What is the longest-running scripted primetime TV show?

TV networks are notoriously quick to cancel shows that don't immediately find their audience. Yet some series manage to build such loyal followings that they stick around for decades. Among all scripted shows in television primetime history, which one has lasted the longest?

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The answer is: "The Simpsons"

"The Simpsons" started as rough animated shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show." The animation was wobbly, Homer was grumpy instead of stupid, and Bart's catchphrase was "Don't have a cow, man!" But something about this dysfunctional family clicked with audiences, and the shorts spun off into their own series.

Now the show has passed 750 episodes over 35 years. The closest live-action sitcoms don't even come close. "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" tapped out at 435 episodes. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" just wrapped up filming season 17. "The Simpsons" passed those marks ages ago and kept going. In the broader TV landscape, sure, "Meet the Press" has been going strong for 77 years, but just because politicians repeat themselves all time, that doesn't make the show scripted!

Matt Groening based the Simpson family names on his own family members, except for Bart. He chose "Bart" as an anagram of "brat." The show has racked up 37 Emmy Awards and airs in more than 60 countries. Homer's "D'oh!" even made it into the Oxford English Dictionary.

Fans love pointing out how the show seems to predict the future. But the writers brush this off with a simple explanation. When you've written over 750 episodes about American life, you're bound to get more than a few coincidences.

*Note: A previously published version of this trivia question was mistakenly sent out as "What is the longest-running scripted TV show?"