Why Tracey Ullman HATES 'The Simpsons' (Yet, Also INSISTS on Getting Credit for the Show's Success)

Blending sketch comedy, musical numbers and dance routines, “The Tracey Ullman Show” is a variety series, which aired weekly from April 1987 to May 1990. The show was conceived and co-created by veteran television producer, James L. Brooks, as a means to highlight the titular star of the show and her multi-faceted talents. However, the series instead became famous for being “that show” that “The Simpsons” started on. Originally, “The Simpsons” were only supposed to be brief wraparounds, as “The Tracey Ullman Show” transitioned in an out of commercials, though the shorts were eventually given their own segment on the series. Ultimately, “The Simpsons” shorts proved significantly more popular than the ullman show itself. And, while “The Simpsons” went on and became a cultural phenomenon, shaping television history, “The Tracey Ullman Show” drifted into obscurity, becoming just a footnote in the history of “The Simpsons”. Understandably, given the usual circumstance of having her own show upstaged by what was effectively filler, Ullman has always had an unusual relationship with "The Simpsons”. Predictably, as it became clearer and clearer that a significant portion of people — if not the vast majority of people — were tuning into her show to watch the shorts, Ullman was jealous, and even bitter about the success of “The Simpsons”, which she felt was at her expense. Publicly, Ullman appeared fine with the attention that “The Simpsons” received. However, behind closed doors, members of the Ullman’s staff were well aware of how exactly she about for the shorts….and her attempts to undermine the cartoon’s success. Then, after “The Simpsons” became a sitcom, right when “The Simpsons” were at the height of their popularity in the early 90s, things between Ullman and “The Simpsons” turned ugly, when Ullman took legal action against the show — over intellectual property relating to a cartoon that she had no creative involvement with, and, as it would be revealed years later, actually hated.