The Simpsons

Matt Groening's subversive, animated satire about Springfield's hapless first family became a cult favorite when it premiered on Fox in 1989 after first being seen in 1987 as a short on 'The Tracey Ullman Show.' That was then; now it's TV longest running comedy. Not since 'The Flintstones' in the '60s has a cartoon series drawn such a large adult audien (more…)Matt Groening's subversive, animated satire about Springfield's hapless first family became a cult favorite when it premiered on Fox in 1989 after first being seen in 1987 as a short on 'The Tracey Ullman Show.' That was then; now it's TV longest running comedy. Not since 'The Flintstones' in the '60s has a cartoon series drawn such a large adult audience, and, ay caramba, given us pop-culture expressions for the ages. And in 1999, Time magazine called it the best TV show of the 20th century.