When “The Simpsons” debuted on December 17, 1989, it was an instant sensation.
Matt Groening’s bizarre, weirdly proportioned yellow people felt like a dark antidote to the corny TV Americana that had persisted through Reagan’s America, and the show’s popularity proved that audiences were ready for a change.
Plus, it was incredibly novel to have an animated sitcom in primetime, leading many curious souls to tune in …
and instantly become hooked.
Many years later, celebrities would be fighting tooth-and-nail to gain a coveted guest spot on “The Simpsons,” either playing themselves or playing a character. A fun piece of trivia: the first celebrity to guest-star in an episode of “The Simpsons” was Albert Brooks (no relation to show producer James L.).
Albert Brooks played a character named Cowboy Bob in the 1990 episode “The Call of the Simpsons.” Cowboy Bob was very eager to sell an Rv to the status-seeking Simpson family.
Read full article