The Simpsons, an animated cartoon of a dysfunctional family was created by Matt Groening and first aired in 1987. The show was originally a series of shorts and later became a 30 minute series beginning in 1989. The family members consist of Marge and Homer Simpson, their son Bart and daughters, Lisa and Maggie. The Simpsons is set in the fictional town of Springfield and has many characters and buildings that the episodes are based around.