There is a general and widespread misperception out there that in the early days of The Simpsons the show focused mainly on Bart before becoming more Homer-centric.  It’s an idea one sees often on message boards and in general conversation about the show.  Here, for example, is the DVDfanatic.com review of Season 3:

I am not an ultra Simpsons fanatic, so forgive me if I am incorrect, but I remember Season Three being the season where the stories change focus from Bart as the main character to Homer. I feel this transition has made the show the mainstay that it has become.

The following sentence appears on the Wikipedia page for both The Simpsons and Bart Simpson:

While later seasons would focus on Homer, Bart was the lead character in most of the first three seasons.

These are pretty typical sentiments, even for hardcore Simpsons fans.  The problem is that if you look at the episodes there’s no real evidence to back it up.  Even way back in Season 1 the show was very balanced in terms of which characters it emphasized; Bart never dominated. 

But don’t take my word for it, let’s list the episodes and see what we find.  Episodes are labeled either Bart, Homer, or Both/Neither for ones where they’re relatively equally matched or episodes where other characters predominate. 

Season 1 (13 total episodes):   

• Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire – This one goes to Homer.  While Bart is certainly in the episode the plot focuses on Homer’s attempts to save Christmas. 
• Bart the Genius – This is a Bart one, no contest. 
• Homer’s Odyssey – Again, no contest but this time in Homer’s favor.
• There’s No Disgrace Like Home – This is another clear Homer episode. 
• Bart the General – Bart.  Duh.
• Moaning Lisa – This one goes under the Both/Neither category as they share the B plot.
• The Call of the Simpsons – This one leans Homer, he’s the one who wants the RV after all, but as he and Bart then get lost together it goes to Both/Neither.
• The Telltale Head – Definitely Bart. 
• Life on the Fast Lane – Both/Neither, Homer’s got a little more to do with the story, but Bart and Lisa gradually freaking out is there too.
• Homer’s Night Out – This one is kind of borderline between Both/Neither and being a Homer episode, but it goes to Homer on account of the fact that he’s more central to the plot.  Bart’s kinda along for the ride for much of it. 
• The Crepes of Wrath – This one goes to Bart even though Homer dominates the B plot with Adil. 
• Krusty Gets Busted – This is Bart for sure. 
• Some Enchanted Evening – I think I have to give this one to Bart even though the beginning of the episode is all Homer. 

If you total those up that’s 6 for Bart, 4 for Homer and 3 for Both/Neither.  Obviously those decisions are subjective, and there’s a couple that could go either way, but unless you’re really pushing for one conclusion or another it’s pretty equal.  Let’s move on to Season 2 (22 episodes):

• Bart Gets an F – Bart.  Again, duh. 
• Simpson and Delilah – Homer, standing in for every bald guy in the country.
• Treehouse of Horror – Both/Neither, all three parts are pretty evenly split. 
• Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish – There’s more Homer than Bart, but you’d be hard pressed to call this a Homer episode so it goes to Both/Neither.
• Dancin’ Homer – Homer in a landslide. 
• Dead Putting Society – This one’s tricky because while it’s Bart who’s putting he’s doing so under constant pressure from Homer.  That said, I think on balance it goes to Bart. 
• Bart vs. Thanksgiving – This one’s Bart in spades. 
• Bart the Daredevil – Like “Dead Putting Society” there’s on balance more Bart so he gets this one, but there’s an awful lot of Homer here too. 
• Itchy & Scratchy & Marge – Both/Neither. 
• Bart Gets Hit by a Car – In spite of the fact that Bart’s name is in the title after he gets hit by the car it’s much more Homer-centric.  Still, Bart’s pretty crucial here so I think this one has to go under Both/Neither. 
• One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish – This is a Homer one for sure. 
• The Way We Was – Ditto, Homer for sure.  Bart isn’t even born for most of it. 
• Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment – This is Homer all the way.   
• Principal Charming – Both/Neither with a slight lean to Bart for all his mischief. 
• Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? – The car designed for the average man?  The Homer. 
• Bart’s Dog Gets an F – Bart for sure, as he spends a lot more time trying to keep the dog than Homer does trying to get rid of it.  There’s a lot of Lisa and Marge too, but this plot is ultimately about Bart. 
• Old Money – Both/Neither, there’s a slight case to be made for Homer but not much of one. 
• Brush with Greatness – Pretty much the same as “Old Money”, Homer’s here more than Bart but it’s not a Homer dominated episode so it goes Both/Neither. 
• Lisa’s Substitute – This one has Bart running for class president, but with a lot of help from Homer, when you throw in Homer’s relationship with Lisa it goes Both/Neither. 
• The War of the Simpsons – After Homer and Marge head up to Catfish Lake it’s pretty even, but before that it’s Homer all the way to this one goes to him. 
• Three Men and a Comic Book – Bart in a walk. 
• Blood Feud – This one goes to Both/Neither because they had to work together, first to save Mr. Burns and then to anger him. 

Tally these scores up and you get 7 for Homer, 6 for Bart and 9 for Both/Neither.  Through the first two seasons it’s neck and neck at 12 for Bart, 11 for Homer and 12 for Both/Neither.  Like I said above, you could push a few one way or the other if so inclined, but only a few.  On the whole things break very evenly. 

So what causes that longstanding misperception that once upon a time the show was Bart by the barrelful?  Quite simply I think it’s a marketing and merchandising hangover.  The show’s instant popularity filled the world with Bart t-shirts, not Homer t-shirts.  Bart was featured in more of the promotional spots and people talked about Bart more because he was America’s controversial bad boy in a way that Homer simply wasn’t.  The echo from that is still with us, but when you sit down and look at the show itself you’ll see that it was always balanced.  It was the merchandising, advertising and all the other crap swirling around the show that made it feel like it was Bart’s world and the rest of us were just living in it.