The Simpsons

I guess The Simpsons turned 20 yesterday.

I didn't watch it.

I haven't watched it for quite a few years now.

I will admit, I was a regular viewer a long time ago. I'm not any more.

Still, I have to respect the achievement. A half-hour animated sitcom has managed to survive 20 years. 20. Years. Most TV shows are lucky if they manage to last seven. Few get past the first season. If nothing else, the shows suffer from the fact that the actors in them age past the point where they can be believable in the roles they play (See Beverly Hills 90210 for possibly the most egregious example).

I considered it a major achievement when E.R. went 15 seasons. Of course, the show, like many others that lasted so long, underwent major cast changes throughout its run, to the point that none of the original cast members were in the last four seasons as regulars.

But The Simpsons has endured. 20 seasons, with all of the original cast members present, and unaging (only possible with a cartoon.)

It's quite an achievement. Unequaled in Prime Time TV. And while I don't watch it, I respect it.