For our 999th and 1,000th episodes, we go down the rabbit hole on a TV show that quite literally altered popular culture as we know it. The Simpsons has been around since Josh and Chuck were in grade school, and is still cranking out episodes today. Join us for two very special episodes as we pay tribute to The Simpsons, and celebrate a milestone of our own - numbers 999 and 1,000!
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know - The Simpsons (Episode 999)
Josh and Chuck are celebrating their 999th episode (really part one of their big 1000th) by diving deep into the world of The Simpsons, the groundbreaking animated sitcom that revolutionized television. They explore how Matt Groening's creation went from Tracy Ullman Show shorts to becoming a cultural phenomenon that changed primetime TV forever, discussing the show's early animation, iconic voice cast including Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, and Hank Azaria, and the legendary writers and guest stars who helped define Springfield. This is the first part of a two-part special that celebrates three decades of one of the most influential and quotable shows in television history.
Movies Discussed
Beavis and Butt-Head
"starting back with Beavis and Butthead. That was a descendant of the Simpsons. — Josh identifies Beavis and Butt-Head as a show that followed The Simpsons' lead in primetime animation."
— Josh
Bottle Rocket
"He produced Bottle Rocket. — Josh lists Bottle Rocket as another production credit for James L. Brooks."
— Josh
Family Guy
"there's just an explosion of animation, right? Yeah. You've got, you know, starting back with Beavis and Butthead. That was a descendant of the Simpsons. And then of course, you've got King of the Hill, South Park. Today, you've got Rick and Morty. — Josh discusses animated shows that followed in The Simpsons' wake, including Family Guy."
— Josh
Family Matters
"who's the boss, Hogan family, family matters — Josh lists Family Matters as a family sitcom competing with The Simpsons."
— Josh
Frasier
"all from Frasier, to play his father, Dr. Robert Tawilaker — Josh notes that Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, and John Mahoney all from Frasier voiced characters on The Simpsons."
— Josh
Full House
"growing pains, the Cosby show, full house — Josh lists Full House as one of the popular family sitcoms of 1989."
— Josh
Futurama
"Futurama, which also from Groening — Chuck mentions Futurama as another animated series created by Matt Groening."
— Chuck
Growing Pains
"growing pains, the Cosby show, full house — Josh includes Growing Pains in his list of family sitcoms from 1989."
— Josh
King of the Hill
"you've got King of the Hill, South Park — Josh lists King of the Hill as one of the animated shows that emerged after The Simpsons."
— Josh
Major Dad
"My two dads, major dad, Mr. Belvedere — Josh lists Major Dad as a family sitcom from 1989."
— Josh
Married... with Children
"both on Fox and they both like kind of took the family sitcom and turned it on its head — Josh compares The Simpsons to Married... with Children as both edgy family sitcoms that appeared on Fox around the same time."
— Josh
Mr. Belvedere
"My two dads, major dad, Mr. Belvedere — Josh mentions Mr. Belvedere as a family sitcom competing with The Simpsons in 1989."
— Josh
My Two Dads
"You're ready for this? Yeah. My two dads, major dad, Mr. Belvedere — Josh lists family sitcoms from 1989 that The Simpsons competed against."
— Josh
Rick and Morty
"Today, you've got Rick and Morty. Have you seen Rick and Morty? I haven't yet. — Josh asks Chuck if he's seen Rick and Morty, discussing it as a recent animated series."
— Josh
Roseanne
"And like that was what family sitcoms or TV sitcoms in general were at the time. And you had Roseanne. — Josh highlights Roseanne as a show that had already pushed boundaries before The Simpsons arrived."
— Josh
South Park
"you've got King of the Hill, South Park — Josh mentions South Park as another animated series in the post-Simpsons animation boom."
— Josh
Terms of Endearment
"He wrote and directed Terms of Endearment. — Josh notes that James L. Brooks wrote and directed Terms of Endearment as part of discussing his track record."
— Josh
The Cosby Show
"growing pains, the Cosby show, full house — Josh mentions The Cosby Show as a major family sitcom of the era."
— Josh
The Critic
"John Lovitz played Jay Sherman, the critic in one of the more hated episodes of all time — Josh discusses a crossover episode where Jay Sherman from 'The Critic' appeared on The Simpsons."
— Josh
The Flintstones
"of course, there was the Flintstones — Josh mentions The Flintstones as a primetime animated series that predated The Simpsons."
— Josh
The Hogan Family
"who's the boss, Hogan family, family matters — Josh mentions The Hogan Family as a family sitcom from 1989."
— Josh
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
"He created the Mary Tyler Moore show. — Chuck mentions that producer James L. Brooks created The Mary Tyler Moore Show as an example of his credentials in television."
— Chuck
The Simpsons
"Welcome to The Simpsons. I mean, the podcast. — Josh jokingly introduces the podcast as if it were The Simpsons, acknowledging their upcoming discussion about the show for their 1000th episode."
— Josh
The Tracey Ullman Show
"I did not see the Tracy Elman shorts. They were bizarre. — Chuck discusses the origin of The Simpsons as animated shorts that first appeared on the Tracey Ullman Show before becoming their own series."
— Chuck
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
"where wait till your father gets home, went off the air — Josh references this show as the last primetime animated series before The Simpsons debuted."
— Josh
Who's the Boss?
"who's the boss, Hogan family, family matters — Josh lists Who's the Boss? among the family sitcoms of 1989."
— Josh
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