The Simpsons | 58
History of the 90s
Kathy Kenzora
4.7 • 610 Ratings
🗓️ 17 November 2021
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When The Simpsons debuted in December 1989 it was a radical move by the Fox TV Network. There had not been a successful prime-time animated sitcom for adults since The Flintstones in the 1960s. Plus The Simpsons was a lot edgier than the clean family sitcoms on the air at the time.
But not only was The Simpsons an instant hit, it became a cultural phenomenon that continues over 30 years later.
On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the creation of the ground-breaking show and some of the controversy it created with help from Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson.
Guests:
- Yeardley Smith - Twitter: @Yeardley Smith www.smalltowndicks.com
- Mathew Klickstein www.mathewklickstein.com Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mathew Klickstein and Mike Reiss
Contact:
Twitter: @1990shistory
Facebook: @1990shistory
Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Blog: www.historyofthe90sblog.ca
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, it's Kathy. |
| 0:01.5 | I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s |
| 0:04.7 | early and ad-free on Amazon music included with Prime. |
| 0:16.2 | In December 1989, a group of writers and their young families gathered at a bowling alley |
| 0:21.9 | to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. A groundbreaking TV show they'd |
| 0:27.5 | been working on around the clock was about to premiere on a brand new television network. |
| 0:32.8 | They were proud of it, but the show was so unique, they didn't expect it to last more than a season. |
| 0:39.0 | So when the early reviews came out that night, the team of writers and producers were shocked. |
| 0:44.7 | Critics called it a game changer, and viewers loved it too. The show had debuted with the highest |
| 0:50.7 | ratings ever achieved by the Fledgling Network. But no one could have predicted it would soon become a cultural phenomenon |
| 0:58.5 | that would last over 30 years. |
| 1:17.9 | I'm Kathy Kanzora, and this is History of the 90s, a podcast about a decade that changed the world. On this episode, we look back at one of TV's most popular families. |
| 1:24.1 | And you'll want to stick around because we have a very special guest for this episode. |
| 1:31.8 | Just in case you don't know the Simpsons origin story and how it started out as a short cartoon on the Tracy Olman show. |
| 1:39.0 | Let me do a little recap. |
| 1:41.0 | In the spring of 1987, the brand new Fox TV network launched its first primetime original programming block on Sunday nights. |
| 1:49.8 | It included Married with Children and a funny little variety show hosted by British comedian Tracy O'Mon. |
| 1:56.6 | Oman's show has been described as an omelette of character skits, songs, and cartoons that highlighted her immense talents. |
| 2:05.8 | Matthew Clixstein, co-author of the book Springfield Confidential, says Oman was a real Renaissance woman. |
| 2:12.3 | Her show was really an exhibition for everything she can do and everything that she was, and she was bringing together the new, the old, you had some Benny Hill sensibility, |
| 2:23.2 | you had some Faulty Tower sensibility, you had some Monty Python sensibility, obviously. |
| 2:28.3 | But, you know, you also had a certain punk rock ethos, a certain 80s, pop culture ethos, music. Sounds great, right? Well, |
... |
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