D'oh! Two More Years

"The Simpsons" sign on for their sweet 16th season.

By Colin Allen, published on January 01, 2003

'The Simpsons" was signed by Fox Television on January 17 to run for another two seasons, pushing them into a 16-year stint. Homer and family now edge past "Ozzie and Harriet," formerly the longest running television comedy. Only "Lassie" and "Gunsmoke," at 19 and 20 years respectively, have lasted longer. "The Simpsons" remains popular too; it is the most watched show on Sundays by adults aged 18 to 49. The show's long-term vitality stems from its tapping into one of the most classic sources of humor: the family dynamic.

"Despite their problems, the family works together and they all help each other," explains Steve Brody, Ph.D., a media specialist based in Cambria, California. "Love prevails. Those are values that we all revere in marriage and family." Throughout all of the characters' adventures-from sumo wrestling to space travel-the only line never crossed is the one demarcating the family's loyalty to each other.

"It is a traditional family, which allows the kids, the mother and father to play off each other," notes Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., who also specializes in media from Los Angeles. The family archetype has existed in TV since its beginnings, from the '50s "Father Knows Best" to today's "7th Heaven." But "The Simpsons" pushes the dynamic one step further. "It makes fun of the traditional family system; it makes fun of itself," says Fischoff.

This universal archetype allows viewers to see themselves in the Simpson family, despite the fact that its members are yellow, two-dimensional cartoons that have not aged a day in their 14 years. "It's about the Everyman, and how we are able to laugh about ourselves," says Brody. "If laugher is really the best medicine, then "The Simpsons" is a medicine chest of relief."