“Ozzie and Harriet have nothing on Homer and Marge. That is why The Simpsons is poised to replace “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” as the longest-running sitcom in history. In any contest between a family that is so pretentiously functional and a family that is so ostentatiously dysfunctional, the latter must prevail. Not just because dysfunctionals fight dirty. They win because they are more real, even if they are cartoon characters.
Of television’s 10 most durable sitcoms, eight are about families. But apart from The Simpsons and the crass “Married With Children” (10 seasons), every other show featured nuclear units that were unnaturally wholesome. Remember “Make Room for Daddy” and “My Three Sons”? When, even once in 14 seasons, did Ozzie have to impose real discipline? The boys got rambunctious occasionally. But it amounted to nothing against the subversions of Bart and Lisa Simpson.” Read More >>>