The Simpsons are a typical American family living in

Springfield, a fictional city of "Middle America." Homer,

the father, works as a security inspector at the
Springfield nuclear power plant in the 7G sector, a
position that contrasts with his careless and buffoonish
personality. He is married to Marge, a stereotypical
housekeeper and mother with whom he has three children:
Bart, a troublesome 10-year-old boy, Lisa, a precocious 8-
year-old activist, and Maggie, a baby who does not talk but
communicates by sucking a pacifier . The family owns a dog,
Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Both pets have
starred in some episode. Despite the passage of time, The
Simpsons do not age and still maintain the same look and
age they had in the late 1980s.

The series also includes a large group of secondary

characters: co-workers, teachers, other relatives, friends of
the family, people of the city and local stars. According to
Matt Groening, the series took the idea of including a large
cast of the Canadian television Second City Television.