"The Simpsons" announces change in title sequence and move to HD

February 15, 2009

The American cartoon series "The Simpsons" will today be broadcast for the first time in high definition (HD). Today's show will also introduce a new title sequence.

Today's episode, named "Take My Life, Please" (20x10), also makes references to HDTV in the Chalkboard gag when Bart Simpson writes "HDTV is worth every cent" on the chalkboard.

This will be the first major permanent change to the show's introduction since its launch in 1989; previous changes have included variations in the duration of the intro, and special one-shot introductions for the Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes. This new intro also includes some 3D animation when the camera pans over Springfield.

This episode is not quite the first time The Simpsons has appeared in HD, as The Simpsons Movie was rendered in HD.

Fox will broadcast The Simpsons in 720p and will now letterbox the show on their standard definition feed.