From humble 1987 beginnings as an animated short on the Tracy Ullman Show, The Simpsons have become a cultural juggernaut. Broadcast as a half-hour animated comedy since late 1989, The Simpsons reached a milestone last year when it became the longest running American primetime entertainment series in history. It has won dozens of awards, was named the best TV series of the 20th Century by Time Magazine, spawned a 2007 movie and became the cultural touchstone for a generation.
In The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History, author John Ortved takes us behind the scenes. He outlines the creation of the show, the tensions between key players Matt Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon (and others), the story behind its unique animation, the series' ups and downs over the last twenty years and much more.
For a pop culture look at "America's favourite non-prehistoric cartoon family," check out Planet Simpson: How A Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation by Canadian writer Chris Turner.