DOTD For Wednesday, April 29, 2026
It's The Cause Of, And Solution To, All Of Life's Problems!
Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Mr. Burns Cocktail inspired by the anniversary of the Simpsons reaching its 636th episode, and breaking Gunsmoke’s record for the most episodes on TV.
On April 29, 2018, “The Simpsons” became the longest-running scripted American primetime television series with the airing of its 636th episode “Forgive and Regret” (Season 29, Episode 18).
The previous record holder was “Gunsmoke” (1955-1975) with 635 episodes. As of February 15, 2026, The Simpsons has aired 805 episodes. The show is currently in its 37th season, having officially celebrated its historic 800th episode on February 15, 2026 (Yes, they celebrated their 800th episode five episodes late, at the end of a season). The show currently holds the records for the longest-running American animated program, sitcom, and scripted primetime series.
It’s hard to imagine a time where “The Simpsons” was not a dominant part of American pop culture. Even if you haven’t seen a single episode you could probably name one of the characters or quote Homer’s famous catchphrase (D’oh!). Or when “The Simpsons” comes up in conversations you might think about one of the countless Simpsons clips and memes that are popular on the internet, like the Homer going into the shrub GIF. People even think the show has predicted the future.
Now that you can watch every Simpsons episode ever made on Disney+ new fans are discovering classic episodes that made the show what it is.
“The Simpsons” has graced our screens since 1989 (“Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”) and is just so ingrained within our television landscape that many people forget what made the show a hit in the first place. “The Simpsons” began as a series of 48 shorts on the sketch show “The Tracey Ullman Show” between 1987-89 created by Matt Groening. The very first appearance of the family was in the short “Good Night”
The cartoon re-popularized the adult animated primetime sitcom and would pave the way for numerous other shows like “King of the Hill” (1997-2010), “South Park” (1997-present),“Family Guy” (1999-2002, 2005-present) and “Futurama” (1999-2003, 2008-2013, 2023-present, also created by Groening). More recent examples of the show’s reach is apparent in “Bob’s Burgers” (2011-present), “Rick and Morty” (2013-present) and “Bojack Horseman” (2014-2020).
Creator of “Family Guy” Seth MacFarlane in a 2007 Vanity Fair “Simpsons Family Values” commented on the door “The Simpsons” opened.
“It’s like what sci-fi fans say about Star Trek: it created an audience for that genre,” said MacFarlane. “I think The Simpsons created an audience for prime-time animation that had not been there for many, many years. As far as I’m concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways—you could classify it as—a wholly new medium. It’s just wholly original.”
Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie satirize the American nuclear family. We all know the archetypes: the house in suburbia, the housewife, the breadwinner father, a cat and dog and the troublemaker son, the precocious daughter, and the baby. These characters have existed throughout TVs long history in sitcoms including “Leave It to Beaver” (1958-1963) and “The Brady Bunch” (1969-1974).
These types of shows were still popular when “The Simpsons” first premiered. The top rated show of the 1989-1990 television season was “The Cosby Show” (1984-1992). Other top shows back then included “The Wonder Years” (1988-1993) and “Full House” (1987-1995).
In a typical comedy the dysfunction that has plagued the family will come to a resolution by the end of the half-hour and the kids will have learned a nice moral lesson that they will take with them throughout their life. “The Simpsons” subverts this status quo, and even though Marge and Homer love each other deeply they are still part of a totally dysfunctional family.
All the characters have flaws that are out in the open. Bart by the next episode will still be pulling pranks on the unsuspecting citizens of Springfield. Lisa will still be the teacher’s pet. Homer will still be a regular at Moe’s Tavern after working at the nuclear power plant. And Marge will always worry.
Yet the Simpsons still love each other deeply, as you can see in episodes like Season 9, Episode 3 “Lisa’s Sax” where in flashbacks the viewer learns that Homer used the air conditioner replacement money to buy Lisa a saxophone, an instrument that has become a staple of her character.
There’s also “The Way We Was” (Season 2, Episode 12) showing the first meeting of Marge and Homer in high school detention. For Homer, it was love at first sight and as Marge walks into the classroom he witnesses her walking in slow motion with The Carpenter’s version of “(They Long to Be) Close to You” playing, the moment he sets his eyes on her.
Even though it takes Marge a little longer to realize her feelings for Homer he still carries a torch for her and he says what has to be one of my favorite quotes from the show, “I got a problem once you stop this car. I’m going to hug you, and kiss you, and I’ll never be able to let you go. And I’ve never have.”
These tender moments of love between the family bring balance to the conflicts they get into. The characters have survived throughout the decades because the audience relates deeply to them.
As more shows have followed in “The Simpsons” footsteps the cartoon has found more ways to lampoon the absurdities of everyday life and they will probably be doing so for more years to come.
So here’s a salute to The Simpsons, with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Mr. Burns Cocktail!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
