The Simpsons TV Series Premiered

On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company with the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." Created by Matt Groening, the animated sitcom originated as short sketches on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 before earning its own half-hour time slot. The series became the longest-running American animated program, longest-running American sitcom, and longest-running scripted primetime television series in U.S. history.