The Simpsons: Fascinating Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

The Simpsons officially debuted on December 17, 1989. Since then, Matt Groening’s creation has aired hundreds of episodes, cementing its status as the longest-running American sitcom in history. It also holds the title for the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, both in terms of seasons and episodes.

If you decided to binge-watch every single episode back-to-back without sleeping, you would need serious stamina. With over 750 episodes and counting, it would take more than 14 consecutive days to get through the entire series.

While the show is famous for its massive cast of recurring characters, Yeardley Smith stands out among the main actors. She provides the voice for Lisa Simpson and is the only principal cast member who regularly voices just one character.

The show’s opening sequence is designed with flexibility in mind to help the writers manage the episode’s runtime. Three specific elements change every week: Bart’s chalkboard message, Lisa’s saxophone solo, and the famous couch gag. If an episode runs long, these segments are shortened; if it runs short, they are extended.

In 1998, TIME magazine named Bart Simpson one of the 100 most influential people of the century. He was the only fictional character to make the list, sharing the honor with historical titans and cultural icons.

The series has spawned a massive franchise beyond just the weekly episodes. This includes a successful feature-length movie, numerous video games, comic books, and even a popular ride at Universal Studios theme parks.

There is a persistent debate among fans and critics about when the show’s “Golden Age” ended. Many argue over which specific season marked the beginning of an inevitable decline in quality, though the show remains a ratings juggernaut globally.

In the early 1990s, the show found itself in a public feud with the President of the United States. President George H.W. Bush stated in a speech that he wanted American families to be “a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.”

The writers quickly fired back in the very next episode. Bart watched the President’s speech on TV and quipped, “Hey, we’re just like the Waltons. We’re praying for an end to the Depression, too.”

Barbara Bush also weighed in, once calling the show the “dumbest thing” she had ever seen. Marge Simpson actually wrote a polite letter to the First Lady in character, prompting a gracious apology from Mrs. Bush.

Although Sunday night is now the show’s home, it wasn’t always that way. The network originally moved the series to Thursday nights to compete directly with The Cosby Show, which was the most-watched show in America at the time. It stayed there until the sixth season before returning to Sundays.

The characters’ distinctive yellow skin was a deliberate choice by Matt Groening. He wanted to catch the attention of viewers who were channel surfing, figuring that a flash of yellow would make them stop and watch.

God is the only character in the Simpsons universe who is drawn with five fingers on each hand. Every other character in Springfield, including Jesus, is drawn with only four fingers.

Homer’s famous catchphrase “D’oh!” has become so culturally significant that it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. The script originally just said “annoyed grunt,” but Dan Castellaneta improvised the sound we know today.

Paul McCartney agreed to lend his voice to the episode “Lisa the Vegetarian” on one condition. He insisted that Lisa must remain a vegetarian for the rest of the series, a promise the writers have kept for decades.

Conan O’Brien served as a writer and producer for the show during its early years before becoming a late-night host. He wrote several classic episodes, including the fan-favorite “Marge vs. the Monorail.”

Michael Jackson guest-starred in a season three episode as a mental patient who thinks he is Michael Jackson. Due to contractual obligations, he was credited under the pseudonym John Jay Smith and was not allowed to sing.

The name “Bart” is actually an anagram for “Brat.” Matt Groening named the other Simpson family members—Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie—after his own parents and sisters.

Krusty the Clown was originally intended to be a secret identity for Homer Simpson. The idea was that Bart would worship Krusty but disrespect Homer, never realizing they were the same person, but the concept was eventually dropped.

Composer Danny Elfman created the iconic theme song in just a couple of days. He has often referred to it as the most popular piece of music he has ever written in his career.

Fox owns the rights to the series for an incredibly long time. A clause in the original contract reportedly allows the network to keep the show as long as they want, with some estimates suggesting rights extending nearly 100 years.

The town of Springfield was chosen because it is one of the most common city names in the United States. This allowed the writers to keep the show’s location ambiguous so that everyone could feel like it was their town.

Elizabeth Taylor provided the voice for Maggie’s first word. In the episode “Lisa’s First Word,” the legendary actress recorded the single word “Daddy.”

Nancy Cartwright originally went to the audition intending to read for the role of Lisa. She found Lisa’s monologue a bit boring and asked to read for Bart instead, instantly winning the role.

The show holds the Guinness World Record for the most guest stars featured in a television series. From rock stars to politicians, hundreds of celebrities have visited Springfield over the years.

Mr. Burns’ voice was partly modeled after actor Lionel Barrymore. Voice actor Harry Shearer also drew inspiration from Ronald Reagan to create the wealthy tyrant’s distinctive sound.

In the episode “Bart to the Future,” aired in 2000, the show famously predicted a Donald Trump presidency. Lisa is shown as the President inheriting “quite a budget crunch” from President Trump.

Smithers was originally animated as a black character in his first appearance. This was an error by the colorist, but the producers decided to keep him yellow in future episodes to avoid any unintended racial implications given his subservient role.

The hit song “Do the Bartman” topped the charts in several countries in the early 90s. While he didn’t receive credit at the time, Michael Jackson was a co-writer and producer of the track.

Despite the show’s age, the animation process has evolved significantly. While early seasons were hand-painted, the show switched to digital coloring in later seasons, which helped streamline the production but changed the visual aesthetic.

Tell us which of these facts surprised you the most in the comments.