The Simpsons
1989
Original language: English
- animation
- comedy
The story
Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.
What it’s like
Bright, flat, saturated cel animation with bold primary yellows, sky blues and the tomato-red of Springfield's storefronts, all outlined in heavy black lines that keep every frame legible and cartoonish. The house interiors glow with warm, ordinary lamplight, and the town's streets and power plant sit under a hazy, slightly sickly sheen that gives the satire its edge. Scenes move in brisk, cut-heavy bursts of gags, then drop into quiet pauses on a couch or in a bedroom where the animation slows and the sound design thins to a murmur of TV drone and crickets. The score is a bouncy, chirpy orchestral loop that turns sly and bittersweet at the ends of episodes. Vibe: busy, irreverent, warmly sardonic, and comfortable in its own chaos. Intensity is mild-to-moderate: cartoon slapstick and peril, frequent crude jokes and adult innuendo, sharp satire of politics and media, and occasional dark gags, with no real gore and a loving, sometimes melancholic core. Suits a comfort rewatch with a bowl of cereal, a lazy weekend, or background laughter while cooking. For people who want a funny, familiar family to spend time with, and who like their jokes with a hard, knowing edge.
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