The Simpsons Officially Celebrate Their 20th Anniversary!

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On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons made their debut on FOX as the first adult-themed animated show in quite some time. It was a spin-off of the Tracey Ullman Show. Little did they know that it would quickly become a cultural phenomenon and make the FOX network relevant. Or that 20 years later they would still be on the air.

The premiere episode was Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. Some of you may remember it as the Christmas episode where Santa's Little Helper is introduced. Homer, upon discovering that he won't get a Christmas bonus, decides to get a part-time job as a store Santa so he could earn enough money to buy gifts. When that doesn't pay enough he heads to the dog racing track to try out his luck. He doesn't win money. Instead he gets a dog.

It was a different show back then. It wasn't so...out there. Still, it marked its territory from the getgo. Like Married with Children and Roseanne before it, it set out to be the anti-Cosby Show. Yet, good humor and smart writing allowed it to surpass those sitcoms to become what it is today.