PVCC Puma Press: October 2003

	........................

	(AP Photo/FOX TV) 2003THE SIMPSONS and TTCFFC.
	The cartoon family, created by Matt Groening, are, clockwise from right: Bart, Homer, Maggie, Lisa and Marge.
	........................

When Matt Groening introduced a family called "The Simpsons" with an animated short on "The Tracy Ulman Show" 15 years ago, he could not have expected the huge success that turned a 10-minute skit into a record-breaking, half-hour TV show. "The Simpsons" will soon to be airing for its 15th season on The Fox Network, making it the longest running broadcast sitcom in TV history.

It was April 19, 1987, as millions of people sat in front of their television sets, that Groening unleashed on the world a force so powerful that Homer Simpson may have called it, "…an affront to God Himself."

Soon after the show's premier, Fox ordered four episodes to air, but the show's developer, James L. Brooks, convinced the executives to buy 13 episodes. With a full season ahead of them, "The Simpsons" embarked on a mission to climb to stardom.

An epidemic began to sweep the nation. Millions started uttering dimwitted phrases like "D'oh" after doing something stupid. Kids began telling parents and teachers to not "have a cow, man," or to "eat my shorts." New Simpsons' brand clothing and products invaded peoples' homes as well as their television sets, and, for some, their entire lives. Fox had dealt America the first blow and hit us where it hurt the most—in the funny bone.

As the years progressed, their hold on society increased. Every Sunday night Americans would spend their family time together laughing with Homer as he overloaded the Springfield nuclear power plant or crying with Lisa as she played the blues on her saxophone in tribute to the late Bleeding Gums Murphy. They felt his pain when Bart failed the fourth grade or sang along as he belted out his own rendition of "Jingle Bells."

........................
Fox had dealt America the first blow and hit us where it hurt the most— in the funny bone.
........................

As time passed—although the characters did not age—the show continued to grow in popularity. At the same time, new ideas for plots were getting thin. The writers had put the Simpsons through every conceivable situation, dilemma and catastrophe.

It wasn't until the eighth season that the possibility of their demise surfaced. The eighth season was responsible for episodes like "The Mysterious Voyage of Homer," in which Homer embarks on a psychedelic voyage of discovery after eating a Guatemalan chili pepper. Some might recall the time when Shary Bobbins floated into the Simpsons' home with her umbrella and tried to fix their problems with singing.

While there were some great jokes and episodes during this period, the show had changed. The situations became stranger and there seemed to be a lack of story lines present in the new episodes. When this carried over to the ninth season, it fueled rumors of an end.

Was Groening conflicted by such rumors? Not according to him. He told E! Entertainment, "Obviously, it will end one day but there doesn't seem to be an end in sight."

After receiving such awards as the 2003 Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (less than 30 minutes long), and Homer's 2003 award for TV Father of the Year, it appears that at least until 2005, when the show's contract expires, "The Simpsons" rock on.

Fans await the 15th season premiere and ponder what adventures the Simpson family will have this year. Will Bart ever get promoted from the fourth grade? Will Side-show Bob continue to seek revenge on Bart for having him arrested? Or, will there be a Simpsons movie? One thing is certain. On Nov. 16, the Simpsons will continue their legacy on Fox and America will be right there with them.