Summary
Animated sitcom set in the fictional town of Springfield. Created by Matt Goening, it parodies aspects of American life through the eyes of a blue-collar family - Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie - and a full supporting cast of quirky characters. The family first appeared as shorts in 1987 on 'The Tracey Ullman Show'. They graduated to their own half-hour series two years later and the show is still going strong. Its success can be attributed to its multi-faceted approach, with subtle, sophisticated laughs for adults and slapstick humour for younger viewers. Homer's catchphrase 'D'oh!' has entered the English language. A feature-length film released in 2007 grossed more than $500million. A number of well-known faces have appeared in episodes as themselves, including Tony Bennett, Green Day and Simon Cowell.