I read an article that said only 14 percent of the general public was familiar with the Simpson family when they were a short on the Tracey Ullman Show in the late '80s. Would you say most people had never heard of or seen the characters until the show had aired a few full-length episodes?

Most people, including myself, were not familiar with The Simpsons until sometime in 1990. Bart Simpson was extremely popular in '90, the merchandise was everywhere in that year. I don't think anyone my age noticed The Simpsons of '87 until they saw the reruns of The Tracy Ullman Show on Lifetime in 1990.

Most people, including myself, were not familiar with The Simpsons until sometime in 1990. Bart Simpson was extremely popular in '90, the merchandise was everywhere in that year. I don't think anyone my age noticed The Simpsons of '87 until they saw the reruns of The Tracy Ullman Show on Lifetime in 1990.


Just out of interest, what year were you born?

Oh I forgot they had Butterfinger commercials too. Were these shown only on FOX or did they play them on ABC, NBC, etc too? If they did I wouldn't be surprised if most people had at least a minimal exposure to the characters via those before the actual show aired.

Just out of interest, what year were you born?


I was born in 1977.

Oh I forgot they had Butterfinger commercials too. Were these shown only on FOX or did they play them on ABC, NBC, etc too? If they did I wouldn't be surprised if most people had at least a minimal exposure to the characters via those before the actual show aired.


Butterfinger commercials were shown on WPIX 11, TBS and FOX. The first two Butterfinger commercials aired in 1990 if I remember correctly.

It is possible they could have caught the Simpsons short MG-25 "Family Portrait" before seeing Say Anything. Still, I doubt anyone knew their names.

I read an article that said only 14 percent of the general public was familiar with the Simpson family when they were a short on the Tracey Ullman Show in the late '80s. Would you say most people had never heard of or seen the characters until the show had aired a few full-length episodes?



As for me, I thought they were just shorts until they came out with full length shows and then I realized where they originated from.

Oh I forgot they had Butterfinger commercials too. Were these shown only on FOX or did they play them on ABC, NBC, etc too? If they did I wouldn't be surprised if most people had at least a minimal exposure to the characters via those before the actual show aired.


I loved those Butterfingers commercials. ;D

Butterfinger commercials were shown on WPIX 11, TBS and FOX. The first two Butterfinger commercials aired in 1990 if I remember correctly.

It is possible they could have caught the Simpsons short MG-25 "Family Portrait" before seeing Say Anything. Still, I doubt anyone knew their names.


So they were produced in 1988 but not actually aired until 1990? I've heard people say that they remember the commercials prior to the show starting. Maybe it depended on what part of the country?

Most people, including myself, were not familiar with The Simpsons until sometime in 1990. Bart Simpson was extremely popular in '90, the merchandise was everywhere in that year. I don't think anyone my age noticed The Simpsons of '87 until they saw the reruns of The Tracy Ullman Show on Lifetime in 1990.


What about 1989?? Didn't the show start in 1989?

What about 1989?? Didn't the show start in 1989?

The first full-length Simpsons episode was a Christmas special in December 1989, so if anybody came across it, most saw it as just another holiday special that may have lured those looking for the unfamiliar. Now, since you wouldn't see the word "Simpsons" in the TV Guide due to the title of the series called The Tracy Ullman Show, you had to actually either known to like Tracy Ullman or if you were lucky, find somebody with a word of mouth about these yellow-headed characters back in those pre-Internet days. Plus, FOX network (back when it only aired three nights a week) was a new network that even was less familiar compared to some of the cable channels at the time, and many people still depended on "The Big Three". That said, some media were already recognizing this "show within a show" prior to the series' launch. I find this article interesting since it already mentions "hit" in terms of the audience who were watching the show at the time:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19890721&id=NrRRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wm4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3044,5842428

The first full-length Simpsons episode was a Christmas special in December 1989, so if anybody came across it, most saw it as just another holiday special that may have lured those looking for the unfamiliar. Now, since you wouldn't see the word "Simpsons" in the TV Guide due to the title of the series called The Tracy Ullman Show, you had to actually either known to like Tracy Ullman or if you were lucky, find somebody with a word of mouth about these yellow-headed characters back in those pre-Internet days. Plus, FOX network (back when it only aired three nights a week) was a new network that even was less familiar compared to some of the cable channels at the time, and many people still depended on "The Big Three". That said, some media were already recognizing this "show within a show" prior to the series' launch. I find this article interesting since it already mentions "hit" in terms of the audience who were watching the show at the time:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19890721&id=NrRRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wm4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3044,5842428


Really, FOX only aired 3 nights a week? Until when?

So they were produced in 1988 but not actually aired until 1990? I've heard people say that they remember the commercials prior to the show starting. Maybe it depended on what part of the country?


I remember towards the end of The Tracey Ullman Show they'd have these brief short clips of The Simpsons. That's what I remember.

What about 1989?? Didn't the show start in 1989?


If you're referring to The Tracey Ullman Show it started in 1987 and ended in 1990.

The first full-length Simpsons episode was a Christmas special in December 1989, so if anybody came across it, most saw it as just another holiday special that may have lured those looking for the unfamiliar. Now, since you wouldn't see the word "Simpsons" in the TV Guide due to the title of the series called The Tracy Ullman Show, you had to actually either known to like Tracy Ullman or if you were lucky, find somebody with a word of mouth about these yellow-headed characters back in those pre-Internet days. Plus, FOX network (back when it only aired three nights a week) was a new network that even was less familiar compared to some of the cable channels at the time, and many people still depended on "The Big Three". That said, some media were already recognizing this "show within a show" prior to the series' launch. I find this article interesting since it already mentions "hit" in terms of the audience who were watching the show at the time:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19890721&id=NrRRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wm4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3044,5842428


I see.

So they were produced in 1988 but not actually aired until 1990?

The commercials weren't produced in 1988, but they did air during the spring and fall of 1990.

What about 1989?? Didn't the show start in 1989?


Not many people caught The Christmas Special when it was on in 1989. No one knew who they were or what made them so genuine at the time. The first episode with the intro of the half-hour comedy series was "Bart the Genius" which aired on January 14, 1990. The shirts did not appear in stores until around March or April of 1990. I know the shirts have a copyright date of 1989 on them, but they were made in that year only.

I don't know what kind of shorts Tracey Ullman wore, so who's to say if they were well known?

I don't know what kind of shorts Tracey Ullman wore, so who's to say if they were well known?


;D

I don't know what kind of shorts Tracey Ullman wore, so who's to say if they were well known?


I think she wound up eating Bart's shorts in the end.

I think she wound up eating Bart's shorts in the end.


;D

I think she wound up eating Bart's shorts in the end.


I had to karma that.