"I believe that children are our future.
Unless we stop them now"
Homer Jay Simpson
Way back in December 1989, I was a naive 16-year-old, a mere slip of a lad with a bright and exciting future ahead of me. Little did I know that the cartoon I was watching, featuring a dysfunctional family of three-fingered yellow freaks, would change my entire world view. Fast forward about a quarter of a century and The Simpsons is set to begin its 25th season (Fox, tomorrow at 8pm) of shamelessly poking fun at our first-world problems.
The longest-running scripted series in television history, The Simpsons has consistently delivered innovative, subversive storylines and razor-sharp wit. And the all-American family now makes up one of the most recognisable entertainment franchises in the world. Homer's iconic exclamatory grunt "Doh!" even entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001.
The latest season begins with Homerland, a parody, as you may have guessed, of political terrorist thriller Homeland. After he disappears from a nuclear power plant convention, Homer returns a changed man. When he refuses a beer, daughter Lisa begins to suspect her father has been "turned" and seeks the advice of jumpy FBI operative Agent Annie (voiced by guest star Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids), who threatens Homer with a choice of torture or incredible sex.
As always, there will be a long list of A-list guest stars to spot but, in a departure from the norm, this year one long-time Springfield resident will be meeting the Grim Reaper.