Premieres Apr 30, Sun, 7pm
It's witty. It slyly references pop culture. Famous personalities
(anyone from the blonder-than-thou Olsen twins to quiet-loud rock
outfit The Smashing Pumpkins to Brit politician Tony Blair) have
appeared in Simpson-ised fashion on the show. Even chill-out
musical baldie Moby is a fan of its dry humour.
Little surprise then, that The Simpsons have come such a long way.
The longest-running primetime animated series in history and the
longest-running sitcom currently on primetime television, The
Simpsons is also a cultural institution. Intelligently written,
subversively humorous and delightfully witty, the show pokes fun at
itself and everything in its wake.
Who can forget the time when Bart 'raged against the (vending)
machine'? Or the time when water amusement park dolphins decided to
conspire to take over the world? Or the characters, like Homer, the
warm fuzzy American dad with the beer-gut, trademark "D'oh!"
exclamation and weakness for "Mmmm... donuts"?
The critically praised series has been bestowed with numerous
honours, including a Peabody Award, 21 Emmy® Awards, 21 Annie
Awards, four Genesis Awards, eight International Monitor Awards and
six Environmental Media Awards. The Simpsons currently holds the
Guinness Book of World Records titles for Longest-running Primetime
Animated Television Series and Most Guest Stars Featured in a
Television Series. Recognized as a pop culture icon, Homer
Simpsons annoyed grunt Doh! is an official word in the
Oxford English Dictionary, and The Simpsons has a Star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Guest stars paying Springfield a visit this season include Alec
Baldwin, William H. Macy, Ricky Gervais, Terry Bradshaw, Lily
Tomlin, former basketball great Dennis Rodman, Michael York, boxer
Joe Frazier, Kelsey Grammer returning as Sideshow Bob and, to the
delight of Patty and Selma, Richard Dean Anderson. Later in the
season, Frances McDormand, Rob Reiner and famed Yankee pitcher
Randy Johnson turn up to throw a curve ball on The Simpsons.
For those who need an introduction to the family based in the town
of Springfield, Homer works as a safety inspector at the local
nuclear power plant, Marge tries to keep the peace in her family,
Bart is the mischievous 10-year-old hellion, 8-year-old Lisa is the
intelligent, saxophone-playing, vegetarian member of the family,
and baby Maggie conveys emotions via pacifier sucks. Viewers also
have come to know and love the rich, and sometimes quirky, universe
of characters who inhabit Springfield.
The Simpsons 17 is happening every Sun, 7pm from Apr 30.
