Summary
Summary
In celebration of The Simpsons thirtieth anniversary, the show's longest-serving writer and producer offers a humorous look at the writing and making of the legendary Fox series that has become one of the most revered artistic achievements in television history.
Four-time Emmy winner Mike Reiss--who has worked on The Simpsons continuously since episode one in 1989--shares stories, scandals, and gossip about working with America's most iconic cartoon family ever. Reiss explains how the episodes are created, and provides an inside look at the show's writers, animators, actors and celebrity guests. He answers a range of questions from Simpsons fans and die-hards, and reminisces about the making of perennially favorite episodes.
In his freewheeling, irreverent comic style, Reiss reflects on his lifetime inside The Simpsons--a personal highlights reel of his achievements, observations, and favorite stories. Springfield Confidential exposes why Matt Groening decided to make all of the characters yellow; dishes on what it's like to be crammed in a room full of funny writers sixty hours a week; and tells what Reiss learned after traveling to seventy-one countries where The Simpsons is watched (ironic note: there's no electricity in many of these places); and even reveals where Springfield is located! He features unique interviews with Judd Apatow, who also provided the foreword, and Conan O'Brien, as well as with Simpsons legends Al Jean, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and more.
Like Cary Elwes' As You Wish, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's Seinfeldia, and Chris Smith's The Daily Show: An Oral History, Springfield Confidential is a funny, informational, and exclusive look at one of the most beloved programs in all of television land.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Reiss has been writing for The Simpsons since before the show went to air, way back in the late 1980s. Already a veteran television writer, he got the job because someone else didn't want it (Nobody wanted to work on The Simpsons, he tells us, as hard as that is to believe nowadays); the show, of course, was an instant smash hit, and Reiss' career path was set. In this always entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud-hilarious memoir, Reiss and coauthor Klickstein take us behind the scenes not only of the long-running sitcom, but also of Reiss' own life. Many people might think of working on The Simpsons as a dream job, and, according to Reiss, it often is; but even dream jobs have their downsides, mainly, for Reiss, a sort of artistic staleness that has prompted him to work on other projects (he created the short-lived but much-loved The Critic and wrote some plays and children's books), but he always circled back to The Simpsons coming home, in effect, after being on the road for a while. There have been a lot of books written about The Simpsons, some of them good but most not so much, and this is hands down one of the very best.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Reiss (How Murray Saved Christmas) offers an oral history of The Simpsons, pulling anecdotes from his time as writer, producer, and stint as showrunner-almost three decades spent on a show expected to last six weeks when it launched in 1989. Reiss mostly sidesteps drama, focusing on the teamwork behind producing, but there are juicy tidbits regarding celebrity cameos and occasional ego clashes among the show's creators. He also tackles burning questions about the show's longevity (and perceptions of its recent quality), thoughts on other animated shows, and concerns about the portrayal of Apu brought to light in comedian Hari Kondabolu's documentary The Problem with Apu. Finally, Reiss covers his time away from The Simpsons, including his work on The Critic, acting as script doctor for the films Despicable Me and Ice Age, writing children's books, and traveling the world. There are numerous encyclopedic guides as well as scholarly dissections on The Simpsons (which Reiss is quick to debunk). Unfortunately, the author's lengthy asides and admitted embellishments prevent this from being a definitive resource. VERDICT A breezy firsthand account sure to please casual Simpsons fans.-Terry Bosky, Madison, WI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.