A 'Simpsons' primer

A ‘Simpsons’ primer

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33. The inspiration for Krusty the Klown came from Rusty Nails, sometimes known as Rusty the Clown, the local Portland childrens TV show host that Simpsons creator Matt Groening watched as a child.

34. Maude Flanders was killed off because Maggie Roswell, the actress who voiced her demanded more money.

35. The Simpsons became the longest-running prime-time animated American series in 1997 and the longest-running American comedy in 2004.

36. The knocker on the Simpsons front door is an elephant.

37. There is a real-life 742 Evergreen Terrace in Port Saint Lucie, Fla. (Matt Groening / AP)

By Deborah Netburn and Patrick Day

Sept. 15, 2014 8:37 PM PT

Times Staff Writer

Written primarily by a bunch of very smart Harvard guys, “The Simpsons” is an obsessive’s utopia. Almost every character, street name and store sign is a joke or reference to something else.

If, however, you are not the type to jump on “Simpsons” message boards immediately after a new episode airs, and if you haven’t watched the first nine seasons on DVD with commentary more than twice, then there may be a few things you might be missing as a viewer.

And as the movie premieres this weekend, it’s a perfect time to catch up.

To help you out, we spent the better part of our day compiling this list of what the writers were thinking when they put together the show.

and as you watch the movie, perhaps your viewing experience will be, just a little bit, deepened.