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The Simpsons opening sequence

The Simpsons opening sequence is the title sequence of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It is accompanied by "The Simpsons Theme". The first episode to use this introduction was the series' second episode "Bart the Genius".

Each episode has the same basic sequence of events: the camera zooms through cumulus clouds, through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. The camera then follows the members of the Simpson family on their way home. Upon entering their house, the Simpsons settle down on their couch to watch television. One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that three of its elements change from episode to episode: Bart writes different phrases on the school chalkboard, Lisa plays different solos on her saxophone (or occasionally a different instrument), and different visual gags accompany the family as they enter their living room to sit on the couch.


The standard opening has had two major revisions. The first was at the start of the second season when the entire sequence was reanimated to improve the quality and certain shots were changed generally to add characters who had been established in the first season. The second was a brand-new opening sequence produced in high-definition for the show's transition to that format beginning with "Take My Life, Please" in season 20. The new opening generally followed the sequence of the original opening with improved graphics, even more characters, and new jokes.

Sequence[edit]

Season 1[edit]

This sequence opens with the show's title in yellow approaching the camera through misty cumulus clouds[1] in a dark blue sky. The shot cuts through the counter in the letter "P" to an establishing shot of the town of Springfield.


The camera zooms in through the town, toward a lavender Springfield Elementary and then through a window to a lavender classroom, where Bart is writing lines on the chalkboard as a punishment, and three drawings are seen on the wall. When the school bell rings, Bart leaves in a hurry and skateboards out of the school doors.


The shot cuts to Homer working at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant wearing a safety mask while handling a glowing green rod of uranium with a pair of silver tongs. An unknown co-worker in the background eats a sandwich with another pair of tongs. The end-of-shift whistle blows, and Homer immediately takes off his mask and drops his tongs to leave work. As he does so, the uranium rod bounces into the air and falls down the back of his radiation suit.


The next shot shows Marge and Maggie checking out at a supermarket. Maggie, who is sitting on the conveyor belt, is inadvertently scanned along with the groceries as Marge reads a magazine. Maggie is rung up at a price of US$847.63 (representing the monthly cost of raising a child at the time[2]) and bagged. Marge frantically looks around for Maggie as the bag is dropped into her shopping cart which startles her and makes her turn around, then breathes a sigh of relief when she pops up from the bag.


Lisa is shown next at band practice. The opening theme coordinates with this shot, and is orchestrated as if it were played by the school band. Mr. Largo stops the rest of the band to order Lisa out of the rehearsal for her unorthodox playing of her saxophone, which is light blue in this sequence, but gold in the episode. She continues to improvise on her way out of the room.


Shots of the family on their way home to 742 Evergreen Terrace are then shown. As Homer drives through Springfield, he fumbles behind his neck, pulls the uranium rod out of his shirt collar, and throws it out the car window. As it bounces off the curb near Moe's Tavern, Bart skateboards past, noticing a bank of televisions in a store window he passes showing Krusty the Clown; he then passes a bus stop and unwittingly steals its sign. The five unknown characters waiting at the stop then chase after a bus that fails to stop for them.


As soon as Bart crosses the road, a car drives past and Maggie is seen inside at the steering wheel. The camera alternates between close-ups of her jerking the wheel back and forth and the car veering wildly, it then zooms out to reveal that her wheel is only a toy. Marge is actually driving the car, and Maggie imitates her horn-honking. Lisa then rides her bicycle down the street, her books and saxophone case strapped into the front basket and the back of her seat, respectively; when she hits a bump, the books are briefly jolted upward but held down by the straps.


Lisa is the first to arrive at home as the garage door opens, jumping off her bike with her things, letting it roll into the garage, and running for the front door. Homer pulls into the driveway and parks, after which Bart bounces his skateboard off the car roof and follows Lisa toward the door. When Homer steps out of the car, he screams at the sight of Marge's car approaching and runs into the garage; the shot switches briefly to Marge's perspective as he escapes through a door into the house and she stops just short of crashing into the wall. The family members then enter the living room from different directions, creating a segue into the couch gag and finally the creator and developers' credits, shown on the television screen.


Notably in "Bart the Genius", the famous high-pitched scream of Homer's when he runs from Marge's car into the house is cut. The scream is added in the third episode, "Homer's Odyssey".

Seasons 2–20[edit]

For the second season, the original opening was reanimated. Most shots were very closely copied, with some shots (such as Homer's first shot) appearing to be traced. The coloring was changed on most shots, and the characters and animation were cleaned up.


Some scenes were replaced or modified: In Bart's chalkboard gag, the school is now orange with purple accents instead of lavender, the classroom is now olive green instead of lavender, there are desks, a red wastebasket and a bookshelf in the background, and a photo of Homer as George Washington and a clock are seen on walls. In Homer's first shot at the power plant, Homer's tongs are now orange instead of silver, and Mr. Burns and Smithers study certain plans in the background in place of the unknown co-worker. When the end-of-shift whistle blows, Mr. Burns checks his wristwatch to see if it is working and then shakes it, suggesting that it has stopped.


When Bart skateboards down the sidewalk, the scenery is different, the bank of televisions is changed and shorter, and Bart no longer notices them. Instead, he weaves in between a series of secondary characters who crowd the sidewalk and then crosses the road near Moe's Tavern, earning the ire of Chief Wiggum. This segment is notably shorter than the original bus-stop segment.


Lisa's bike ride is cut, and instead, upon Marge and Maggie honking their horns, there is a "whip-pan" across the town, featuring a significant number of secondary characters, towards the Simpsons' house. Homer reaches the house first instead of Lisa, and Bart bounces his skateboard off the car and rolls toward the front door. Homer leaves his car and has to dodge Lisa as she pedals up the driveway, following Bart without dismounting from her bike. The difference in the driveway scene is that Lisa's saxophone is no longer in the case, but on the back of her bike. Finally, the family television has been redesigned to give it a more retro style than in season 1.


Since this season, there have been some episodes that had the opening sequence start from the chalkboard scene or the driveway scene. Beginning with the second half of season 2, Homer yells "D'oh" as he dodges Lisa on her bike. Starting with season 3, the new arrangement of the opening theme is used throughout the intro.

Something different flies past the show's logo in the clouds at the start of the intro (since 2009).

The billboard in front of the elementary school changes (since 2009).

writes something different on the chalkboard in every episode.

Bart

may play a different solo on her saxophone (or on a different instrument entirely).

Lisa

's scream changes as he dodges Marge (first two seasons only).

Homer

The Simpsons as something goes awry in an often surreal manner.

attempt to sit on the couch

In the 2009 intro, says something different when the head of Jebediah Springfield falls on him (selected episodes in season 20 and season 21).

Ralph

At the end of the sequence, the TV set sometimes comes loose from its wall mount and smashes on the floor (since 2009).

A short parody as The Thompsons in the episode "", when the Simpsons go into a witness protection program to evade Sideshow Bob, changing their last name to 'Thompson' to do so.

Cape Feare

As The Hurricane in the episode "". Gray clouds appear, and the words "The Hurricane" in red letters come out in the same manner as the real opening. Similar vocals sing "The Hurricane", and then the letters are blown away to show parts of Springfield being destroyed.

Hurricane Neddy

In "", Bart is writing a chalkboard punishment in hieroglyphics when he hears Moses/Milhouse's horn being blown and leaves the classroom.

Simpsons Bible Stories

As Three weeks later in "". Instead of writing on a chalkboard, a now overweight Bart is seen buying and eating chocolate from a vending machine. He cracks the pavement when he leaves the school, bends a lamppost, runs over pedestrians, hits Marge's car, sending it spinning off-screen, and crushes the roof of Homer's car, before stumbling into the living room having a heart attack.

The Heartbroke Kid

In "", Bart is awarded a driver's license. Bart is seen at the chalkboard writing "So long suckers". He bursts through the school doors in Homer's car, instead of on his skateboard, and speeds away. Instead of dodging all the obstacles seen in the standard opening sequence, he runs them over. As Homer pulls into the driveway and steps out to enter the house, the other car lands on him, and Bart walks into the house.

Little Big Girl

As The Outlands in "". In place of the chalkboard, Bart uses spray paint to vandalize a wall before leaving in a motorcycle. The family return home in a variety of ramshackle vehicles, before settling down on the couch to watch a sleeping fox.

At Long Last Leave

In "", while Mr. Burns and Smithers are about to skydive out of an airplane, they fly over some clouds containing the yellow text from the opening sequence. The choral singing of "The Simpsons" briefly starts but then fades out as the letters disappear from view.

The Burns Cage

The opening sequence has been parodied within seven episodes of The Simpsons:

Reception[edit]

The opening sequence has been picked many times as one of the best title sequences of all time on TV. In a 2010 issue of TV Guide, The Simpsons opening title sequence ranked #1 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.[57] In 2017, James Charisma of Paste ranked the opening sequence #1 on a list of The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time.[58]