It now ranks third in the milestone, rivaled only by two previous prime-time scripted television show, Gunsmoke with 635 episodes and Lassie with 588 episodes, under their belt.
Series creator Matt Groening says, "I never imagined this. I thought it would be a hit with kids. I wasn't sure adults would dig it."
Indeed, for almost three decades now, The Simpsons has been able to sustain profitability in ratings which executive producer Al Jean is very proud of accomplishing with the show. He attributes the show's flexibility in its sense of humor, being able to go from "farce to reality", as a factor in its longevity.
Producer Mike Scully further says, "It's one of the few shows on TV that does story lines about topics like religion, politics (and) education."
So from the "Woo-hoo!" to the "Ay caramba!" we are one with The Simpsons in celebrating their 500th Homer drool this season. Congratulations!