The Simpsons: 8 Recent Big Moments You Might Have Missed
5. Episode #636
Even in spite of the quality of The Simpsons dropping over the years, the show is still a cultural icon and has earned the right to be respected. Whether you still enjoy it now or not, its sheer longevity and survival is impressive.
Other animated shows that also feel like they've been around forever, like Family Guy and American Dad!, have so far only produced 20 and 16 seasons respectively. Even Futurama, which gained something of a cult following even if it didn't quite reach the heights of The Simpsons only managed 140 episodes.
As of 2018, there is actually no scripted series in the history of television that can match The Simpsons' episode count. Running from 1955 to 1975, Gunsmoke held this particular title with 635 episodes to its name, however when The Simpsons aired its 636th episode, it broke the record that had lasted 43 years.
'Forgive and Regret', the 18th episode of season 29 was nothing particularly special in itself, but it is what it represents for The Simpsons that makes it such a landmark episode.