The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and became an early hit for Fox, becoming the network's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–90).

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, The Simpsons has become the longest-running American sitcom, and, in 2009, it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American scripted primetime television series.