Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons, a show that has influenced everything from modern TV to the president’s speechwriter—but is now barely relevant. “There will never be another show or entertainment program as wide-reaching as The Simpsons,” says John Ortved, author of The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. But, he tells Salon, “After it hit that 10-year mark, the show had a serious drop-off in quality, and it's just never, ever come back.”
Though the plots have become “outdated” and the episodes filled with “throwaway jokes,” there’s no denying the show's impact: “The Simpsons made audiences a lot smarter”—and willing “to accept a certain level of irreverence,” Ortved says. “The Simpsons in one way or another gave us most of what's smart and progressive in television.” What’s next for the franchise? Ortved expects more Marge Simpson-in-Playboy-type moves, “like a Simpsons Land.”
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