The Simpsons

The Simpsons is quite possibly the most successful television series in history, and one of the very few that have managed to combine a dizzying level of commercial success with an equally high degree of critical acclaim. The show has attracted superlatives throughout its run: as noted by wikipedia,

it is the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and […] the longest-running American primetime, scripted television series.

But these are mere statistics when set next to the quality of its writers, animators, and voice actors. The Simpsons has shown itself to be a breeding ground for the some of the most talented people working in screen: its past roster features Conan O'Brien, John Swartzwelder, Brad Bird, George Meyer, Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, and many many more. Its list of guest stars, meanwhile, is even more forbidding.

The show itself evolves around a yellow, middle-class American family who live in the apparently stateless town of Springfield. The Simpsons upholds this venerated sitcom setup while parodying it at the same time, by means of elegantly complex visual, referential, linguistic, and character-based humor.

Worthy extra resources on The Simpsons can be found all over, but highlights include: Chris Turner’s book Planet Simpson, a dedicated wiki, a site discussing the concept of “Zombie Simpsons”, the current iteration of the old alt.tv.simpsons site, a bunch of podcasts, and a roundtable discussion between Conan O'Brien and four other writers from the glorious early days:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtJ28qOEG1g

The 29th season) began airing in September 2016.