CS Weekly Archive > The Big Picture > 04/06/07

Paley Fest '07:
The Simpsons:
A Celebration of 400 Episodes

By danny munso

As their loved and acclaimed show reaches its milestone 400th episode, the cast, creators, and producers of The Simpsons descended upon the Director's Guild in Hollywood to discuss their secret to longevity, their favorite characters and moments, and even a little bit about a certain movie coming out in July.

At the table read of The Simpsons' 200th episode in 1998, executive producer David Mirkin thought he was just being funny, not a prognosticator, when he joked, "200 episodes…halfway there." At the time it got a good laugh, but less than 10 years later, Mirkin, along with creator Matt Groening (pictured middle), actor Nancy Cartwright, longtime showrunner Al Jean, and a cast of producers and directors, were sitting at the 2007 Paley Fest to celebrate what Mirkin thought wasn't possible: 400 episodes. The hit animated show began as a cultural phenomenon and maintained a steady brilliance for the better part of a decade. Although the show, now in its 18th season, may not shine as brightly as it did during its '90s heyday, you wouldn't have guessed it by the diehard fans that showed up in support of this historic occasion.

After screening two of this year's episodes, the inevitable question was asked: "What is the secret to the show's success and longevity?" First consulting producer Carolyn Omine chimed in with "Well, we don't really want to give that away," before Mirkin jumped in with a simpler answer: "We are incredible geniuses!" While that may be partly true, Groening and Jean were quick to dole out complements to everyone from the writers to the actors, explaining that The Simpsons is one of the more collaborative programs on television. Speaking of the actors, Groening explained that, "Usually, they will take what's on the page and completely enhance what is there, improving it in ways we'd never thought of."

Jean also spoke of how just one script can pass through the hands of over 20 writers before finally being finished, ensuring that the jokes are as funny as can be before being recorded. Another reason the show has endured is because many of the writers have endured with it. Besides Groening and Jean, who have been with the show since the beginning, no fewer than eight current writers have been penning episodes for over a decade, including former showrunners Mirkin, Mike Reiss, and Mike Scully. According to Groening, the reason they all stick around is fairly simple: "There's an incredible passion among the staff for this material."

That much was clear when the event opened up to audience questions. The first query pressed the panel for their favorite quotes from the series. The answers came fast and hard. Predictably, Homer quotes got the largest guffaws from the crowd, with executive producer Ian Maxtone-Graham chiming in with this brilliant thought from the family's patriarch: "I have three kids and no money. I wish I had no kids and three money." The lone vocal talent on the panel, Nancy Cartwright, who not only voices Bart but also Nelson the bully and fan-favorite kid dimwit Ralph Wiggum, claimed that any line poor Ralph utters is good with her. To prove her point, she spent the next minute rifling through a few of her favorites, with "My cat's breath smells like cat food" garnering the biggest cheer. Perhaps executive producer Tim Long put it best when asked how difficult it is writing lines for Ralph: "It's hard," he explained, "because he's like a moron Confucius."

The panel was then asked who their favorite guest stars were in the show's history; no easy task, considering that anyone who is anyone has voiced a character on the series. But star talent ranging from Dustin Hoffman to Tony Blair to Michael Jackson was all trumped by a pair of Beatles: Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Harrison, according to Groening, was a bit "glum," particularly when he, Jean, and Reiss began pestering the guitarist with Beatle questions. Things apparently perked up considerably when the conversation turned to Harrison's recent solo album Cloud Nine. "When you meet a Beatle, don't talk about The Beatles," warned Groening.

McCartney, meanwhile, drew considerable praise from Mirkin, who specifically wrote the episode "Lisa the Vegetarian" as a ploy to lure his hero into the vocal booth. He was right: Paul and his then-wife Linda agreed to the do the show on one condition, that Lisa remain a vegetarian until the show's conclusion—and the writers have yet to slip up.

Talk eventually ended up on The Simpsons Movie, a long-in-development idea that hits theaters this July. The only reason for the delay, claims Jean, is technology. "Digital animation and digital editing are much better than they were 10 years ago," he explains. "We couldn't do it until recently." He also promised that the film would not be a cheap knockoff, with Groening adding that the movie is, in fact, "an expensive rip-off." Though plot details were noticeably absent from any comments, the audience seemed to care less, and greeted the closing trailer with uproarious applause.

The historical context of what 400 episodes actually means was never really touched on, perhaps because the writers, producers, and fans know that 500 is not really out of the question. The series has already been renewed through 2009, and shows no real signs of slowing down. According to executive producer Matt Selman, that has to do with the topical satire the show specializes in. "As long as horrible things happen, we'll be on the air," he said. "We'll probably last until the end of the world."

Danny Munso graduated from film school in 2004 and can currently be found on his computer working on one of his many half-written screenplays. Or, more likely, he's on the Internet checking the scores of his beloved Bay Area sports teams.

Photos courtesy Kevin Parry/MTR

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