https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=playlist
When it first went on air in the late nineÂteen-eightÂies, Fox had to prove itself capaÂble of playÂing in a teleÂviÂsuÂal league with the likes of NBC, CBS, and ABC. To that end, it began buildÂing its prime-time lineÂup with two origÂiÂnal proÂgrams more theÂmatÂiÂcalÂly and aesÂthetÂiÂcalÂly darÂing than anyÂthing on those staid netÂworks: the sitÂcom MarÂried… with ChilÂdren and the sketch comÂeÂdy series The Tracey UllÂman Show. Before and after comÂmerÂcial breaks, the latÂter treatÂed its earÂly viewÂers to a series of irrevÂerÂent aniÂmatÂed shorts creÂatÂed by an acclaimed carÂtoonÂist and feaÂturÂing the vocal talÂents of Dan CastelÂlanÂeÂta, Julie KavnÂer, and NanÂcy Cartwright. I speak, of course, of Dr. N!Godatu.
On an alterÂnate timeÂline, perÂhaps the perÂsonÂal and proÂfesÂsionÂal advenÂtures of that near-unflapÂpable psyÂchotherÂaÂpist were spun off into their own hit series that broke every record for prime-time aniÂmaÂtion and is now in its 36th seaÂson.
Here in our realÂiÂty, howÂevÂer, that’s been the desÂtiny of The SimpÂsons, which also began as The Tracey UllÂman Show’s bumper enterÂtainÂment. Dr. N!Godatu vanÂished after a few weeks, nevÂer to be seen again, but the SimpÂson famÂiÂly remained for two full years, makÂing their final short-from appearÂance in May of 1989. SevÂen months latÂer, The SimpÂsons made its ChristÂmas-speÂcial debut — an event that, if you don’t rememÂber watchÂing, I can’t count you as a memÂber of my genÂerÂaÂtion.
Not that, givÂen my young age, I’d ever actuÂalÂly seen The Tracey UllÂman Show at the time. But the hard proÂmoÂtionÂal push leadÂing up to that first real SimpÂsons offered glimpses into an aniÂmatÂed world that looked and felt comÂpleteÂly novÂel. (HavÂing grown accusÂtomed over genÂerÂaÂtions to the show’s aesÂthetÂic, we easÂiÂly forÂget how bizarre its yelÂlow-skinned, uniÂverÂsalÂly overÂbite-afflictÂed charÂacÂters once looked.) Many who tuned in wouldÂn’t have been aware that that look and feel hadÂn’t been creÂatÂed out of whole cloth, but rather had emerged through the evoÂluÂtionÂary process you can witÂness in the 48 origÂiÂnal SimpÂsons shorts colÂlectÂed in the Youtube playlist at the top of the post (and the hour-long conÂsolÂiÂdatÂed video here).
To even a casuÂal SimpÂsons viewÂer, everyÂthing in these shorts will seem at once familÂiar and “off” in myrÂiÂad ways. The design of the charÂacÂters looks both harshÂer and loosÂer than it would latÂer become, and cerÂtain of their voicÂes, espeÂcialÂly CastelÂlanÂeÂta’s WalÂter Matthau-esque Homer, have yet to reflect the perÂsonÂalÂiÂties they would latÂer develÂop. The conÂvenÂtionÂalÂly “carÂtoony” aniÂmaÂtion also disÂtorts bodÂies and faces in ways that have long since been proÂhibÂitÂed by the show’s offiÂcial style guideÂlines. Even so, there are occaÂsionÂal jokes and even hauntÂing moments of the kind we know from the first couÂple of seaÂsons, if nothÂing in parÂticÂuÂlar to foreÂshadÂow The SimpÂsons’ nineÂteen-nineties goldÂen age — or the three decades’ worth of episodes that have folÂlowed it.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
The SimpÂsons ReimagÂined as a RussÂian Art Film
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
