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| Where is Springfield? |
| Springfield is not a real city, and is a fictitious place thought up by Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Groening chose the name "Springfield" because it is one of the most popular names for cities in North America. Springfield is intended to be located within the United States, however, as is proven in many episodes. The writers of the show do continue to have fun with the "Where is Springfield?" question though, and repeatedly tease the fans of the show by giving out clues or covering up the name of the state Springfield is in just before they're about to give it away. And so, the debate rages on. |
| Who is Matt Groening? |
| Matt Groening, born on February 15, 1954, is the creator of The Simpsons, "Futurama", and "Life in Hell". Intending to be a professional writer after leaving Evergreen State College in Washington, his career in L.A. came to an end with the unexpected success of his "Life in Hell" comic strip. It was "Life in Hell" that attracted the attention of James L. Brooks of Gracie Films, who in 1985 invited Groening to develop an idea for a future project that later became the animated Simpsons shorts shown during "The Tracey Ullman Show". Response to the Ullman shorts was so positive that The Simpsons premiered on FOX as a half-hour Christmas special on December 17, 1989, and then as a regular series on January 14, 1990. The rest is history. Aside from The Simpsons and "Life in Hell" (which he still pens on a weekly basis), Groening also created the cult hit "Futurama". The series follows the adventures of a former New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, after he is cryonically frozen at midnight, December 31, 1999, and is revived one thousand years in the future. "Futurama" aired on FOX from 1999 to 2003 before ceasing production. The series was revived in 2007 as four straight-to-DVD films which were then split into a sixteen-episode fifth season that aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Matt Groening is often referred to as "MG" here at the NHC and other Simpsons forums and newsgroups. |
| How do you pronounce 'Groening'? |
| GRAY-ning (it rhymes with 'complaining', as Matt has frequently pointed out). |
| Who does what voice? |
| For a complete (and we mean COMPLETE) list, refer to SNPP.com's Cast List. It lists virtually every (if not all) character and who supplied the voices. |
| Which episode was the first? |
| The Simpsons is one of those series that don't have one specific first episode. Production wise, the first episode created was 7G01 "Some Enchanted Evening" (pushed over to the end of the first season because scenes were being re-animated). The first broadcast half hour was 7G08 "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." The pilot episode to launch the series on FOX was 7G02 "Bart the Genius." |
| Where can I find a list of all the episode names? |
| Please see our episode guide, which has the names and brief descriptions for all 400+ episodes. |
| 7G08? AABF14? 2F09? What the hell is that? |
| These letter and number combinations are the production codes (or 'pcodes,' for short) for Simpsons episodes. For much more information about them, read SNPP.com's description. |
| How long does it take to produce an episode? |
| Typically, an episode takes about nine months to complete. The writers go on a retreat in December, and finish up twelve scripts in time for the September premiere (or November, which has been the case since Fox scored exclusive rights to the Major League Baseball playoffs). |
| What does "OFF" mean? |
| Our Favorite Family |
| What's the address of the Simpson house? |
| Officially, it's 742 Evergreen Terrace. Prior to season 5, the address did differ, almost always being Evergreen Terrace but with a different number. In "Kamp Krusty", the Simpsons lived at 430 Spalding Way (a reference to the late humorist Spalding Gray). Evergreen Terrace was the name of a Portland street that series creator Matt Groening grew up on. |
| In the opening sequence, what does the cash register say when Maggie is scanned? |
| In the original opening sequence, it says $847.63, which was once rumored to be the price of raising a baby for a month. Anyone who tells you that it's NRA4EVER fell for the prank in "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular", where it was said to be that. In the new HD opening sequence, when Maggie is scanned the price doubles from $243.26 to $486.52. |
| Do any of the Simpsons have middle names? |
| Homer's middle name is Jay, as revealed in 1998's "D'oh-in' in the Wind" episode. In addition, Bart's middle name is Jo-Jo according to Matt Groening. The name was suggested to him by Nancy Cartwright. Lisa's middle name is Marie, as revealed in the Season 6 episode "Lisa's Wedding". |
| Is Smithers gay? |
| Yes, Waylon Smithers is gay. If you're looking for concrete proof, former Simpsons director David Silverman has even stated that in the past. Smithers' sexual preference has been revealed in several episodes such as "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" where his computer's screensaver features a naked Mr. Burns, kissing Mr. Burns at the end of "Lisa the Skeptic", and on and on. |
| Wasn't Smithers black in one episode? |
| Smithers did appear to be black in one episode ("Homer's Odyssey"). He was not, though. It was a coloring error. If you look at it, it's sort of an off-black, somewhat akin to "a Caribbean sunburn." |
| Who are Sam Etic and John Jay Smith, and why were they credited as special guest voices? |
| "Sam Etic" (a play on 'semitic') is really Dustin Hoffman. He played Mr. Bergstrom in "Lisa's Subsitute" in season 2. "John Jay Smith" is really Michael Jackson. He did the Michael Jackson voice for mental patient Leon Kompowski in "Stark Raving Dad" in season 3, although his singing was done by session vocalist Kipp Lennon (since Jackson's record company did not allow him to sing himself). Both performers could not use their names because of contractual obligations. This was pointed out in a meta-reference in the season 4 episode "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie", when Lisa mentions that Hoffman and Jackson had guest roles in the movie: "Of course they didn't use their real names, but you could tell it was them!" After "Stark Raving Dad," Matt Groening, fearing a trend, would only let guest stars on if they used their real names. |
| What's the Comic Book... guy's name? |
| It's Jeff Albertson, as revealed in the episode "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass". However, prior to and following the airing of this episode, Simpsons fans and staff members have simply referred to him as the Comic Book Guy (or CBG for short). The writers have even gone as far as having other characters call him Comic Book Guy directly. |
| When did Dr. Marvin Monroe die? Is he really back from the dead? |
| There was never an episode featuring Dr. Marvin Monroe's death. After playing a recurring role in the first couple of seasons, the writers of The Simpsons simply stopped using the character. In the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two", the hospital Mr. Burns stayed at was named Dr. Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital. Finally, in "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" it is finally revealed that Monroe is intended to be dead. However, in Season 15's "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife", Dr. Marvin Monroe re-appears and mentions he had a long illness that kept him from being visible this last decade or so. The writers have not gone into this any further, so it's very uncertain whether Monroe actually died or if this is a joke the writers are playing on us. Time will tell, as usual. The original "killing off" was probably because Harry Shearer did not like doing Monroe's raspy voice. You try it. |
| When did Selma marry Lionel Hutz? |
| "My name's already Selma Bouvier Terwilliger Hutz McClure. God knows it's long enough without Nahassapeema-whatever" was Selma's reaction to Homer's suggestion of marrying Apu in the episode "Much Apu About Nothing". Selma never married Lionel Hutz in an episode of The Simpsons, so either the writers wanted to confuse the fans or they simply wanted to add in an extra name to make the quote more effective and amusing. |
| What happened to Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure? Will they ever appear in any new episodes? |
| Phil Hartman, the voice of both characters, was tragically shot to death by his wife on May 28, 1998. His wife, Brynn Hartman, committed suicide later that day. The final episode to feature a Phil Hartman voice was "Bart the Mother" in season 10, in which Troy McClure appeared in an instructional video. A dedication to Hartman was added to the end of the episode upon its first airing. Out of respect for Phil, another voice actor will not be supplying the voices of the two characters in place of Mr. Hartman. |
| What's the name of the guy who goes 'yesssssssss'? Is that character based on anybody? |
| The mincing Costington's clerk with the tiny mustache doesn't have a name. He's frequently referred to on the Internet as simply the Yes Guy, the Yes Man or as Homer puts it, "that jerk that goes yesssssssss!" The character is a caricature of the late Frank Nelson, the actor that used the very same 'yesssssss' as his catchphrase on such shows as I Love Lucy. He also lent his voice to many different cartoons, including "The Jetsons". |
| When did Barney stop drinking? And is he drunk now or sober? |
| In the "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses" episode from Season 11, Barney sobered up for good... or so we thought. For most of the time after that-- up to season 14-- he hung out at Moe's sober with coffee cup in hand (because of the coffee addiction Moe got him on at the end of that episode). Around the fourteenth season, the writers began toying with Barney's sobriety by having him relapse ("I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can") and then sober up again ("C.E.D'oh," "Co-Dependent's Day"). We guess the writers realized that Barney is funnier as a drunk, and that a relapse from time to time is needed to save his character. |
| So... is Snowball II dead or what? |
| That can be open to interpretation. In "I, D'ohbot", we hear a car hitting a cat that may or may not be Snowball II, but we're not sure. But since they bury her in the next scene, it's pretty much certain that yes, she is dead. After the accidental deaths of Snowball III and Coltrane (technically Snowball IV) the cat Lisa picks to be the 'new Snowball II' is actually Snowball V. But of course, the writers would like you to forget that. |
| What song is played...? |
| ...in "Weekend at Burnsie's" when Homer is shaving and bleeding rainbows? "Wear Your Love Like Heaven," by Donovan. ...in "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge," as Fat Tony is driving to the Simpson house to confront Homer? "Woke Up This Morning," by A3 (also known as Alabama 3). In case you missed it, it's the theme song to HBO's "The Sopranos", and the driving scene actually parodies the opening credits. ...as the Simpsons are touring Toronto in 'The Bart Wants What It Wants?" It's called "Take Off," a song by SCTV's Bob & Doug Mackenzie. The distinctive voice you hear is that of Rush frontman Geddy Lee. |
| What was that song that was used at the end of the "Keepin' It Kodos" opener to, as well as the credits of, "Treehouse of Horror XV"? |
| The theme song to "Perfect Strangers", the late 1980's sitcom starring Bronson Pinchot. Full lyrics (and a sound file) here. |
| Why did Fox call "Barting Over" the 300th episode? I could have sworn it was 302! |
| Based on order of airing, "Barting Over" is the 302nd episode, but it was the 300th episode to be produced, not counting the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Fox decided to push back the airing of "Barting Over" to air on the same day as the Daytona 500 to have two major events at once. So if you go by order of airing, "The Strong Arms of the Ma" was the 300th episode. |
| I heard the show is now being animated by computer. Is this true? |
| Partially. The show is still drawn in traditional animation by hand, but as of "The Great Louse Detective" in Season 14, the coloring is now done digitally instead of manual cel painting. "Futurama" used the same methods, but with greater use of CGI (full computer animation) for more advanced scenes. The Simpsons' CGI use is seldom; one of the most notable examples is the rolling ball of people in "Sweets and Sour Marge". |
| I hardly see old episodes anymore. Why does my local station suck so hard? |
| The only possible theory as to why older episodes have often turned up fewer times than new episodes is because the newer ones are thought to receive higher ratings. In addition, The Simpsons' national syndication is over, and so stations have bought the episodes and the rights to run them, independently deciding which episodes to air, depending on their contract. So the likelihood of seeing older seasons more than once in a while is greater now than before. |
| Will I ever see "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" again on TV? |
| For those unfamiliar with this episode, there are scenes that prominently feature the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. Both WTC towers were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
At the time of the attacks, Fox had notified all of its syndicated carriers of the show about the episode and had left it up to the discretion of the individual stations. An overwhelming majority of them pulled the episode indefinitely and showed other reruns in its place. Now that several years have passed since the tragedy, the episode has since made a comeback on most stations, while some still have shelved it. But of course, you can always watch the episode on the Simpsons Season 9 DVD set. |
| Can I post about animation or continuity errors on the message board? |
| No, unless it's remarkable. Every episode is filled to the brim with them, and continuity errors aren't remarkable either. It's not worth the time as they're so insignificant, and ultimately, uninteresting. |
| Is the show going to be cancelled anytime soon? |
| No, not in the foreseeable future. In February 2009, Fox ordered two more seasons (44 new episodes) of the show. That's 493 episodes and 22 seasons in total and will make The Simpsons the longest running primetime TV series in history. Also, in our opinion, it's very unlikely that the series will conclude just short of 500 episodes. |
| Will there be a second Simpsons movie? |
| As Maggie hinted at over the end credits of the first movie, yes there will likely be a second Simpsons Movie one day. Due to the financial and critical success of the first film, the experience The Simpsons' crew gained in producing a movie, and the fact that the voice cast is signed on to do at least one more flick, there are few obstacles in the way of producing a sequel. However, don't hold your breath, Simpsons fans. It'll be another several years - and perhaps not until the TV series ends - before we see The Simpsons Movie 2. |
| Where can I send my fan mail? |
| E-mail: askfox@foxinc.com Postal Mail: The Simpsons, PO Box 900, Attn: The Simpsons, Beverly Hills CA 90213-0900 Bongo Comics: Bongo Comics Group, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles CA 90067; phone (310) 788-1367; fax (310) 788-1200 |
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