The Simpson family first appeared on television 30 years ago today—April 19, 1987—in a short on The Tracey Ullman Show called "Good Night."
Three decades later, The Simpsons is in its 28th season, has aired more than 600 episodes, and is the longest-running scripted prime-time series in TV history.
Not bad for characters creator Matt Groening came up with at the last minute. According to the Guardian, Groening was supposed to pitch an animated version of his comic strip Life in Hell but didn't want to give up the rights to it. He quickly sketched out the Simpson family, naming its members after his own relatives.
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