Initially the show was going to be modeled after Bart, not Homer. The notoriously

deviant kid had a top hit with “Do The Bartman” and his early catchphrase “Don’t have a cow,

man.” became big in the mid-Nineties. Less know: Bart’s middle-name is Jojo and he was modeled

after Dennis The Menace.

The Simpsons holds numerous records. It is the longest-running prime-time television show, has the most episodes for an American animated show and the most seasons for a sitcom. It also boasts winning the most Emmy Awards for a single show and the most celebrity guest stars for a TV show.

The show’s writers seem out to beat up Homer. During the two decades he has survived explosions (including nuclear), a heart attack, a stroke, falling down a canyon ravine (twice), fighting Mike Tyson, numerous electrocutions and countless things hitting him in the head. Ironically he has never been shot, unlike Mr. Burns.

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie have been in our lives longer than any other television show: recently celebrating twenty years, the yellow people from Springfield are as recognizable as Mickey Mouse. Still, you can still learn a thing or two about them....

Springfield

The show has had over 400 celebrity guest appearances. Some of the top ones? Ringo Starr phoning Marge, Tony Blair and Homer having tea, numerous bands, including the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, Richard Gere introducing Lisa to Buddhism, Fox boss Rupert Murdoch and even Simpsons creator Matt Groening signing autographs for his other show Futurama. But our favourite was when X-Files agents Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny interviewed Homer over an alien he saw in the woods.

Homer’s catchphrase

“D’oh!” is so popular it has been listed in the Oxford

English Dictionary, as has Lisa’s “Cromulent”. Other words invented by

The Simpons include “Craptacular”, “Embiggen” and what some have

voted the word of the last decade, “Meh”.

There are over seventy recurring characters in the show, but if you want to be specific, there are at least forty truly recurring characters: The Simpson family (including Grandpa and their two pets); Ned Flanders and his two sons; Principal Skinner; Groundskeeper Willy; Ms. Krabappel; Krusty; Mr. Burns; Smithers; Police Chief Wiggum, his son and his two officers; Marge’s sisters; Itchy and Scratchy; Martin; Millhouse; the Crazy Cat Lady; Comic Book Guy; Moe, Barney, Lenny and Carl; Reverend Lovejoy; Apu; Dr. Hibberd; Nelson and the three other bullies. To be honest, we probably missed a few.

Up until a recent episode there was a bit of a mystery: the story had it that Marge and Homer got married right after high school, but Homer is in his early forties while Bart, his oldest child, is ten. Also, Lisa’s eight birthday has been celebrated in two different episodes.

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