THE SIMPSONS

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The Simpsons was created by Matt Groening alongside James L. Brooks and Sam Simon. It premiered on December 17, 1989 with “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” to 26.7 million viewers.  With 618 episodes and 28 seasons, The Simpsons is the longest running American sitcom and animated program on television.

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According to Rolling Stone, the best episodes of The Simpsons are: Marge vs. the Monorail, Lisa the Vegetarian, Rosebud, Krusty Gets Kancelled, Last Exit to Springfield, Whacking Day, Cape Feare, Homer goes to College, Flaming Moe’s, and Itchy and Scratchy Land. The most watched episode in history is Bart Gets an A, which premiered in 1990 with 33.6 million viewers.

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WHY THE SIMPSONS?

 

Washburn considered many different shows before she landed on The Simpsons. In fact, Friends was the runner up. The Simpsons is an “encyclopedic collection of movie-star cameo, original couch gags, and literary references.” It has documented recent American history with its constant comments on current events and big issues including immigration, gun rights, the environment, feminism. It combines both low and high culture, offering a joke for all kinds. The dysfunctional American family has connected to the Simpsons’s dysfunctional family for over 25 years, making it a staple in every home. Furthermore, Springfield, as a location of nuclear powerplant, lends perfectly to a post-nuclear apocalyptic play.

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Washburn said: “Because the characters are eternal, and because it’s a cartoon, you have such a wide range of stories to choose from. And the characters are archetypal. Bart Simpson is a trickster… And Homer is the idiot, the holy fool. Because the play takes place right after the apocalypse and The Simpsons is about a family, I thought the survivors would care more; the questions of what your bonds are, who your community is, become really relevant.”

 

WHY “CAPE FEARE?”

 

The episode was chosen by The Civilians actors working with Washburn. It’s likely that this episode has stuck with viewers because it has a complete story that directly reflects a well-known movie. Season Five marked the end of the original writers working together on the show. “Cape Feare” was the last episode that Jon Vitti worked on, making Cape Feare the last episode to hold the original voice of the show.

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Washburn said, “It pivots on an extremely old fear: being powerless.”

 

Characters

 

HOMER

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• Occupation: Nuclear Safety Inspector/Nuclear Technology

• Relatives: Marge (Wife), Bart, Lisa, and Maggie (Children), Abraham (Father)

• Fast Facts:

• Quotes: “Doh!” “Why you little!”

 

MARGE

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• Occupation: Homemaker

• Relatives: Homer (Husband), Bart, Lisa, and Maggie (Children), Patty and Selma (Sisters),  Abraham (Father-in-Law)

• Fast Facts:

• Quotes: “Hmmmmm”

 

BART

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• Occupation: Student

• Relatives: Marge and Homer (Parents), Lisa and Maggie (Sisters), Abraham (Grandfather)

• Fast Facts: Bart enjoys skateboarding, reading comic books, playing pranks, and Krusty the Klown. Bart has Attention Deficit Disorder.

• Quotes: “Eat my shorts.” “Ay, caramba!”

 

LISA

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• Occupation: Student

• Relatives: Marge and Homer (Parents), Bart and Maggie (Siblings), Abraham (Grandfather)

• Fast Facts: Lisa plays the saxophone and is an excellent student.

• Quotes: “My interests include music, science, justice, animals, shapes, feelings.” “Well, I wish that you wouldn’t. Because aside from the fact that he has the same frailties as all human beings, he’s the only father I have. Therefore, he is my model of manhood, and my estimation of him will govern the prospects of my adult relationships. So I hope you bear in mind that any knock at him is a knock at me, and I am far too young to protect myself against such onslaughts.”

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MAGGIE

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• Occupation: None

• Relatives: Marge and Homer (Parents), Bart and Lisa (Siblings), Abraham (Grandfather)

• Fast Facts: Maggie has not learned to speak yet, but she loves television and often repeats the violence she sees on screen.

• Quotes: “Maggie talk! Maggie talk! … No one listen? Maggie never talk again.”

 

SIDESHOW BOB

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• Occupation: Krusty The Clown’s sidekick on his television show

• Relatives: Cecil (Brother), Selma Bouvier (Ex-Wife)

• Fast Facts: Sideshow Bob is known for his intelligence, love of high culture, and his desire to murder Bart Simpson.

• Quotes: “Lisa, you don’t spend ten years as a homicidal maniac without learning a few things about dynamite.”

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MR. BURNS

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• Occupation: Owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

• Relatives: Burns has 11 siblings, and 3 half-siblings. He has 1 biological son and 1 foster son.

• Fast Facts: His net worth is somewhere in the billions, making him influential and powerful.

• Quotes: “Ex-cellent” “Release the hounds!”

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SCRATCHY

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• Occupation: Character on the Itchy & Scratchy Show

• Fast Facts: Though Scratchy tries to murder Itchy, he has only been successful in one episode.

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ITCHY

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• Occupation: Character on the Itchy & Scratchy Show

• Fast Facts: Itchy spends each episode attempting to murder Scratchy, almost always with success.