![]() Matthew Weiner’s nuanced, immersive look at a 1960s advertising executive put AMC on the map as a major player in the scripted TV world, thanks to its smart, introspective scripts and wonderful array of characters. The Simpsons will have to come to an end eventually, but when it finally does it will be remembered as one of the most important (and funniest) shows ever made. Homer and Bart Simpson are among the most recognizable pop culture figures of the last two decades, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a contemporary comedy that wasn’t influenced by The Simpsons in some way. Even with criticism that current episodes aren’t quite as incisive as they were in the early days, the fact that it’s still on the air is a testament to the lasting impact the show has had on pop culture and on modern humor as a whole. ![]() With over 20 years under its belt, The Simpsons is the longest running American sitcom in history. ![]() The Simpsons has never shied away from covering real-life situations, and its initial seasons were a brilliant, subversive take on the typical dysfunctional family that quickly made the show a hit. Beyond putting Fox on the map as a network, The Simpsons injected sharp writing and insightful social commentary into primetime, proving that animated shows could be for adults too. Sitcoms were never quite the same after The Simpsons. The original show was not a fluke, and indeed three more sequel series would follow… and now we’re on the verge of getting yet another in Star Trek: Discovery. And finally, the adventures of the Enterprise-D stood as a testament to the enduring appeal and adaptability of the Star Trek concept. TNG was also a trendsetter in the strange galaxy known as first-run syndication for dramatic series, helping to prove that television did not have to be constrained to the big three networks, long before cable dramas and streaming Emmy winners were the norm. Not only did star Patrick Stewart elevate the series, and the genre, with his Shakespearean-trained approach, but Next Gen’s continued mining of the vast Star Trek universe for thought-provoking, exciting, and often relevant to the here and now stories mirrored and sometimes outmatched The Original Series. And while many fans eyed Captain Picard and his crew warily at first - and rightfully so considering the series’ first couple of shaky years - this new take on the voyage of the starship Enterprise eventually earned its own place among great sci-fi television. Star Trek was already legendary and iconic by the time the first spin-off series, The Next Generation, arrived in 1987.
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