Question: Has anyone ...

Question: Has anyone determined in which state the Simpsons' Springfield is supposed to be? — Salvatore A. Fattoross

Televisionary: Um, disrepair?

						 						In all seriousness, Salvatore (well, not all), your question is one of the most commonly asked when it comes to The Simpsons. Creator Matt Groening has gone on the record saying he chose the name of the town because it was where the Anderson clan in Father Knows Best resided and because it's the most common town name in the U.S.

In addition, die-hard Simpsons fans quote show producer and director David Silverman as stating the family's town is in the fictional state of North Takoma. However, most don't consider that an "official" answer.

Most likely there will never be any official answer, either. Groening and the powers that be on the show delight in tweaking both the media and the show's more rabid fans, who begin every piece commentary on the most recent weekly installment with the words, "Worst episode over." If the producers and writers can keep the audience guessing — or even feed them a red herring now and then — rest assured they will.

Fine by me. I can't stand "desert island"-type questions, but if I was forced to name my one all-time favorite TV show, I'd have to settle on The Simpsons. It's broken new ground in prime-time animation and opened the market for other inked family fare, good (King of the Hill) and bad (The Family Guy).

In addition, The Simpsons has a decade-long winning streak going as one of the most consistently well-written series I can name. Even its low-point episodes are funnier than the best of other shows, while its paramount efforts (Gabbo, the Sideshow Bob capers, Streetcar) are unparalleled. And the reruns often reveal jokes that skated by unnoticed in the first viewing. Sorry, but that's what happens when you ring the bell. I'm a fan.