The Simpsons

Trademarks

Opening sequence

The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable trademarks. Almost every episode opens with a title shot coming through the cumulus clouds and into the school where Bart is writing sentences on the class chalkboard, presumably set as a punishment by one of his teachers for some mischievous deed or wayward comment; Homer is shown leaving the power plant, with Mr Burns and Smithers in the background (second season onwards); Marge and Maggie are shown checking out at the supermarket with Maggie travelling across the scanner, ringing up at $847.63, the then-annual cost of raising a baby (although a 'trivia question' shown as a wraparound for commercials during the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" claims that the register says "NRA4EVER" — National Rifle Association For Ever, ironically and comedically portraying the liberal writers of the show as gun-crazed right-wingers); The sequence then introduces Lisa (who leaves a band rehearsal, usually playing a different saxophone solo); the family is then shown on their way to their house at 742 Evergreen Terrace (the address varied in the beginning, but the writers now use 742 Evergreen Terrace exclusively). The members of the family weave dangerously through traffic and in between fellow (and, from the second season onward, familiar) Springfield denizens, all miraculously reaching home at the exact same time. Upon entering, they all speed towards the family room couch where, in comedic parallel with the audience, they settle to watch their "must-see" TV show.

Related Topics:
Cumulus - Chalkboard - National Rifle Association

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For each episode, the sequence includes four variations: Bart writes something different on the chalkboard, Lisa plays a different solo on her saxophone, Homer screams in a different way (only done in the first couple of seasons), and the family attempts to sit on the couch as something goes awry in an often surreal manner.

Related Topics:
Saxophone - Surreal

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In the syndicated version, part or all of the opening sequence is usually cut in order to include more commercials in the show's allotted timeslot.

Related Topics:
Syndicated - Commercial

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The "couch gag" sequence is frequently used to help show staff make the show longer or shorter, depending on the length of the episode itself. Most couch gags last only about five seconds, but the longest one on record lasted 46 seconds. The chalkboard gag lasted several seasons before it was cut (for most episodes, see Bart chalkboard gags) to save time; however, it was reintroduced for the premier episode of the 17th season with a self- and education-jeering "Does any kid still do this anymore?"

Related Topics:
Couch gag - Bart chalkboard gags

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The first season opening sequence featured a number of differences from the later seasons, including a shot of Lisa riding her bike on the way home and Bart's way home consisting of snatching a bus stop sign, forcing several dazed Springfieldians to chase the bus, rather than just riding past a number of well-known characters.

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The series' distinctive theme tune was composed by musician Danny Elfman. The current arrangement is orchestrated by Alf Clausen.

Related Topics:
Composed - Musician - Danny Elfman - Alf Clausen

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:See also: Bart chalkboard gags, Simpsons couch gag

Related Topics:
Bart chalkboard gags - Simpsons couch gag

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Halloween episodes

An annual tradition is a special Halloween episode consisting of three separate, self-contained pieces. These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting; they always take place outside the normal continuity of the show (and are therefore considered to be non-canon), and completely abandon any pretence of being realistic. Regular Simpsons characters play humorous special roles, occasionally being killed in gruesome ways by zombies, monsters, or even each other. These Halloween segments have parodied many classic horror and science fiction films; often one of the segments spoofs an episode of The Twilight Zone. Some include "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", "To Serve Man", "Living Doll", "It's a Good Life", and "Little Girl Lost"

Related Topics:
Halloween - Horror - Science fiction - Canon - The Twilight Zone - Nightmare at 20,000 Feet - To Serve Man - Living Doll - It's a Good Life - Little Girl Lost

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The tradition began in the second season episode Treehouse of Horror, with Bart and Lisa telling scary stories to each other in their treehouse while Homer secretly listened in. Neither Bart nor Lisa was scared, but Homer was terrified.

Related Topics:
Treehouse of Horror - Treehouse

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In later years the series dropped the framing device of characters telling stories, but kept the Treehouse title; for several years the characters broke the fourth wall and introduced their pieces directly to the audience. In Treehouse of Horror II the writers decided to give the cast and crew of the show scary names in the opening and closing credits (like "Mad Matt Groening" and "James Hell Brooks"). This also became a tradition, and has been done in every Halloween episode except I, XII, and XIII. The names have changed in subsequent seasons. Another mainstay of the Halloween shows is the appearance of the two space aliens Kang and Kodos, introduced in the second segment of the first "Treehouse of Horror."

Related Topics:
Fourth wall - Treehouse of Horror II - Space aliens - Kang and Kodos

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In a section of Treehouse of Horror VI called Homer³, Homer and Bart go into a three-dimensional world created by Pacific Data Images, a computer animation company. This segment from the Halloween show was also used as a segment of a film shown in the IMAX cinema in Bradford, London, Melbourne and Sydney. This was one of the few times The Simpsons have strayed from their traditional 2D animation, along with a live action cameo by Regis and Kathie Lee in Treehouse of Horror IX, a couple of claymation scenes in 'Tis The Fifteenth Season featuring The California Prunes and Jimmy Stewart, and a live action couch gag consisting of a sketchbook being flipped by a hand to make the characters run towards the couch and sit down. Another recent episode featured a CGI trailer for a comedy about humanoid playing cards. Other name parodies include "Citizen Kang", "The nightmare on evergreen terrace", "The thing and I", "House Of Whacks", "Reaper Madness", And many others.

Related Topics:
Treehouse of Horror VI - Three-dimensional - Pacific Data Images - Computer animation - IMAX - Bradford - Regis and Kathie Lee - Claymation - 'Tis The Fifteenth Season - Jimmy Stewart

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Guest celebrities

Many episodes feature celebrity guests contributing their voices to the show, as either themselves (especially during the middle of the Simpson's years, ie seasons 7 to 13) or as fictional characters (mainly during the early and later seasons).

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