10 Weird Facts You Probably Didn't Know About "The Simpsons" .

he Simpsons was first broadcast as a cartoon short on The Tracy Ullman Show in America, but since has become an international comic institution. Here's 10 facts about the funniest TV show in history. 

1- Ever wondered why the Springfield residents are all yellow? Creator Matt Groening told the BBC:  “An animator came up with the Simpsons' yellow and as soon as she  showed it to me I said: 'This is the answer!' because when you're  flicking through channels with your remote control, and a flash of  yellow goes by, you'll know you're watching The Simpsons.”  

2-  In Arabic episodes, Homer drinks soda as  opposed to beer, and he eats Egyptian beef sausages instead of hot dogs  (to coincide with Islamic customs).
 

3-  It takes between six to eight months to create each episode.
 

4-  Ever wondered who the voice behind Maggie’s ‘sucking’ sound is? That would be the show’s creator, Matt Groening. 

5-  US President George Bush once blamed the Simpsons for society's problems, claiming that American families should be less like The Simpsons and more like The Waltons. 

6-  Until 1998, the six main voice actors for  the show earned $30,000 per episode. From then until 2004, they earned  $125,000 per show. Today, they get a whopping £400,000 per episode.
 

7-  In 1990, ‘Do The Bartman’ topped the UK  Singles Chart. The song was written and produced by Michael Jackson and  Bryan Loren, and performed by Nancy Cartwright (the woman behind Bart’s  voice). 

8-  The two alien characters, Kang and Kodos, are named after characters from Star Trek: The Original Series (where Kang is a Klingon warrior and Kodos is a mass murderer).

9-  From 1991-1993, comedian and TV host Conan  O’Brien was a writer and producer for the show, and has been credited as  writer/co-writer for four episodes. 

10-  Milhouse Van Houten's middle name is Mussolini.