Today in Television History (December 17th, 1989): The First Full-Length Episode of "The Simpsons" Airs on Fox!

On December 17th, 1989, the first full-length episode of "The Simpsons" aired on Fox. The first episode was a Christmas special, titled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", and had a very long delayed release. The series was initially intended to debut earlier in 1989 with "Some Enchanted Evening", but due to animation problems, a different episode debuted on December 17th, with the original episode becoming the Season 1 finale episode. During the episode's airing, promos for the next episode, "Bart the Genius", aired during commercial breaks. "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was viewed by an estimated 13.4 million people during its initial airing, and was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1990. The success of the first episode led to the major success "The Simpsons" has gained, with 768 episodes over the course of 35 years! "The Simpsons" is also the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, both in seasons and individual episodes.