The Simpsons is set to air its 34th season later this year but there is one show secret that has only just been revealed.
The iconic show includes an opening sequence where Marge Simpson is seen shopping at the grocery store and while at the counter, the cashier mindlessly scans the Simpsons' baby, Maggie, and a price shows up on the till.
It has been assumed that the $847.63 price that comes up after Maggie was scanned has no meaning but a new tweet has revealed this isn't the case.
The Daily Mail has reported a tweet from the account Uberfacts posted earlier this week claimed the price that shows up on the cash register is the estimated cost of raising a baby for one month in 1989 when the sitcom first aired.
The now-viral tweet read: "In the original opening credits for The Simpsons, when Maggie is scanned at the grocery store, the price that appears on the cash register is $847.63. This was the estimated cost of raising a baby for one month in 1989."
In the original opening credits for "The Simpsons," when Maggie is scanned at the grocery store, the price that appears on the cash register is $847.63.
This was the estimated cost of raising a baby for one month in 1989.
Fans quickly began retweeting the fact and sharing their surprise.
One took a page out of Homer Simpson's book and said: "Every daddy after reading this: D'oh!", while another joked: "That's one month of daycare for an infant (if you're lucky) in 2021."
Another praised the popular sitcom's creator and said: "That's hella sick. Shout out Matt Groening."
The price has only changed a few times during the show's 33 seasons.
In 1995, on the 138th episode, during a one-off parody, an announcer asks: "In the opening credits, what does the cash register say when Maggie is scanned?'
But instead of giving the real answer, it's shown as "NRA4EVER", which was interpreted by fans as a joke that insinuates the show is right-wing, not liberal-leaning.
Another change happened in 2013 during the sitcom's Treehouse of Horror XXIV episode where 666 showed up when Maggie was scanned.
The Simpsons is the longest-running prime-time series in American history. Photo / Supplied
The change was made to reflect the Halloween theme of the episode.
And prior to that, in 2009 the show's entire opening sequence was remade including the scanning scene.
While the shot is roughly the same, the price before the youngest Simpson was scanned was $243.26, and becomes $486.52 after she is scanned. The Daily Mail reported it could be a generic number to show a baby will double your usual living costs.
