The Simpsons (1989)
Just a product of society that's lost its good manners.
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.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 17 December 1989 |
| Status | Returning Series |
| Genre | Animation, Comedy |
| Created by | Matt Groening |
| Starring | Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Nancy Cartwright |
| Seasons | 38 seasons, 806 episodes |
| Episode length | about 24 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 322 hours |
| Rated | TV-14 |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.0/10 |
Where to watch The Simpsons
The Simpsons is streaming on Hulu ($18.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Disney+ ($15.99 a month) and Fubo. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 8 months of Disney+, or $127.92 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
The Simpsons is an animated comedy that has been running since 1989. It tracks the Simpson family through the mundane and the absurd in Springfield. With 38 seasons and 806 episodes, the total runtime is 322 hours. That is a lot of time to spend watching a yellow family. Matt Groening created the series, which relies on satire to dissect politics and media. It is a long commitment, but the jokes have not aged badly.
How it did with audiences
On TMDB, users rate it 8 out of 10. That is a solid score, though perhaps not the universal acclaim one might expect from a series that has outlived its original run. Without box office figures to lean on, the rating stands as the primary measure of its standing. It is the number people check before deciding if another episode is worth the time.
Awards
The show collected 53 wins from 90 nominations, a ratio that suggests the Emmys eventually ran out of things to complain about. Harry Shearer took home a character voice-over award in 2014. Ken Keeler won for original music and lyrics twice, in 1997 and 1998. The program itself was recognized for outstanding animated production on several occasions, with individual wins credited to writers and producers like George Meyer, James L. Brooks, and John Frink. Kelsey Grammer and Hank Azaria also secured voice-over honors.
What came next for the cast
Julie Kavner appeared in Hannah and Her Sisters and Radio Days before the voice-over debut. Afterward, she joined the casts of Awakenings, Deconstructing Harry, and Click. Nancy Cartwright had Twilight Zone: The Movie and Flesh + Blood under her belt, then stepped into Godzilla. Yeardley Smith brought Maximum Overdrive and Three O’Clock High to the table, followed by As Good as It Gets, City Slickers, and New Year’s Eve. The timeline does not map a cause. It just tracks where the careers went next.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Simpsons.
Sources
- The Simpsons on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q886 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Simpsons” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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