Though “The Simpsons” exists in a perpetual purgatory where nobody ever ages, the show has said goodbye to several characters over the years. Poor old Snowball I died prior to the series premiere, and Lisa had to say goodbye to Bleeding Gums Murphy in season 6. Maude Flanders then became the most significant, longest-lasting character to be killed off when she fell to her death in season 11. But long before any of these beloved “Simpsons” characters kicked the bucket, Abe Simpson lost his brother, Hubert, in a short from the “Tracey Ullman Show” years.
It’s strange to think that the longest-running scripted series on TV started life as a series of shorts intended to act as bumpers between commercial breaks. But this is exactly how “The Simpsons” started life on comedy sketch series “The Tracey Ullman Show.” On April 5, 1987, audiences first met Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge, and Homer as crudely drawn cartoon characters based on sketches from creator Matt Groening. These shorts had a surreal quality to them due to the janky animation style, which was even more lopsided and wacky than the early seasons of “The Simpsons” proper, and bizarre sound effects. But they were charming in their own way, and clearly well-received enough to launch what would become the defining show of the ’90s.
Once that change occurred, and “The Simpsons” went prime-time, however, they left their “Tracey Ullman” years behind them, as evidenced by the fact that Hubert Simpson — who passed away in the “Ullman” short “The Funeral” — has never appeared in flashbacks or even been mentioned on the long-running series ever since.
The Simpsons said goodbye to Hubert Simpson and never looked back
In “The Funeral,” Homer and Marge announce to the children that they’ll be attending the funeral of their “elderly uncle” Hubert Simpson. Bart is excited at the prospect of seeing a dead body in real life, but once the family stands in front of the open casket, he immediately passes out. We don’t see much of old Hubert beyond a glimpse of a man who looks very similar to Homer and Abe Simpson lying in his coffin. Otherwise, not much more happens in “The Funeral,” which, as charming as it is for an early “Simpsons” short, is pretty tame stuff compared to what the show would go on to do in terms of its pop cultural satire. Meanwhile, Hubert Simpson remains somewhat of a mystery. Presumably, he was Abe Simpson’s older brother, but we don’t learn anything about him from the short.
Once it became a fully fledged show, “The Simpsons” had no problem killing off several recurring characters, which ultimately resulted in the untimely passing of fan-favorite Fat Tony. But the series didn’t elaborate on or revisit the character of Hubert Simpson at all. He doesn’t show up in any flashbacks, and nobody speaks of Hubert again. Still, he does hold the title of the first person to die in the history of the show.
Interestingly enough, Tracey Ullman’s dislike of “The Simpsons” almost led to an early grave for the show itself. It was Fox President Ancier, who ensured the animated bumpers remained and ultimately allowed “The Simpsons” to become what it did. Now in its 37th season and long past its prime, perhaps it’s time for the show to revisit Hubert Simpson.
