Good Night (The Simpsons)

Last updated

"Good Night"
The Simpsons short
Good Night Simpsons.png
The entire Simpson family in Homer and Marge's bed during the final segment of the short
Short no.1
Released during The Tracey Ullman Show
Season 1
Episode 3b
Directed by Wesley Archer
David Silverman
Bill Kopp
Written by Matt Groening
Production codeMG01
Original air dateApril 19, 1987
Running time1 minute
Followed by"Watching Television"
List of The Tracey Ullman Show episodes

"Good Night" (also known as "Good Night Simpsons") is the first of the forty-eight Simpsons shorts and the second segment of the third episode of The Tracey Ullman Show 's first season. [1] It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 19, 1987 and marks the first ever appearance of the Simpson family  – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie  – on television. [2] [3] After three seasons on Tracey Ullman's show, the shorts would be adapted into the animated show The Simpsons . "Good Night" has since been aired on the show in the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" (in its entirety), along with several other Ullman shorts, and is one of the few shorts to ever be released on DVD, being included in the Season 1 DVD set.

Contents

Plot

Homer and Marge say goodnight to their children, but all does not go according to plan. Bart tries to ask about the mind, but is left contemplating it as he does not get a proper answer. Lisa fears that bed bugs will eat her after hearing Marge say "Don't let the bed bugs bite". Maggie is terrified by the lyrics of "Rock-a-bye Baby". Ultimately, all three children decide to sleep in their parents' bed.

Origins

Groening first conceived of the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. He had been called in to pitch a series of animated shorts, and had intended to present his Life in Hell series. When he realized that animating Life in Hell would require him to rescind publication rights for his life's work, Groening decided to go in another direction. [4] He hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after his own family. Bart was modeled after Groening's older brother, Mark, but given a different name that was chosen as an anagram of "brat". [5]

Production

This short was written and storyboarded by Groening. [6] Animation on the short began March 23, 1987. [7] The family was crudely drawn, because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead they just traced over his drawings. [4] It was produced at Klasky Csupo, [8] [9] with Wesley Archer, David Silverman, and Bill Kopp being animators. [6] [7]

The episode is sometimes considered to be the first episode of season 0 of The Simpsons. [10] The show's production number is MG01. [11] [12] 11 seconds of the short were cut in syndication airings. [13] The short consisted of four segments, lasting 24, 15, 33, and 33 seconds, respectively. [14] After the short plays from start to finish in "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular", Troy McClure, who now has a look of disbelief on his face, as though he has never seen the clip before, covers his expression with an awkward laugh and insincerely comments 'They haven't changed a bit, have they', a comment on how the characters' appearance and personalities had altered from the shorts to the airing of that episode. [15]

Critical reception

FilmThreat says "This dark nursery rhyme is funny and disturbing. Homer's voice is totally off the wall, nothing like it stands today, and it's interesting to see how far they've come since these early forays into animation". [16] Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits was sad that "only [one] of the original Tracey Ullman Show shorts" was featured on the first season DVD". He added, "Still, the one you get perfectly illustrates just how far the show has come". [17] DVD.net describes it as "The Simpsons as some of you may never have seen before, drawn by the hand of Matt Groening himself and looking a little worse for wear." [18] DVD Movie Guide says, "I've seen a few additional Ullman shorts and think they're nearly unwatchable, so I can't say I miss them, at least not for their entertainment value. However, they'd make a nice historical addition, so it's too bad we only get this single clip. The first one ever aired, 'Good Night Simpsons' runs for 115 unfunny seconds." [19] The Digital Fix says the short extra on the DVD "showcases the superb sense of humour that has made The Simpsons what it is today", and that "the picture quality is quite breathtaking (considering the age of these shorts) while the sound is standard DD2.0 Stereo". It adds that "it is a teaser for something we will supposedly never see (all 48 shorts on DVD)" and wishes they had chosen a short that hadn't been featured in a future episode (The 138th Episode Spectacular), and therefore released on the Season 7 Box set. [20] Planet Simpson says "the drawing and animation were blatantly crude, thick-lined, and primary-colored" and that "the vignettes were far too short for anything as sophisticated as 'character development'". It adds that the "central gag [of] kids finding ironic horror in bedtime platitudes" was very simplistic, and doubts many people even watched the airing of the short. However, the book explains the significance of Good Night as "the first baby steps of an institution that would become one of the most-watched TV shows on earth and the most influential cultural enterprise of its time". [14]

Home media

The short is featured on disc 3 of The Complete First Season DVD. [21] [22] [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Groening</span> American cartoonist (born 1954)

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is best known as the creator of the television series The Simpsons (1989–present), Futurama, and Disenchantment (2018–2023), and the comic strip Life in Hell (1977–2012). The Simpsons is the longest-running U.S. primetime television series in history and the longest-running U.S. animated series and sitcom.

<i>The Simpsons</i> American animated sitcom

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Developed by Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, the series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, it caricatures society, Western culture, television, and the human condition.

Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. Voiced by Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer Simpson</span> Character from the Simpsons franchise

Homer Jay Simpson is the protagonist of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of the Simpsons, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Homer was created by the cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks's office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell but instead created a new set of characters. He named the character after his father, Homer Groening. After appearing for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpsons received their own series on Fox, which debuted on December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Simpson</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Margaret Lenny "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the youngest member of the Simpson family. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. She received her first name from Groening's youngest sister. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family was given their own series on the Fox Broadcasting Company which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Simpson</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television sitcom series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa was born as a character in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed her while waiting to meet James L. Brooks. Groening had been invited to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic Life in Hell, but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He named the older Simpson daughter after his younger sister Lisa Groening Bartlett. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family were moved to their own series on Fox, which debuted on December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grampa Simpson</span> Recurring character in The Simpsons

Abraham Jebediah "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart Simpson</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons

Bartholomew Jojo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Bart while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip, Life in Hell, but instead decided to create a new set of characters. While the rest of the characters were named after Groening's family members, Bart's name is an anagram of the word brat. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for two years, the Simpson family received its own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989. Bart has appeared in every Simpsons episode except "Four Great Women and a Manicure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire</span> 1st episode of the 1st season of The Simpsons

"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" is the series premiere of the American animated television series The Simpsons. A Christmas special, the show had a very long delayed release. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 17, 1989. Introducing the Simpson family into half-hour television in this episode, Bart Simpson disobediently gets a tattoo without the permission of his parents. After Marge spends all the family's holiday budget on having it removed, Homer learns that his boss is not giving employees Christmas bonuses, and takes a job as a shopping mall Santa.

<i>The Tracey Ullman Show</i> American television sketch comedy variety show

The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television sketch comedy variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987, as the network's second original primetime series to air, following Married... with Children, and ran for four seasons and 81 episodes until May 26, 1990. It was produced by Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The show blended sketch comedy with musical numbers and dance routines, choreographed by Paula Abdul, along with animated shorts. The format was conceived by co-creator and executive producer James L. Brooks, who was looking to showcase the show's multitalented star. Brooks likened the show to producing three pilots a week. Ullman was the first British woman to be offered her own television sketch show in the United States.

<i>The Itchy & Scratchy Show</i> Fictional animated cartoon on The Simpsons

The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a Sadistic mouse named Itchy whom repeatedly maims or murders black cat named Scratchy. It is typically presented as 15- to 60-second sketches that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Silverman (animator)</span> American animator and director

David Silverman is an American animator who has directed numerous episodes of the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as its 2007 film adaptation. Silverman was involved with the series from the very beginning, animating all of the original short Simpsons cartoons that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show. He went on to serve as director of animation for several years. He also did the animation for the 2016 film The Edge of Seventeen, which was produced by Gracie Films.

<i>The Simpsons</i> shorts Special episode list for an animated series

The Simpsonsshorts are a series of animated short films that aired as a recurring segment on Fox variety television series The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, before the characters spun off into The Simpsons, their own half-hour prime-time show. They feature Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, and a few secondary characters. The series was created by Matt Groening, who designed the Simpson family and wrote many of the shorts. The shorts first aired on April 19, 1987, starting with "Good Night". The final short to air was "TV Simpsons", originally airing on May 14, 1989. The Simpsons later debuted on December 17, 1989, as an independent series with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".

Some Enchanted Evening (<i>The Simpsons</i>) 13th episode of the 1st season of The Simpsons

"Some Enchanted Evening" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was originally broadcast on Fox in the United States on May 13, 1990. A family drama, it had a very long delayed release. Written by Matt Groening and Sam Simon and directed by David Silverman and Kent Butterworth, "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first episode produced for season one and was intended to air as the series premiere in fall 1989, but aired as the season one finale due to animation problems. The Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" premiered in its place on December 17, 1989. It is the last episode to feature the original opening sequence starting from "Bart the Genius". In the episode, Homer and Marge go on a night out while leaving the children under the care of a diabolical babysitter named Ms. Lucille "Botz" Botzcowski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1990.

"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third clip show episode of The Simpsons, after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show".

"Bart's Dog Gets an 'F'" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 7, 1991. In the episode, the Simpson family's dog, Santa's Little Helper, infuriates Homer and Marge by destroying a family heirloom and an expensive pair of shoes. When Marge and Homer want to get rid of the dog, Bart enrolls him at an obedience school to curb his bad behavior.

History of <i>The Simpsons</i>

The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom starring the animated Simpson family, which was created by Matt Groening. He conceived of the characters in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office and named them after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show called The Simpsons, which debuted on December 17, 1989. The show was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the top 30 ratings in a season (1990).

<i>The Simpsons</i> (franchise) American animated comedy franchise

The Simpsons is an American animated comedy franchise whose eponymous family consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The Simpsons were created by cartoonist Matt Groening for a series of animated shorts that debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show on Fox on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into The Simpsons, a half-hour prime time show that was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990). The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion-dollar merchandising and media franchise. Alongside the television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including books, comic books, a magazine, musical releases, and video games.

<i>The Simpsons</i> episode guides List of books

Five official episode guides for the American animated sitcom The Simpsons have been published by HarperCollins since 1997. The first guide covers seasons 1 to 8, while the following three cover seasons 9 to 14. The fifth was released in 2010 and covers seasons 1 to 20.

References

  1. ↑ Richmond & Coffman 1997.
  2. ↑ "The History of The Simpsons: The Complete History of the Most Beloved American Family on Television – Yahoo! Voices". voices.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Greatest screen characters – DNA". Dnaindia.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  4. 1 2 BBC (2000). 'The Simpsons': America's First Family (6 minute edit for the season 1 DVD) (DVD). UK: 20th Century Fox. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  5. ↑ Paul, Alan (October 1995). "Life In Hell". Flux Magazine. No. 6. Harris Publications. pp. 54, 76. ISSN   1074-5602.
  6. 1 2 Cagle, Daryl. "The David Silverman Interview". MSNBC. Archived from the original on November 30, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
  7. 1 2 @tubatron (March 23, 2020). "#OTD 33 yrs ago 3/23/87: Wes Archer, Bill Kopp, and I started animation on very first @TheSimpsons short for The Tracey Ullman Show. GOOD NIGHT SIMPSONS (MG01) aired 4/19/87 on TU ep #3. No drawings from that but here are some from MG02 & 03. More to come today, stay tuned ..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ "Good Night (1987) Season 1 Episode MG01- The Simpsons Cartoon Episode Guide". Bcdb.com. April 19, 1987. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  9. ↑ Deneroff, Harvey (January 2000). "Matt Groening's Baby Turns 10". Animation Magazine, Vol. 14, #1. pp. 10, 12.
  10. ↑ "The Simpsons". Episode Data. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  11. ↑ Global Episode Opinion Survey (November 29, 2012). "GEOS – The Simpsons – Good Night – Cast & Crew". Geos.tv. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Simpsons Archive: Episode Capsules". Snpp.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  13. ↑ "List of scenes cut from The Simpsons shorts – Wikisimpsons, the Simpsons Wiki". Simpsonswiki.net. January 9, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Turner 2005.
  15. ↑ Brian L. Ott (2007). The Small Screen How Television Equips Us to Live in the Information Age. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   978-0-470-76637-8 . Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  16. ↑ "The Simpsons Complete First Season (dvd)". Film Threat. February 17, 2002. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  17. ↑ "DVD Review – The Simpsons: The Complete First Season". Thedigitalbits.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  18. ↑ Steve Koukoulas – RED5 Web Design. "The Simpsons – Season One – DVD Review". DVD.net. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (1990)". Dvdmg.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  20. ↑ Dave Foster, The Digital Fix (September 29, 2001). "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season | DVD Video Review | Film @ The Digital Fix". Film.thedigitalfix.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Simpsons DVD guides: The Complete First Season – Simpsons Crazy". Simpsoncrazy.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Simpsons – The Complete First Season". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  23. ↑ "DVD Review: Simpsons: Season One". Currentfilm.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2001. Retrieved February 17, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.