human condition, as well as American culture, society as a whole, and television itself.

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening sketched an outline version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name.[1] The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show.

The Simpsons was an early hit for Fox, and won several major awards. Time magazine's December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century's best television series,[3] and on January 14, 2000 it was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons is currently the longest-running American sitcom,[4] and the longest-running American animated program.[5] Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has been cited as an influence on many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.[6]

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has aired 400 episodes over 18 seasons. As of March 20, 2006, it was renewed for a 19th season due to be aired in 2007–2008, premiering on September 23, 2007.[7][8] The 18th season finale, aired on May 20, is the 400th episode and 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie, is currently being produced, set for a worldwide release on July 27, 2007.[9]
Contents
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* 1 Origins
* 2 Production
o 2.1 Executive producers
o 2.2 Voice actors
o 2.3 Writing
o 2.4 Animation
* 3 Characters
* 4 Setting
* 5 Themes
* 6 Hallmarks
o 6.1 Opening sequence
o 6.2 Halloween episodes
o 6.3 Humor
* 7 Influences on culture
o 7.1 Influences on language
o 7.2 Influence on television
* 8 Critical reactions and achievements
o 8.1 Awards
o 8.2 Run length achievements
o 8.3 Criticism of declining quality
* 9 Merchandise
o 9.1 DVDs
o 9.2 Video games
* 10 Film
* 11 References
* 12 Further reading
* 13 External links

Origins

Main article: The Simpsons shorts

Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work, he chose another approach[1] and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name.[1]
The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.
The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.

The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] Groening submitted only basic sketches to the animators and wrongly assumed that the figures would be cleaned-up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the initial short episodes.[1]

In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Jim Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content.[10] Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching.[11] The first full-length episode was "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" in place of the intended first show, "Some Enchanted Evening", due to problems with the animation quality in the latter program.

The Simpsons was the Fox network's first TV series to rank among a season's top 30 highest-rated shows.[12] Its success prompted Fox to reschedule the series to compete with The Cosby Show, a move that hurt the ratings of The Simpsons.[13] Ullman later filed a lawsuit, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons - a claim rejected by the courts.[14]

The show was controversial from its beginning. The rebellious lead character at the time, Bart, frequently received no punishment for his misbehavior, which led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. At the time, former President George H. W. Bush said , "We're going to strengthen the American family to make them more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons."[15] Several U.S. public schools even banned The Simpsons merchandise and t-shirts, such as one featuring Bart and the caption "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')".[15] Despite the ban, The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated US$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.[15]

Production

List of show runners throughout the series' run:

* Season 1–2: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, & Sam Simon
* Season 3–4: Al Jean & Mike Reiss
* Season 5–6: David Mirkin
* Season 7–8: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
* Season 9–12: Mike Scully
* Season 13–present: Al Jean

Executive producers

Groening, Brooks, and Simon have served as executive producers during the show's entire history and also function as creative consultants. A more involved position on the show is the show runner, who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season.[16] Credited as executive producers in the episodes' credits, runners often remain for multiple seasons. From season five onwards, the show runner receives first billing on the closing credit run.

Voice actors

Main articles: List of cast members of The Simpsons, List of guest stars on The Simpsons, and Foreign language voice cast of The Simpsons

With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists.[17] However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode "Old Money," because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work.[18] In 2003, the cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, doing live performances of their characters' voices.

Six cast members voice The Simpsons. Dan Castellaneta performs Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and other adult, male characters.[19] Julie Kavner speaks the voices of Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma[19] and occasionally plays other episodic characters. She sometimes refuses to perform Marge's voice in public to maintain Marge's mystique. Nancy Cartwright performs the voice of Bart Simpson and other children.[19] Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.[19] Two male actors do not voice members of the title family but play a majority of the male townspeople. Hank Azaria voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu[19] whereas Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Dr. Hibbert.[19] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.

In addition to the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters.[19] From 1999 to 2002, Maggie Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Karl Wiedergott has appeared in minor roles, and voices ex-president Bill Clinton on occasion. Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks, the late Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Jane Kaczmarek, Jan Hooks, Joe Mantegna, Maurice LaMarche and Kelsey Grammer. Celebrity guest stars often play stylised versions of themselves, especially in the later seasons.

The main cast has been involved in much-publicized pay disputes with Fox on more than one occasion. In 1998, they threatened to strike, forcing 20th Century Fox to increase their salary from $30,000 per episode to $125,000. The series creator Groening supported the actors in their action.[20] As the show's revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, the main cast stopped appearing for script readings in April 2004. The work stoppage occurred after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Fox, in which the cast asked for an increase in their pay to $360,000 per episode, or $8 million over a 22-episode season. On May 2, 2004, the actors reached an agreement with Fox.[21]


Writing

Main article: List of writers of The Simpsons

The Simpsons's writing team consists of 16 writers[22] who propose episode ideas at the beginning of each December.[22] The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show’s vocal performers.[23] The leader of these sessions is George Meyer, who has developed the show since season one. Long-time writer Jon Vitti once explained that, even though he will receive the script credit for an episode, Meyer usually invents the best lines.[23] Each episode takes six months to produce[24]so the show rarely comments on current events. However, episodes occasionally mention planned events, such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl.

Credited with 60 episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons staff. Conan O’Brien also wrote four scripts before becoming the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. English comedian Ricky Gervais is the only celebrity to have guest written an episode,[25] although there have been other guest writers, such as Spike Feresten, a Seinfeld writer famous for "The Soup Nazi" episode.

Animation

International animation studios involved:

AKOM

* Exclusively produced the first two seasons of the series.
* Produced various episodes throughout the run of the series.

Anivision

* Produced animation for episodes from seasons 3–10.

Rough Draft Studios

* Produced animation for episodes from season four onwards.

U.S. Animation, Inc.

* Jointly produced "Radioactive Man" with Anivision.
* Produced "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"

Toonzone Entertainment

* Produced "The Fat and the Furriest" and "She Used to Be My Girl".

Numerous U.S. and international studios have animated The Simpsons. Throughout the run of animated short episodes on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo.[26] Later, due to an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to international studios, usually located in South Korea.[26] The U.S. studio draws character and background layouts; whereas tweening, coloring, and filming occurs at international studios.

For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In season four, Gracie Films switched domestic production to Film Roman,[27] who continue to animate the show as of December 2006.

After season 13, production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint.[28] The first episodes to experiment with digital coloring were "Radioactive Man" and "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during season twelve's episode "Tennis the Menace". However, Gracie Films delayed using 'digital ink and paint' for two more seasons. The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made.

Characters
The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.
The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.

Main articles: List of characters from The Simpsons and Simpson family

The Simpsons are a typical family who live in a fictional "Middle American" town of Springfield.[29] Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant - a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children. The eldest, Bart, is a ten-year-old troublemaker. His sister, eight-year-old Lisa, is precociously intelligent. She takes part in left-wing activist causes and plays the saxophone. The youngest, Maggie, is still a baby who never speaks, but carries a pacifier in her mouth. The family owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. Despite the passing of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age.

The show includes an array of quirky characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, and local celebrities. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. However, a number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV.[13]

Setting

Main article: Springfield (The Simpsons)

The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield, without any geographical coordinates or references to U.S. states that might identify what part of the country it represents. Nevertheless, fans have tried to determine the town's location by taking the town's characteristics, surrounding geography, and nearby landmarks as clues. As a response, the show has become intentionally deceptive in regard to Springfield's location. Commentators have suggested, and then ruled out, nearly every U.S. state and region as the basis for Springfield.[30] Only once, in season 11, did an episode "Behind the Laughter", describe the Simpsons as a "Northern Kentucky family". However, there are many counterexamples to contradict this statement, so it acts merely as a teaser for increasingly curious fans. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up.[31] The name "Springfield" is a common one in America and appears in over half of the states.[32] Springfield's geography, and that of its surroundings, contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires.[33]

Themes

Main article: List of The Simpsons episodes
See also: Politics in The Simpsons, Religion in The Simpsons, and Education in The Simpsons

The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy or "sitcom" as its premise. The series centers around a family and their life in a typical American town.[29] However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons's scope is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the environment.[34] Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School, the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features a vast array of media channels--from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.[35]

Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias.[36] Al Jean admitted in an interview that "We [The show] are of liberal bent."[37] The writers' evince an appreciation for progressive ideals, but the show makes jokes from across the political spectrum.[38] The show portrays government and big business as taking advantage of the little guy.[37] Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In the land of The Simpsons, politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent.[39] Religion also figures as a recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions.[40]

The plots of many episodes focus on one particular character or on the relationship between two characters. Common story lines have involved the following: Homer getting a new job or attempting a get-rich-quick scheme; Marge trying to escape the monotony of keeping house by finding employment or taking up a hobby; Bart causing a large problem and attempting to fix it, cover it up, or ignore it entirely; and Lisa embracing or advocating the merits of a particular cause or group. Some episodes have focused on the problems of secondary or tertiary characters, which a member of the Simpson family usually helps solve.

Hallmarks
Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).
Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).

Opening sequence

Main article: The Simpsons opening sequence
See also: Chalkboard gag, Sax solo gag, and couch gag

The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. Many episodes open with the camera zooming through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. Then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, they settle down on their couch to watch television. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro style piece. This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.[41]

One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that there are several segments that are changed from episode to episode. Bart writes something different on the blackboard. Lisa sometimes plays a different solo on her saxophone and something different happens when the family enters the living room to sit on the couch. This last segment is often the only one of the three gags to survive the process of shortening the opening for some syndicated episodes and for later episodes which needed extra time. This concept of rotating elements has been subsequently used both by Groening in Futurama, and by others, such as a newspaper headline in American Dad.

Halloween episodes
Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.

Main article: The Simpsons Halloween episodes

The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990) established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres.[42] They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, in recent years, new installments have premiered after Halloween. This is due to Fox's current contract with Major League Baseball's World Series.

Humor

Main article: Recurring jokes in The Simpsons

The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each.[43] Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!", Mr. Burns' "Excellent..." and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!". Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as "¡Ay, caramba!," "Don't have a cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on t-shirts in the show's early days.[44] However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising. The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons, and one episode mocked catchphrase-based humor in "Bart Gets Famous" where Bart achieves fame on the Krusty kids' show for saying "I didn't do it."[45]

The show's humor also turns on cultural references that cover a wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show.[46] Such references, for example, come from movies, TV, music, literature, science, and history.[46]

Whenever possible, the animators also put jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, and elsewhere.[47] The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in a single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show.[47]

Influences on culture

Influences on language

Main article: Culturally significant neologisms from The Simpsons

A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered the popular vernacular.[48] The most famous is Homer's annoyed grunt: "D'oh!." So ubiquitous is the catchphrase that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary,[49] but without the apostrophe. The first listed usage comes not from The Simpsons, but from a 1945 BBC radio script in which the writers spelled the word "dooh." Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed the phrase from James Finlayson, an actor in early Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone.[50] The director of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise so that it became the well known exclamation in the TV series.[50]

Other Simpsons expressions that have entered popular use include "excellent" (drawn out as a sinister "eeeexcelllent…" in the style of Charles Montgomery Burns), Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!" Groundskeeper Willie's description of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" was used by conservative National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, in 2003, after France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq, and quickly spread to other journalists.[51]

Influence on television

The Simpsons was the first animated program in prime time since the Flintstones in the 1960s. During most of the 1980s, pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for kids, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception.[26] The use of Korean animation studios doing in-betweening, coloring, and filming made the episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted television networks to take chances on other animated series.[26] This development led to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows, such as South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama and The Critic.[26] South Park later paid homage to The Simpsons with the episode "Simpsons Already Did It." (The Simpsons returned the favor with a scene at the beginning of "Bart of War.")

The Simpsons also influenced live-action shows and inspired Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted January 9, 2000 in the time slot after The Simpsons.[6][52] Malcolm in the Middle features the use of sight gags and does not use a laugh track like most sitcoms. Ricky Gervais has called The Simpsons a major influence on his British comedy The Office, which also dispenses with a laugh track.[53]

Critical reactions and achievements
The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Awards

Main article: List of awards won by The Simpsons

The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 23 Emmy Awards, 22 Annie Awards and a Peabody. On January 14, 2000 the Simpsons won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a 1998 issue celebrating the 20th century's greatest achievements in arts and entertainment, Time magazine named The Simpsons the century's best television series.[3] In that same issue, Time named Bart Simpson to the Time 100, the publication's list of the century's 100 most influential people.[54] Bart was the only fictional character on the list. In 2002, The Simpsons ranked #8 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[55] In 2000, Entertainment Weekly magazine TV critic Ken Tucker named The Simpsons the greatest television show of the 1990s. Furthermore, viewers of the UK television channel Channel 4 have voted "The Simpsons" at the top of two polls: 2001's 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows, and 2005's 100 Greatest Cartoons, with Homer Simpson voted into first place in 2001's 100 Greatest TV Characters.

Run length achievements

On February 9, 1997, The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones with the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" as the longest-running, prime-time, animated series in America. In 2004 The Simpsons replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as the longest-running animated or live action sitcom, in the United States.[4] In October 2004, Scooby-Doo briefly overtook The Simpsons as the American animated show with the highest number of episodes.[56] However, network executives in April 2005 again cancelled Scooby-Doo, which finished with 371 episodes, and The Simpsons reclaimed the title with 378 episodes at the end of their seventeenth season.[5] In May 2007 The Simpsons reached their 400th episode at the end of the eighteenth season. While The Simpsons has the record for the number of episodes by an American animated show, some foreign animated series have surpassed The Simpsons. For example, the Japanese anime series Doraemon has over 600 episodes to its credit.[57]

The year 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons franchise, which began as skits on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. With its 19th year (2007-2008), the series will be only one season behind Gunsmoke's US primetime, scripted television record of 20 produced seasons.[4] However, Gunsmoke's episode count of 635 episodes far surpasses The Simpsons, which would not reach that mark until its 29th season, under normal programming schedules.

Criticism of declining quality

For many years, critics' reviews of new Simpsons episodes praised the show for its wit, realism, and intelligence.[11][58] However, in the mid-90s, the tone and emphasis of the show began to change. Some critics started calling the show tired.[59] By 2000, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics.[60][61]

In 2003, to celebrate the show's 300th episode "Barting Over", USA Today published a pair of Simpsons related articles: a top-10 episodes list chosen by the webmaster of The Simpsons Archive fansite,[62] and a top-15 list by The Simpsons' own writers.[63] The most recent episode listed on the fan list was 1997's "Homer's Phobia"; the Simpsons' writers most recent choice was 2000's "Behind the Laughter." In 2004, Harry Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show's declining quality: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so season four looks very good to me now."[64]

Despite this criticism, The Simpsons has managed to maintain a large viewership and attract new fans. However, the first season had an average of 13.4 million viewers in the U.S.,[12] compared to the 17th season, which ended with an average of 9.2 million viewers.[65] In an April 2006 interview, Matt Groening said, "I honestly don't see any end in sight. I think it's possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome...but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it's ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven't done before. So creatively there's no reason to quit."[66]

Merchandise
Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition
Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition

Main article: List of The Simpsons publications
See also: List of songs featured in The Simpsons, The Simpsons discography

The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion dollar merchandizing industry.[15] The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from t-shirts to posters. On April 24, 2007 it was officially announced that a The Simpsons Ride will be implemented into the Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. It is scheduled for a Spring 2008 opening.[67] The Simpsons has inspired special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons Jeopardy!.[68] Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been released.
A sampling of Simpsons comic books.
A sampling of Simpsons comic books.

Numerous Simpson-related publications have been released over the years. So far, nine comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.[69] The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comics are also reprinted in the United Kingdom, under the same titles, with various stories from the other Bongo series reprinted in the main Simpsons comic. The comics have also been collected in book form; many other Simpsons books such as episode guides have also been published.

Music is featured in The Simpsons, with characters breaking into song during the course of the series. Collections of original music featured in the TV series have been released on the albums Songs in the Key of Springfield and Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons. Several songs have been recorded with the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The best known single is "Do the Bartman", which was co-written by Michael Jackson[70] and became an international success. In the United Kingdom, "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as a follow up to "Do The Bartman". The albums The Simpsons Sing the Blues and The Yellow Album contained cover versions of songs, as well as some originals.

In a promotion for the The Simpsons Movie, twelve 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts and sold various The Simpsons related products such as "Buzz Cola", "Krusty-O" cereal, "Pink Movie" doughnuts with sprinkles and "Squishees".[71]
A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.
A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.

DVDs

Main articles: The Simpsons DVDs and The Simpsons DVD boxsets

Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history, although it would later be overtaken by the first season of Chappelle's Show.[72] In particular, seasons 1-9 have been released on DVD in America (Region 1), with more seasons expected to be released in the future, Europe (Region 2) and Australia/New Zealand/Latin America (Region 4). Seasons 1-7 have also been released in Japan (Region 2).

Video games

Main article: The Simpsons video games

The video game industry was quick to adapt the characters and world of Springfield into games. Some of the early notable games includes Konami's arcade game The Simpsons (1991) and Acclaim Entertainment's The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991). More modern games include The Simpsons Road Rage (2001), The Simpsons Hit & Run (2003) and The Simpsons Game (2007). Two Simpsons pinball machines have been produced; one after the first season, and the other still available.

Film
Official movie poster
Official movie poster

Main article: The Simpsons Movie

There had been talk of a possible feature-length Simpsons film ever since the early seasons of the series. James L. Brooks originally thought that the story of the episode "Kamp Krusty" was suitable for a film, but encountered difficulties in trying to expand the script to feature-length.[73] For a long time, various difficulties such as lack of a suitable story and an already fully engaged crew of writers delayed the project.[66]

20th Century Fox, Gracie Films, and Film Roman have now produced an animated Simpsons film for release on July 27, 2007.[9] The film has been directed by long-time Simpsons producer David Silverman and written by a team of Simpsons writers that includes Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, George Meyer, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, and Ian Maxtone-Graham.[9] Production of the film occurred alongside continued writing of the series despite long-time claims by those involved in the show that a film would enter production only after the series had concluded.

USA Today announced July 10, 2007 that Springfield, Vermont would host the premiere of the new movie as it was the official home of the Simpson family based on votes received at their web site [USAToday.com] Fourteen Springfields throughout the United States submitted a video to show their enthusiasms for the Simpsons. In descending order of votes they were Vermont, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida. [1]