Groening het aanvanklik ’n reeks kort tonele geskryf en die lede van die disfunksionele gesin na sy eie gesinslede genoem, met Bart in die plek van sy eie naam. Dit het op 19 April 1987 deel van ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' geword. Ná drie seisoene is dit ontwikkel in ’n halfuurlange program in spitstyd.
Dit is die sitkom wat die langste nog op televisie wys, met (in Januarie 2018) altesaam 30 seisoene<ref>{{cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |title='The Simpsons' is forever: Series renewed through Season 30 on FOX |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-simpsons-is-forever-series-renewed-through-season-30-on-fox/ |work=TV by the Numbers |date=4 November 2016 |accessdateaccess-date=4 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203141336/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-simpsons-is-forever-series-renewed-through-season-30-on-fox/ |archive-date=3 Desember 2019 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Turchiano |first=Danielle |title='Family Guy and 'Bob's Burgers' Renewed by Fox |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/family-guy-bobs-burgers-renewed-fox-1202800400 |work=Variety |date=12 Mei 2018 |accessdateaccess-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026103840/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/family-guy-bobs-burgers-renewed-fox-1202800400/ |archive-date=26 Oktober 2019 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> en meer as 650 episodes sedert die eerste uitsending op [[17 Desember]] [[1989]]. Daar is ook ’n [[rolprent]], ''The Simpsons Movie'' (2007), ’n videospeletjie (ook 2007) en ’n ''Simpsons Comic'', wat deur ''Bongo Comics'' gepubliseer word. Daar sal minstens ’n 31ste reeks ook wees, maar die datum is nog nie aangekondig nie.<ref>[https://twitter.com/AlJean/status/908428292545318912 @TheSimpsons THOH XXIX is a go! From Al Jean's official Twitter account]</ref>
''The Simpsons'' is wyd geprys tydens sy eerste nege<ref name=Wilson>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Tyler |title=The 10 best 'Simpsons' episodes out on DVD |newspaper=Coeur d'Alene Press |date=27 Julie 2007 |page=D3}}</ref><ref name=bbcclassic>{{cite news |title=The Simpsons: 10 classic episodes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8449416.stm |publisher=BBC News Online |date=14 Januarie 2010 |accessdateaccess-date=15 Januarie 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413165304/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8449416.stm |archive-date=13 April 2020 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> of tien<ref name=empirereview>{{cite news|url=http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=11196|title=The Simpsons Movie (PG)|accessdate=25 Julie 2007|first=Ian|last=Nathan|work=Empire}}</ref><ref name="LucidWorks">{{cite web|url=http://www.ludicworks.com/best-episodes-ever-the-simpsons-seasons-1-10/|title=Best. Episodes. Ever. 'The Simpsons': Seasons 1–10|work=Ludic Works|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109153813/http://www.ludicworks.com/best-episodes-ever-the-simpsons-seasons-1-10/|archivedate=9 November 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> seisoene, wat as sy "goue era" beskou word. Die tydskrif ''[[Time]]'' het dit die 20ste eeu se beste TV-reeks genoem,<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993039,00.html|title=The Best of the Century|journal=Time|date=1999-12-31}}</ref> en Erik Adams van ''The A.V. Club'' meen dis die beste televisieproduk "ongeag die formaat".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/best-animated-series-ever-adventure-time-whatever--214799 |title=The best animated series ever |work=The A.V. Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816222845/http://www.avclub.com:80/article/best-animated-series-ever-adventure-time-whatever--214799 |archive-date=16 Augustus 2017 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Op 14 Januarie het die Simpson-gesin ’n ster op die [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] gekry. Dit het al tientalle pryse gewen, insluitende 31 [[Emmy]]s, 30 [[Annie]]s en Peabody-prys, en Homer se uitroep "D'oh!" is selfs in [[Engels]] opgeneem.
