Springfield confidential : jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for The Simpsons

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Reiss, Mike, 1959-

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

xv, 299 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Summary:

The longest-serving writer and producer for "The Simpsons" 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.

Contents:

Opening credits. Burning question: Where is Springfield? -- Act one. It begins ... ; A brief history of me ; Funny for money -- Act two. Meet the writers ; Simpsons songs : who writes them, how are they written, and why are there so goddamn many? ; Meet the showrunners ; Meet the characters ; Meet the cast ; Burning question: Do you read what fans post on websites? ; Four episodes that changed the world (kinda) ; Burning question: What do you think of Family Guy? ; Meet the fans ; Burning question: What do you say to people who say the show has gone downhill? ; Seeing the world with The Simpsons ; Burning question: Why has the show lasted so long? -- Act three. On comedy ; How Krusty became The Critic ; Burning question: What's the biggest reason The Critic failed? ; A development deal with the devil ; Burning question: What is the secret of The Simpsons' success? ; Doing animated films for cash (not credit) ; The sleazy, nasty world of children's books ; Gay for pay ; Writing for humans again! ; Back to the old tire fire -- The tag. It never ends ... ; The final burning question: Why are the Simpsons yellow?

Subject Term:

Television comedy writers

Additional Credits:

Publication Info:

New York, NY : Dey St., an imprint of William Morrow, [2018]

Subject:

Television comedy writers

Television comedies

Television writers

Simpsons (Television program)

Comedy writers, Television

Comedies, Television

Comedy programs

Comedy programs, Television

Comedy television programs

Television comedy programs

Screenwriters, Television

Television screenwriters

SAILS ISBN:

9780062748034

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Fairhaven-Millicent	791.4 REI 2018	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fall River Main	791.457 R378	Stacks	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library	791.457 REISS	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	791.45 R	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library	791.4572 REI 2018	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Taunton Public Library	791.4572092 R378S	2ND FLOOR STACKS	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Semi-Finalist for the 2019 James Thurber Award * One of Vulture's Top-10 Comedy Books of 2018 * A "Must" pick by Entertainment Weekly * An A.V. Club Best Books selection * A "New and Noteworthy" selection by USA Today

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 (3)

Kirkus Review

A cartoon pioneer walks us down his Memory Lane.In 1988, an at-the-time extremely progressive, heavily funded Fox network asked Matt Groening and Sam Simon to create a cartoon. Not believing that the show would be a success, they wrote scripts that would please them rather than imaginary viewers. But The Simpsons became a hit and made their creation a 20th-century institution. Reiss (Santa's Eleven Months Off, 2007, etc.) joined the crew of writers after many rejections for other positions. The Simpsons was not his first choice. During this time, he worked closely with the two creators, learning nearly everything through them. "A writers' room is a delicate thingit's not enough to be funny; you also have to get along with everyone," he writes. "One irritating or obstinate writer can bring the entire machinery of a show to a halt." The author breaks down his story just like he would organize an episode of the show: in three acts. He takes us from his early days in the writer's room to his subsequent excessive weight gain as a devoted writer who paid little attention to self-care, the various failed and successful visits he made to campuses around the country to discuss the show, and the behind-the-scenes nitty-gritty of production. Interspersed throughout are "Burning Questions," assumedly those that people have asked him over the years. Each time, Reiss provides both a question and answer that injects the text with entertaining humor. "The Simpsons thrives on human stupidity," writes the author. "The dumber people get, the better our show is." Always honest, playful, and engaging, the book will provide fans with deep insight into the show's history but also into its daily production and future. Superfans might even be tempted to go back to the first episode and experience the show all over again.A charming look at a cherished American show. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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.

Judd Apatow

Foreword	p. xiii
Opening Credits
Burning Question Where is Springfield?	p. 5
Act 1
Chapter 1 It Begins ...	p. 9
Chapter 2 A Brief History of Me	p. 23
Chapter 3 Funny for Money	p. 37
Act 2
Chapter 4 Meet the Writers	p. 51
Burning Question Simpsons songs: Who writes them, how are they written, and why are there so goddamn many?	p. 89
Chapter 5 Meet the Showrunners	p. 91
Chapter 6 Meet the Characters	p. 99
Chapter 7 Meet the Cast	p. 111
Burning Question Do you read what fans post on websites?	p. 139
Chapter 8 Four Episodes That Changed the World (Kinda)	p. 141
Burning Question What do you think of Family Guy?	p. 161
Chapter 9 Meet the Fans	p. 163
Buring Question What do you say to people who say the show has gone downhill?	p. 175
Chapter 10 Seeing the World with The Simpsons	p. 177
Burning Question Why has the show lasted so long?	p. 191
ACT 3
Chapter 11 On Comedy	p. 197
Chapter 12 How Krusty Became The Critic	p. 209
Buring Question What's the biggest reason The Critic failed?	p. 221
Chapter 13 A Development Deal with the Devil	p. 223
Burning Question What is the secret of the Simpsons' success?	p. 229
Chapter 14 Doing Animated Films for Cash (Not Credit)	p. 233
Chapter 15 The Sleazy, Nasty World of Children's Books	p. 241
Chapter 16 Gay for Pay	p. 247
Chapter 17 Writing for Humans Again!	p. 255
Chapter 18 Back to the Old Tire Fire	p. 261
The Tag
Chapter 19 It Never Ends ...	p. 275
The Final Buring Question Why are the Simpsons yellow?	p. 279
Closing Credits
Glossary	p. 283
Answers to NPR Puzzles	p. 289
Acknowledgments	p. 291
Image Credits	p. 295
About the Authors	p. 297

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (3)

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents