Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series

Animated cartoon

An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...

 The Simpsons

The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...

. He is voiced by Harry Shearer

Harry Shearer

Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...

, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", also known as "The Simpsons Christmas Special", is the first full-length episode of The Simpsons to air despite originally being the eighth episode produced for season one. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 17, 1989...

". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family

Simpson family

The Simpson family is a family of fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Homer and Marge and their three children Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town...

 and is generally loathed by Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson

Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

. A devout Christian

Christianity in the United States

Christianity is the largest and most popular religion in the United States, with around 77% of those polled identifying themselves as Christian, as of 2009. This is down from 86% in 1990, and slightly lower than 78.6% in 2001. About 62% of those polled claim to be members of a church congregation...

, he is amongst the friendliest and most compassionate Springfield citizens and is generally considered a pillar of the Springfield community

Springfield (The Simpsons)

Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...

.

He was one of the first characters outside of the immediate Simpson family to appear on the show, and has since been central to several episodes, the first being season two

The Simpsons (season 2)

The Simpsons second season originally aired between October 11, 1990 and May 9, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an F". Another episode, "Blood Feud" aired during the summer after the official season finale. The show runners for the second production season were Matt...

's "Dead Putting Society

Dead Putting Society

"Dead Putting Society" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 15, 1990. In the episode, Homer's son, Bart, and Ned Flanders' son, Todd, decide to enter a miniature golf tournament...

".