20 Years Of The Simpsons

Wow: Homer's 20-Year Odyssey.

Twenty years ago this week, a yellow family from Springfield, USA, first careened onto TV screens-lampooning American culture with pitch-perfect satire and touching off a new era in television comedy.

On April 19, 1987, The Tracey Ullman Show aired a two-minute animated short by Matt Groening that introduced the world to the Simpsons: Homer, Marge and their spiky-haired children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

The new series resonated with viewers across the country and quickly created a devout fan base. Smart and silly, The Simpsons got people talking. Within two years, writer Al Jean helped the show's developers-Groening, Sam Simon, and James L. Brooks-expand it into a half-hour sitcom.

Here's how they looked in the beginning: