Meet The Simpsons
<p>The debut episode of the world’s longest-running animated sitcom - 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' - aired in the U.S. on 17th December, 1989; attracting the Fox network’s highest ever Sunday night ratings.</p><br><p>It was an instant sensation, with many contemporary critics remarking that the ‘dysfunctionality’ of The Simpsons was in-keeping with other 90s hits Roseanne and Married… With Children, while conservative voices including George H W Bush criticised what they saw as its celebration of underachievement.</p><br><p>In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how it came to be that a Christmas special should introduce the series; explain why Tracey Ullman filed a lawsuit about it; and reveal how many colours are in the show’s distinctive paint palette…&nbsp;</p><br><p><strong>Further Reading:</strong></p><p>• ‘Honoring ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’’ (Vulture, 2018): <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/honoring-simpsons-roasting-on-an-open-fire.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/honoring-simpsons-roasting-on-an-open-fire.html</a></p><p>• ‘Did Tracey Ullman Get Rich Off ‘The Simpsons’?’ (Mental Floss, 2017): <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94628/did-tracey-ullman-get-rich-simpsons" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94628/did-tracey-ullman-get-rich-simpsons</a></p><p>• ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ (Fox, 1989): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIfLqO3SSBs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIfLqO3SSBs</a></p><br><p><strong>There's three minutes more bonus material, about how Bart Simpson's campaign for Butterfinger candy swung the production deal! </strong></p><p><strong>To hear it - and extra material every single week - visit</strong><a href="https://create.acast.com/episodes/ca1f94a1-0921-446a-ae00-4d4bfd2ba3ef/Patreon.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="http://patreon.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Patreon.com/Retrospectors</strong></a>* <strong>or click 'subscribe' in Apple Podcasts, and support the show!</strong></p><p>*top two tiers only</p><br><p><strong>We'll be back on Monday! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:</strong><a href="https://create.acast.com/episodes/ca1f94a1-0921-446a-ae00-4d4bfd2ba3ef/podfollow.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="http://podfollow.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>podfollow.com/Retrospectors</strong></a></p><br><p><em>The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.</em></p><p><em>Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.</em></p><p><em>Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.</em>&nbsp;</p><br><p><em>#80s #TV #Funny #US</em></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Today In History with The Retrospectors
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Show Notes
The debut episode of the world’s longest-running animated sitcom - 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' - aired in the U.S. on 17th December, 1989; attracting the Fox network’s highest ever Sunday night ratings.
It was an instant sensation, with many contemporary critics remarking that the ‘dysfunctionality’ of The Simpsons was in-keeping with other 90s hits Roseanne and Married… With Children, while conservative voices including George H W Bush criticised what they saw as its celebration of underachievement.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how it came to be that a Christmas special should introduce the series; explain why Tracey Ullman filed a lawsuit about it; and reveal how many colours are in the show’s distinctive paint palette…
Further Reading:
• ‘Honoring ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’’ (Vulture, 2018): https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/honoring-simpsons-roasting-on-an-open-fire.html
• ‘Did Tracey Ullman Get Rich Off ‘The Simpsons’?’ (Mental Floss, 2017): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94628/did-tracey-ullman-get-rich-simpsons
• ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ (Fox, 1989): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIfLqO3SSBs
There's three minutes more bonus material, about how Bart Simpson's campaign for Butterfinger candy swung the production deal!
To hear it - and extra material every single week - visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors* or click 'subscribe' in Apple Podcasts, and support the show!
*top two tiers only
We'll be back on Monday! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors
The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.
#80s #TV #Funny #US
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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