From left, "The Simpsons" are Lisa, Marge, Maggie, Homer and Bart. SPECIAL

"The Simpsons" has single-handedly made animation edgier and given the art form a more irreverent, more satirical shade. Its rating success contributed to the resurgence of TV animation in the 1990s.

That's not bad for a nuclear plant worker who has no greater ambitions than to eat, guzzle beer and watch TV. Homer is irresponsible and none too bright, but he has a big heart and a big love for - now, say this slowly, with feeling - doooough-nuts.

Through its spoof of society and culture, the "Simpsons" broke ground and inspired others to create more prime-time animated shows on TV. Most were short-lived, failing to fare as well as "The Simpsons," the longest-running TV comedy, animated or live-action, in history.

Matt Groening, the creator and one of the executive producers, recalled when the series began as funny, blunt shorts on "The Tracy Ullman Show." "It was the beginning of the Fox network, and they were willing to take chances," Groening said during an interview at a Fox press party.

"The Simpsons" became its own series on Jan. 14, 1990.

Instead of the typical cartoon family, the Simpsons are a politically incorrect bunch. Groening said that when he created mischievous son Bart Simpson, he was inspired by Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Dennis the Menace and the smooth-talking but not-to-be-trusted Eddie Haskell of "Leave It to Beaver." The result was a bad boy with a good heart.

"The Simpsons" has evolved from being a goofy comedy to a parody of pop culture and great literature. Episodes have varied from a musical spoof of "Mary Poppins" to an episode this season showing Homer as the Greek poet Homer of "Odyssey" fame. The episode also included spoofs of "Hamlet" and "Joan of Arc." In an earlier season, "The Simpsons" even poked fun at "Dallas" with its "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" storyline. Mr. Burns is Homer's greedy, self-centered boss at the nuclear plant, which has contributed to Springfield's ecosystem with its three-eyed fish.

History, literature, pop culture - nothing is sacred on "The Simpsons." Guest voice Mark Hamill got his you-know-what kicked by wild "Star Wars" fans when he appeared as himself in one episode; fortunately, Homer was there to save the day.

Other famous voices have varied from Paul McCartney to The Who and Olympia Dukakis. Elizabeth Taylor served as the voice when baby Maggie said her first word. Leonard Nimoy even beamed in.

This is the series that dared to feature "Planet of the Apes - The Musical."

"The Simpsons" helped the animation genre to become more driven by characters than plots, said Eryk Casemiro, co-executive producer of "The Rugrats" and other Klasky Csupo Inc. cartoons airing on Nickelodeon.

" 'The Simpsons' came out of the box," Casemiro said.

Characters on "The Simpsons" get away with things that live-action characters couldn't, Casemiro said. "If you had done 'The Simpsons' as a live-action series, Homer and Marge would go to jail for being bad parents."

The characters stand out thanks to the writing and the talented voice actors - Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart) and Yeardley Smith (Lisa). Cartwright, Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria each provide many voices.

Groening recalled when he heard the actors showing off their voices.

"I'm good friends with Dan Castellaneta and Harry Shearer. I had dinner with them, and it was like having dinner with 25 people," he said.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)