Behind the Scenes of The Simpsons

Tim writes "The Seattle Times is running a short article about the production process behind 'The Simpsons.' Nothing too elaborate, but there are some interesting pieces of information scattered throughout the piece, including a few jokes from a future episode." From the article: "Invitations to the table read are considered among the hottest tickets in Hollywood, and each visitor has an assigned seat. Celebrities, usually with children in tow, are a fixture. It takes about 40 minutes to run through an episode that will run 22 minutes and 30 seconds (plus commercials) when it airs next season. After the session, there is applause and stretching. Groening and most cast members linger to chat, autograph the scripts and pose for snapshots."

Comments

Pretty good article

[jbrader]

But it would have been better a few years ago when the Simpsons was still relevant and funny.

Re:Pretty good article

[Equisilus]

Then again, Fox keeps crap on TV (Simpsons of late) and takes off great shows like Family Guy (past) and Arrested Development. Well, the Simpsons have a fanbase that was likely many times larger than Family Guy generated in its first seasons. Even a less-funny, less-relevant Simpsons would outdo a new show that hadn't yet built up its own set of fans. On a numbers basis, I don't think Fox did anything particularly wrong, although it may have been shortsighted. I've been watching both shows since their inception and I truly find Family Guy far more entertaining, but that's not going to stop me from watching Simpsons.

Re:Pretty good article

[insertwackynamehere]

everyone's always insulting the Simpsons these days, but I honestly don't see why they're so bad. Yeah I think they may be not quite as good as some older ones all the time, but they can still be pretty funny. it kinda reminds me of how when something becomes too mainstream people shun it just for the sake of shunning it, even if it's not that bad. Of course it is all opinion, so whatever :P

*crickets chirp*

[Phariom]

"From the inside, a genius factory can appear surprisingly bland..."

Bland. Much like the quality of the episodes that are currently being produced. There was a time when this show was indeed amusing, clever, and poignant. It wouldn't be so bad today if their humor wasn't so dated. In fact, I would go as far as to say that The Simpsons has become another Garfield. Yes...I went there. Horribly predictable "comedy." Overused formulas. The usual.

When someone builds up a media empire, they have a responsibility to know when to call it quits. Every single television program, comic, book, musical group, et cetera has a "half-life" depending on its particular "valence." Once that half-life has been reached...well...you guys are reading this on Slashdot ergo I assume you are smart enough to get the science-to-entertainment metaphor I'm weaving here.

Re:*crickets chirp*

[Ed Avis]

There was a time when this show was indeed amusing, clever, and poignant.

You're complaining about this on Slashdot of all places?

Re:'A little out there'

[strider44]

I think that the decline in quality isn't because they have stopped being funny, because that's just untrue. The Simpsons is still very funny. It's just that they seem to have lost the ability to take themselves, and the characters, seriously - they just make gags and bring out their multitude of celebrities, but they don't deal with the serious issues that the Simpsons in their prime did. Though I think Hank Azaria is great, that comment just highlights this.

The show's well past its sell-by date

[manavendra]

Yes, Simpsons was the cornerstore of comedy one time. Not only did it have a comic sense and timing, but also it had the gumption to take the joke on American masses, whilst selling itself to them. It had a great sense of poking fun at the racial discriminations that exist in the american society, yet had the charm brought by breaking the very same prejudices.

However, the last couple of seasons have been a mere caricature of the show, as well as the characters. Like someone else said on here, its now formulaic - no longer the greatest show in 20th century

best simpsons seasons are past?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why are some technologies always 5 years away, why is any band's "early stuff" always the best, and why are the best simpsons/seinfeld/whatever episodes always a few seasons back I wonder. (?)

Re:best simpsons seasons are past?

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

Because people lives on memory. Everything is better in the past. And just like most music album out there, some episode "grow" on you. You figure its funny after you see it for the 20th time at the cartoon network. Why do you think Fox release the DVD set 5 years late?

But hey, most people on slashdot (and a lot of other places) think they are connoisseur if they ditch what is mainstream and glorify the underdogs.

Re:best simpsons seasons are past?

[BrynM]

why is any band's "early stuff" always the best

This is part of the star process and why some musicians cringe at a certain level of fame. Take a band starting out: they work for years doing gigs playing and refining say 15-25 original songs. They get a recording contract and release an album a year (to stay relevant) for four years. Within a couple of albums, they have released the songs that took them two or three years of constant hard work to perfect (playing them live, practices, writing sessions) and now need to churn out a new album's worth of music in only one year. If they have been smart, they have been writing new material along the way and have had plenty of opportunity to try them out on audiences. Unfortunately, a lot of people will not be smart and waste the time:

a) partying
b) playing only their 'hits' at shows
c) making 'appearances' at hollywood type events
d) traveling to and from the above things
e) figured they would write it all in the studio (limited time - $$)
f) all of the above

From having explored a few artistic talents of my own and having known a couple of (in)famous people, I can assure you it's a similar burnout process for other things such as TV, painting, game development, etc. Working for years to 'make it' and neglecting to work after you have 'made it' is the biggest trap there is in any kind of fame.

Re:best simpsons seasons are past?

[vonwilkenstein]

It's about passion too..... Those first albums represent the artists' ideals and their want to make a great piece of work. The early albums contain the work the artists did when all they cared about was their art and "making it". They poured their heart and soul into it.

Later on, the industry wears on them and they no longer produce great music, and/or lose interest in their art and move on.

INMO, This is not a universal idea that is applicable to every artist, but does apply to many.

Table reads

[Anonymous Coward]

Are fans ever invited? You know, the folks that made many of these people rich?

Why I quit watching The Simpsons

[metamatic]

For the last year or two I'd been noticing the decline in quality of The Simpsons. Then I watched "The Italian Bob". The episode was completely unfunny, I didn't laugh once. And in the middle, they had the nerve to rip on Family Guy and American Dad for "plagiarism".

Well, Family Guy and American Dad may not be the most original scenarios around, but you know what? Those shows are funny. The Simpsons no longer is. So either get better, or quit whining.

(Or preferably, kill The Simpsons and bring back Futurama.)

Re:Why I quit watching The Simpsons

[Overly Critical Guy]

The plagiarism is more amusing considering after Family Guy's cancellation, the Simpsons silently ripped off one of Family Guy's famous episodes by having Homer take over the job of Death just like Peter.

The Bottom Line

[Anonymous Coward]

Recent Simpson's episodes are still better than 99% of the crap on TV and this is one of the very few shows I make an effort to watch.