The Simpsons Celebrates 800 Episodes with Creators' Reflections
After 800 episodes, 37 seasons, and nearly four decades on air, The Simpsons has cemented its status as a cultural institution. The iconic animated series reaches this monumental milestone this weekend, prompting its creators to look back on its journey from crude shorts to global phenomenon.
From Tracy Ullman Show to Cultural Juggernaut
Executive producer Al Jean attributes the show's longevity to its episodic structure. "We've done 800 episodes, and I'm really glad we didn't do a big overarching story," Jean said. "You always return to square one at the end of the show. And there's no question that was a big influence on the longevity."
Current showrunner Matt Selman contemplates the unique challenge of characters who never age. "Do these characters have the emotional memory of the 800 things that have happened to them? ... I don't really know the answer to that," Selman mused, highlighting the creative liberation and complexity of maintaining continuity.
Creator Matt Groening remains focused on artistic improvement after 38 years. "I've spent 38 years now trying to get them to draw the characters correctly," Groening said. "We've got to figure out how to shift perspective and do it more cinematically and we're always trying to improve."
Voice Acting Origins and Character Development
Nancy Cartwright's audition story reveals the spontaneous decisions that shaped the show. Arriving expecting to read for Lisa Simpson, Cartwright instead asked to voice Bart. "Hi Matt. Nice to meet you. I was out there and I noticed that there's Lisa, that's fine, 8-year-old middle child, but then there's this Bart," Cartwright recalled. "I'd kind of like to do him."
Groening immediately approved the "switcheroo," noting "She completely channeled him." Nearly four decades later, Cartwright observes that "there are still people that yet don't know that it's a woman that does the voice."
Lisa Simpson's defining characteristic emerged just as unexpectedly. Animator David Silverman recalled a production meeting where Lisa lacked a signature moment. "We don't have a gag for Lisa, we have a gag for everybody else. What should we do for Lisa?" Silverman reflected. "And I suggested, 'Well, maybe she's in the band and maybe she plays a tuba.'"
Executive producer James L. Brooks transformed this suggestion, proposing "what if she played the baritone saxophone? In fact, what if she played it really well? That could be her character, she could be the genius kid of the family that nobody appreciates."
Controversy, Criticism, and Cultural Impact
The show's path to becoming a global institution was paved with early outrage. Groening remembers when Bart Simpson was deemed a threat to American classrooms. "That was the best move ever when the culture decided 'The Simpsons' was too outrageous," Groening said. "And if you wear a Bart Simpson 'Underachiever' T-shirt to school, you got kicked out. That was the best thing for us."
When Fox executives asked whether the show targeted kids or adults, Groening said the creative team made a crucial decision. "We said it's for adults," he recalled. "And that was the best instantaneous decision that we made because it meant that we could do a wide range of jokes."
As the internet arrived, so did a new breed of critic. Groening admits the "Comic Book Guy" character was created as a direct response to early online fans declaring every new episode the "worst episode ever." "I like analysis and I like criticism," Groening said. "But 'That's not funny' and 'That's boring,' that annoys me. Those are to me the laziest reactions you can get."
Predictions, Presidents, and Pop Stars
The show's supposed ability to predict the future has become internet legend, including a 2000 episode where Lisa inherits the presidency from "President Trump." Jean offered a simple explanation: "Well, the predictions are accidental. We're not from the future."
Selman notes that modern technology has complicated this phenomenon. "The predictions are all fake now," Selman said. "They're just done by AI. And people all go, 'Oh my God, how do they do it?' I throw up my hands in despair for the gullibility of mankind."
Guest stars have become a hallmark of the series, from Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga. Jackson's 1991 appearance came after he cold-called Groening. "I was working late in my office at 10 p.m. My phone rang ... 'Hi, this is Michael Jackson.' And I hung up because, you know, it was obviously a prank. And he called back, 'No, really, don't hang up,'" Groening recalled.
While securing the King of Pop, one prestigious group has consistently declined invitations. "The ones that never said yes were U.S. presidents and I don't think we're ever going to do that," Jean said.
The Streaming Era and Disney+ Impact
Disney's 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox brought The Simpsons to Disney+, introducing the show to new generations. "The fact that 'The Simpsons' is on Disney+ has really exposed us to a new generation," said Selman. "If it's an 8- to 12-year-old's favorite show for two or three years of their life before they move on to something else, that's a big win for us."
Streaming has also liberated the show from commercial constraints. "The thing that's loosened up for us is the time, because things are tied to commercial breaks," Groening said. "We still do three acts, or sometimes four acts, because we're on the Fox network. But for the stuff for Disney, we go wild. And we can stretch out a little bit."
No End in Sight for Springfield
For Jean, the show's greatest achievement is personal connections forged over decades. "I'll have people come up to me and say, 'My parents were splitting up. I was going through a bad time as a kid and your show got me through it.' And I just would go, 'Oh, this couldn't mean more.'"
Silverman sees this impact as fulfilling a lifelong ambition. "People often asked me when I wanted to be a cartoonist and animator and said, 'What goals do you have?' And I said, 'I don't know. The only goal that I would love to see happen is to be involved in some animation project that makes a difference to people.' So I guess I can check that one off."
"There's no end in sight," Jean declared. "We're gonna go to Season 40, at least. Full steam ahead." Groening's vision remains expansive: "Believe it or not, there's still stories that we haven't gotten around to that are just in my head that I want us to do."
Episode 800, "Irrational Treasure," airs Sunday on Fox, marking another chapter in television history for the four-fingered family that refuses to age.
