.jpg) The fruit of the discussion on alt.tv.simpsons is compiled and submitted to The Simpsons Archive. | |
Type of site | Television |
|---|---|
| URL | simpsonsarchive |
| Launched | March 1990 |
| Current status | Closed |
alt.tv.simpsons (called "a.t.s." by regular readers) was a usenet newsgroup dedicated to discussing the American television program The Simpsons. Created in 1990, the newsgroup became a popular community in the early 1990s, but shut down in 2024 when Google Groups, which was the newsgroup's Usenet provider, shut down its Usenet services. It was known for reviewing episodes and nitpicking minor details on the show.
The writers of The Simpsons knew about the forum and have on several occasions read the comments made on it. The character Comic Book Guy is often used in the show to lampoon and respond to the newsgroup's fans. In interviews some writers have admitted that they do not like being scrutinized, but other writers participated in the discussions on the forum. Independent commentators called the forum an example of an "active audience" and have claimed The Simpsons is tailor-made for such a forum.