Although The Simpsons arrived with a lot of its future potential intact, the show’s first outing was also rough, ready, and entirely different from the show that it would one day become. With over 800 episodes and a theatrical movie spinoff to its name, The Simpsons is officially the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history.
Perhaps as a result of its unheralded longevity, the show has changed a lot over the years. The so-called Golden Age of The Simpsons, which ran from roughly season 3 until season 11, is considered its critical peak by most fans and reviewers. However, as The Simpsons’ best Thanksgiving episode in years proved, the show has enjoyed a recent critical revival.
While the episodes of seasons 33-36 are hardly on par with the Golden Age, they are considered stronger than many of the show’s outings between seasons 12 and 31. The crucial period that is often lost in these conversations, however, is the earliest, and in many ways weirdest, seasons of The Simpsons.
The Simpsons’ Humor Used To Be Far Darker
In an unusual move for a sitcom, The Simpsons started with a Christmas special. Season 1, episode 1, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” follows Homer’s doomed attempts to make more money so he can afford presents for his children. If that sounds like a bleak premise, that’s because it is, and the show does not shy away from this.
Bart’s decision to get a tattoo without permission from his parents costs the family their Christmas present budget when Marge insists that he get it removed immediately. When Homer learns that Mr. Burns isn’t giving his employees their usual holiday bonus, he takes a job as a mall Santa in the hopes of recouping some money for Bart, Lisa, and Maggie’s gifts.
Homer bets the pittance that he makes on a long shot at the racetrack, but sinceThe Simpsons is far darker than viewers might remember, the risk doesn’t pay off. He loses his earnings, but in a bittersweet twist, Homer gains the family a new pet dog for Christmas at the end of this holiday special.
Homer Is Nowhere Near As Likable As He Became
As implied by this plot rundown, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” is almost impressively bleak in comparison to the show’s later outings. However, that’s not the only change to the formula of The Simpsons that viewers will immediately notice upon revisiting the pilot. Homer is also much less playful and funny in this early outing and much more gruff.
Some of the best episodes of The Simpsons center on Homer’s struggles at work, but the character is still primarily known as a light-hearted, dim-witted figure of fun. His angry, angsty personality from the pilot episode is almost unrecognizable to viewers who are more familiar with the show’s outings after season 3, wherein he takes on a goofier attitude.
Homer remains inept throughout the show’s run, but he is much less tortured by his failings as a father, a husband, and a provider in later episodes. Indeed, much of his enduring appeal as a relatable everyman comes down to his insouciant outlook, as Homer is unflappable in the face of his failings in later seasons.
The Simpsons Focused On Real-Life Struggles Much More
Of course, the reason that Homer is so much more maudlin in this episode might have something to do with the stakes of its plot. Unlike the zanier, cartoonier storylines of the Golden Age, the plot of “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” focuses on a very real, very poignant problem. Specifically, the family’s financial hardships dominate the pilot.
Classic episodes from seasons 5 and 6 focus on Homer discovering a secret society, Bart finding a comet bound for collision with Springfield, and the family fighting off killer robots at Itchy and Scratchyland. These aren’t even the storylines fromThe Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials, but rather the show’s ordinary, supposedly grounded weekly episodes.
The Simpsons Was Always Built To Stand Out
In contrast, the pilot centers on a much more realistic, and frankly tragic, plight. The family’s struggle to earn enough money for Christmas presents, and Homer’s failure to do so despite his best efforts, is genuinely sad in a way that The Simpsons rarely was after season 1. Despite this, the show still feels like the series it becomes in years to come.
Although occasional storylines like the death of Bleeding Gums Murphy or Mona Simpson’s return tugged on heartstrings, these plots were few and far between. In contrast, the pilot focuses squarely on sad, real-life struggles. That said, it is still clear that the show is something special. For all its flaws, The Simpsons arrived ready for stardom.
The show’s pilot already has all its main characters, from the central family to Burns, Smithers, Barney, and Moe, and this massive supporting cast is already present and well-developed in episode 1. It’s a shockingly clear vision of what The Simpsons would become, given how early it was in the show’s history, and this explains what made the series stand out.
- Release Date
-
December 17, 1989
- Network
-
FOX
- Showrunner
-
Al Jean
- Directors
-
Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
- Writers
-
J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O’Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
-
Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
-
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)
