At long last, 'The Simpsons' reaches 500th episode

From usatoday, With Sunday's episode — "At Long Last Leave" (Fox, 8 ET/PT) —The Simpsons, in its 23rd season, will hit 500, a nearly unheard-of milestone reached by only two other prime-time scripted series, Gunsmoke (635) and Lassie (588).

"I never imagined this," creator Matt Groening says. "I thought it would be a hit with kids. I wasn't sure adults would dig it."

But adults and kids have been digging it for decades. "In a business where things get tired in a matter of months, we were able to sustain for a whole generation," says executive producer Al Jean, who oversees production of the show.

There must be some reason for the longevity of the ubiquitous yellow family, which also has a hit movie, a theme park ride and mountains of merchandise, and has gone from being condemned by a president to being blessed by the Vatican.

Read the full article here.