"The Simpsons all started out as a little sketch show made by Matt Groeing. When word got out of Matt Groening's comic series, "Life in Hell", he was asked to turn his comics into a small 30 second show for the "Tracy Ullman Show". He wanted to do something for the show, but he didn't want to hand over the copywrites to "Life in Hell" over to other people so he thought of another idea. He created a family of five in a town called Springfield and that's when "The Simpsons" was born. They premiered on the first episode of "The Tracy Ullman Show" on April 19th 1987 as a 30 second short. After three seasons on the air, it had gained big popularity so FOX bought the rights to "The Simpsons" and turned it into a half hour show. From there it gained even more popularity until it became what it is today.
"The Simpsons "Tracy Ullman Show" Episodes"
(Note: The Link to Season 2 above will take you to "The Simpsons" 2nd Season on "The Tracy Ullman Show," not the second season in their half hour series.)