15 Things You Never Noticed About The First Episode Of The Simpsons

by N/A, 10 years ago | 4 min read

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The Simpsons is the longest running animated show in history. The show premiered in 1989 and there have been 561 episodes. Here are a few facts about the show's very first episode.

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1. Executive producer James L. Brooks says the idea for the show came about when an animator got drunk at a Christmas party.

2. Millhouse appears in the first episode, but also appeared in a Butterfinger commercial a year earlier.

3. Barney's hair matches his skin color in the first episode, but later animators decided that the Simpson's family were the only characters who should look that way.

4. The Simpsons was the second animated show to air in primetime since The Flintstones went off the air.

5. Mimi Pond, a writer on the show, didn't consider it to be a great experience and instead went back to writing comics.

6. The first episode didn't feature the now famous opening sequence.

7. The original premise of the show was the Homer was afraid that Marge would get drunk at a party and get him in trouble at work.

8. Lisa was originally supposed to be a troublemaker like Bart, but her character eventually went in a different direction.

9. Lisa asks for a pony six times in the first episode.

She finally gets one in episode three.

10. One of the layout artists on the show is Eric Stefani, founding member of No Doubt and Gwen Stefani's brother.

11. The show was supposed to premiere in fall of 1989 but actually started in December with "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire."

The season finale "Some Enchanted Evening" was originally created to be the pilot episode.

12. The creators of the show received letters of praise for unintentionally bringing attention to the abandonment of racing dogs.

13. In the DVD commentary, Matt Groening says the "Santas of Many Lands" was inspired by a report he did in second grade.

14. Dan Castellaneta was asked to audition for the role of Homer after he performed a sketch at Second City Improv.

15. Yeardley Smith originally auditioned for Bart, but casting directors said she sounded to much like a girl.