The Simpsons, a television and cultural phenomenon, turns 25 this week
Few shows have influenceda generation - and television - more profoundly thanThe Simpsons. As the series prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Paul Kay examines the rise and rise of a cultural phenomenon
Whether as a TV show, cultural phenomenon or commercial juggernaut, it's hard to overstate the importance of The Simpsons. The series, which marks 25 years since its first episode on December 17, has virtually defined comedy, satire and the Fox network that produces it during that time.
Take a moment to imagine a pop culture landscape without The Simpsons and you'll understand its impact. The show not only convinced America (and the world) that animation could be for adults, it could be commercially lucrative at primetime. This opened the door for the likes of Beavis & Butt-head, South Park, Family Guy and countless imitators - and also set the tone for a new kind of self-aware, hyper-referential form of satirical comedy that has influenced everything from The Office and Spaced to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
As Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane put it in an interview with Vanity Fair: " The Simpsons created an audience for primetime animation that had not been there for many, many years … As far as I'm concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways - you could classify it as - a wholly new medium."