The Simpsons opening sequence

Every episode of *The Simpsons* begins with the same basic setup: the camera pushes through fluffy clouds, past the show's title, and down into the town of Springfield. From there, it follows each member of the Simpson family as they make their way home. Once they all pile through the front door, they settle onto the couch to watch TV. The whole thing is set to "The Simpsons Theme." This opening debuted not in the very first episode, but in the second one—"Bart the Genius," which aired on January 14, 1990. What makes the sequence stick is that three parts change from episode to episode: Bart writes different phrases on the school chalkboard, Lisa plays different solos on her saxophone (or sometimes a different instrument entirely), and the family's dash to the couch includes a new visual gag each time. The opening has been overhauled twice. The first revision came at the start of season two, when the whole thing was reanimated to look sharper and to add characters who had been introduced during the first season. The second major update happened when the show switched to high-definition, starting with the season 20 episode "Take My Life, Please." That version kept the same general flow but upgraded the graphics, packed in even more characters, and swapped in fresh jokes. The original sequence begins with the show's yellow title floating toward the camera through misty clouds against a dark blue sky. The shot cuts through the counter in the letter "P" to reveal an establishing view of Springfield. The camera then zooms through town toward a lavender-colored Springfield Elementary, passes through a window, and lands in a lavender classroom where Bart is writing lines on the chalkboard as punishment. Three drawings hang on the wall. When the school bell rings, Bart bolts out, grabs his skateboard, and rides out the school doors. Next, Homer is shown working at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He wears a safety mask and uses silver tongs to handle a glowing green uranium rod. In the background, an unnamed co-worker eats a sandwich with another pair of tongs. When the end-of-shift whistle blows, Homer yanks off his mask and drops the tongs to leave. As he does, the uranium rod bounces into the air and falls down the back of his radiation suit. The scene then shifts to Marge and Maggie at a supermarket checkout.