The Simpsons makes appeal for Puerto Rican aid

As The Simpsons returned to US screens last night for its 29th season, it turned its attention to a far more pressing real-life matter: Hurricane Maria, which after 10 days has continued to leave half of Puerto Rico without drinking water, and almost the entire island without electricity.

The episode ended with a static shot of the Simpsons family holding up a Puerto Rican flag, with Lisa seen shedding a tear and Marge holding a sign reading "UNIDO", and information on where to donate money. Social media handles for UNICEF, Save the Children and the One America Appeal also appear.

Simpsons producer James L. Brooks tweeted earlier in the day that the image was drawn by long-time Simpsons animator David Silverman, who beat "an impossible deadline" to insert the shot into the episode.

The show is the latest in a chorus of voices to raise awareness of Hurricane Maria, in light of criticism of Donald Trump's response to the unfolding crisis. The US President tweeted this past weekend that the island was in the grip of "poor leadership" and claimed its leaders "want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort." Puerto Rico is a US territory.

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