The Simpsons are an inseparable part of television history. However, five characters who appeared in the first episodes of the series vanished without a trace.
The Simpsons is the longest-running US animated series. Since 1989, the adventures of the famous family have flickered across screens. The series has since referenced current events, processed them satirically, and even predicted the future. The topic of e-sports also finds its place.
Famous are also the intro and the music within it. In the opening sequence, you see the family along with other characters from Springfield. However, only in the first few episodes of the first season can you see some specific citizens of the town. After that, they disappeared and never returned.
The Strict Rules of The Simpsons
What’s behind it? If you look at the first version of the intro, you can see Bart skateboarding past a group. It consists of five people who seem to be waiting for the bus.
You can see the scene at minute 01:00:
However, they only appear in the first 10 episodes of the first season. The reason for this is the strict guidelines that the creators of the series imposed on themselves. In the so-called “No-No Sheets”, the creative minds behind The Simpsons established how the characters should be designed.
These documents determined how, for example, eyes, teeth, or body parts should look. The “No-No Sheets” were not available from the beginning. They were completed only after the first episodes of the series had already been released.
In hindsight, it became clear that the five people at the bus stop did not meet the guidelines. Individual elements of the Simpsons family were reused, such as Bart’s hair. One character closely resembles the father Homer. The consequence: The five at the bus stop were banished from the intro.
What replaced the scene? The intro was changed, and Bart now skateboards along a street, avoiding some characters from the series. This anecdote illustrates well how strict the creators were with themselves to maintain a consistent style. This has mostly worked very well since then – for 35 years. You might also be interested in: Homer causes many accidents at the nuclear power plant in the TV series The Simpsons, is not fired because there is a deal with Mr. Burns
