when did simpsons start

The Simpsons first appeared as short animated segments on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987, and then debuted as a half‑hour TV series on December 17, 1989.

Key dates

• First ever appearance : The Simpson family showed up as short interstitial cartoons on The Tracey Ullman Show starting April 19, 1987.
• Start of the actual series : The Simpsons as the full 30‑minute show officially started on Fox on December 17, 1989, with the Christmas special “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.”

If you’re asking “when did Simpsons start?”

• If you mean “when did The Simpsons TV show start?” → December 17, 1989.
• If you mean “when were the characters first on TV at all?” → April 19, 1987, in Tracey Ullman Show shorts.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.