NAGINDAS KHANDWALA COLLEGE

(Empowered Autonomous)

SEM II 2023-2024

NAME: NIDHI NAYAK

CLASS: FYBCOM A

ROLL NO.: 056

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2023-2024

INTRODUCTION
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for

the Fox Broadcasting Company. Developed by Groening, James L. Brooks,

and Sam Simon, the series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized

by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.

Set in the fictional town of Springfield, it caricatures society, Western culture,

television, and the human condition.

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series

of animated shorts with producer Brooks. He created a dysfunctional family and

named the characters after his own family members, substituting Bart for his

own name; he thought Simpson was a funny name in that it sounded similar to

"simpleton". The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19,

1987. After three seasons, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime

time show and became Fox's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a

season (1989–1990).Since its debut on December 17, 1989, 760 episodes of the

show have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American animated

series, longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American

scripted primetime television series, both in seasons and individual episodes. A

feature-length film,

THE MOVIE
The Simpsons Movie, was released in theaters worldwide on July 27, 2007, to

critical and commercial success, with a sequel in development as of 2018. The

series has also spawned numerous comic book series, video games, books, and

other related media, as well as a billion-dollar merchandising industry. The

Simpsons is a joint production by Gracie Films and 20th Television.

On January 26, 2023, the series was renewed for its 35th and 36th seasons,

taking the show through the 2024–25 television season. Both seasons contain a

combined total of 51 episodes. Seven of these

episodes are season 34 holdovers, while the other

44 will be produced in the production cycle of the

upcoming seasons, bringing the show's overall

episode total up to 801.[7] Season 35 premiered on

October 1, 2023.

The Simpsons received widespread acclaim

throughout its early seasons in the 1990s, which

are generally considered its "golden age". Since

then, it has been criticized for a perceived decline

in quality. Time named it the 20th century's best

television series, and Erik Adams of The A.V.

Club named it "television's crowning achievement

regardless of format". On January 14, 2000, the Simpson family was awarded a

star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It has won dozens of awards since it

debuted as a series, including 35 Primetime Emmy Awards, 34 Annie Awards,

and 2 Peabody Awards. Homer's exclamatory catchphrase of "D'oh!" has been

adopted into the English language, while The Simpsons has influenced many

other later adult-oriented animated sitcom television series

Characters
The main characters are the Simpson family, who live in the fictional "Middle

America" town of Springfield. Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at

the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, a position at odds with his careless,

buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge (née Bouvier), a stereotypical

American housewife and mother. They have three children: Bart, a ten-year-old

troublemaker and prankster; Lisa, a precocious eight-year-old activist;

and Maggie, the baby of the family who rarely speaks, but communicates by

sucking on a pacifier. Although the family is dysfunctional, many episodes

examine their relationships and bonds with

each other and they are often shown to

care about one another. The family also

owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a

cat, Snowball II, who is replaced by a cat

also called Snowball II in the fifteenth-

season episode "I, (Annoyed Grunt)-

Bot".Extended members of the Simpson and

Bouvier family in the main cast include

Homer's father Abe and Marge's

sisters Patty and Selma. Marge's

mother Jacqueline and Homer's

mother Mona appear less frequently.

The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters. The

creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokes or for

fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded

roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes.

Theme
The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy, or sitcom, as its
premise. The series centres on a family and their life in a typical American

town, serving as a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle.

However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons' scope is larger than

that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in

which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having

Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the

environment. Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School,

the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of

education. The town features a vast array of television channels, which enables

the producers to make jokes about the entertainment industry and the press. [94]

Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-

wing bias. Al Jean acknowledged in an interview that "We [the show] are

of liberal bent." The writers often evince an appreciation for progressive

leanings, but the show makes jokes across the political spectrum. The show

portrays government and large corporations as evil entities that take advantage

of the common worker. Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an

unflattering or negative light. In The

Simpsons, politicians are corrupt, ministers

churchgoers, and the local police force is

incompetent. Religion also figures as a

recurring theme. In times of crisis, the

family often turns to God, and the show has

dealt with most of the major religions.

Setting
The Simpsons takes place in a fictional American town called Springfield.

Although there are many real settlements in America named Springfield, this

one is fictional. The state it is in is not established. In fact, the show is

intentionally evasive with regard to Springfield's location. Springfield's

geography and that of its surroundings is inconsistent: from one episode to

another, it may have coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, mountains, or whatever

the story or joke requires. Groening has said that Springfield has much in

common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up. Groening has said

that he named it after Springfield, Oregon, and the fictitious Springfield which

was the setting of the series Father Knows Best. He "figured out that

Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In

anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone

will think it's their Springfield.' And they do.