HOLLYWOOD — There are a lot of remarkable things about "The Simpsons," none more important than the fact that, in its 14th season, it remains among the freshest, funniest shows on TV.
That its 300th episode airs Sunday (7 p.m., Ch. 13) is amazing, but it's overshadowed by Fox's announcement that it has picked up the show through the 2004-2005 season. At that point, with 16 seasons under its belt, "The Simpsons" will become the longest-running sitcom in television history.
That's right. Homer and Marge are going to replace "Ozzie and Harriet" in the record books.
Perhaps less obvious but no less notable is the fact that the writers and producers who've worked on "The Simpsons" over the years have created a cast of characters like no other. Umpteen sitcoms have revolved around a nuclear family and perhaps a few friends and neighbors — Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are surrounded by literally dozens and dozens of readily recognizable individuals.
"I can say the first couple of years we definitely were trying to create a bit of a stable," said executive producer Al Jean.
Grampa Simpson. Apu Nahasaapeermapetilion, his wife and their octuplets. Barney Gumble. The Bumblebee Man. Chief Wiggum. Ralph Wiggum. Comic Book Guy. Disco Stu. Dr. Nick Rivera. Mrs. Krabappel. Ned Flanders and his late wife, Maude. Rod and Todd Flanders. Groundskeeper Willie Hans Moleman.
Kent Brockman. Krusty the Clown. Lionel Hutz. Milhouse Van Houten and his parents. Montgomery Burns. Nelson Muntz. Otto the busdriver. Reverend Lovejoy and his wife. Principal Seymour Skinner and his mother. Sideshow Bob. Sideshow Mel. Waylon Smithers.
Troy McClure. Mayor "Diamond Joe" Quimby. Moe Szyslak. Patty and Selma Bouvier and their mother, Jacqueline. Lenny. Carl. Fat Tony. Superintendent Chalmers. Cletus. Dolph. Jimbo. Kearney. Lunchlady Doris. Snake.
Policemen Eddie and Lou. Gil. Mrs. Glick. Dr. Julius Hibbert and his wife. Mrs. Hoover. Itchy and Scratchy. Kang and Kodos. Luigi. Ranier Wolfcastle. The Squeaky-voice Teen. Sam. Santa's Little Helper. Snowball II.
Just to name a few.
I dare say that no TV show ever has assembled the kind of cast that populates "The Simpsons." Of course, it doesn't hurt that the writers don't have to worry about an actor's availability for a specific episode — they just have to have the animators draw him in. And it helps that the regular voice cast takes on lots of different characters at a cost that's somewhat less than on live-action shows.
"I would say that all together we still don't make as much as one 'Friend,' " said Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer.
But the huge cast of characters is a definite asset to a show that's been on for so many years.
"I think one of the things that's kept the show on for 14 years is a universe of about 50 or 60 characters that you can go to," Jean said. "So we don't approach it in the way other shows do when we say, 'OK, let's do an arc this year (and) create a girlfriend for Bart.' "
And that's one of the reasons there's no end in sight for "The Simpsons." It just may go beyond the 16 years it's already assured of.
"I don't know why it ever has to end," said Fox Entertainment president Gail Berman.
E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com