Ten years ago. Wow. CONAN DO THIS AGAIN!!!!! They should ALL come on a special episode of Conan Needs A Friend!! I'd listen to another 2 hours in a heartbeat
wally and jeff hogen wrote the best episode ever....last exit to springfield...and most of the best episodes from seasons 1-4.....they are my idols...al jean takes way to much credit....he sucks.....
Great moment at 50:31 when Conan is telling the story how he gave Johnny Carson wrong directions and Carson turned right instead of left, and the whole table starts pitching jokes like it was happening in a Simpsons episode. I loved that.
It's funny how you can tell that Conan still sort of looks up to them all, like the nerdy but smart kid who gets to hang out with the group of slightly older, equally nerdy guys.
Mahlercougar Yup, he wrote the monorail episode as they talk about and it's considered by many as one of the best episodes of the show and of television history.
@@ThePunk01 I agree. I recently started watching some of the newer episodes,many of which I've never seen, and I was very surprised by how funny they were. Different. But funny.
@@bradeng7158 same here. I grew up watching the Simpson's in the early 90s till about 2004 and have been watching the newer stuff and it's still good. Tree house of horror always being a favorite. It must be doing something right to still have a big following and lasting this long on tv. I think people just have rose tinted glasses
This upload is exactly what I love about Conan. He's hilarious and super-quick and he has a big heart and clearly loves these guys. It doesn't feel like a vanity project, rather it feels like Conan is trying to give credit to guys and introduce them to people who may know nothing about them.
I'll never forget when my brother was a huge Simpsons fan and at 12 yo (he's 30) he got knocked down died twice but fortunately he came bk to life he was in the ICU and he came to then he was taking to the high dependency unit and he couldn't communicate but we spent all our effort and time trying to get him to squeeze our hands if he can hear and understand us and get him to use his vocal chords to talk I have to say Simpsons all of them got him bk to where he is today and we are so grateful so when I see him we can say the lines so he can remember and communicate bk thank you Simpsons
Lyns if you watch the early Simpsons enough, and are a fan of Conan you will not only pick out his episodes but his individual jokes, you know his sense of humour.
Towards the end... If you look at keenly ... You will notice that Conan lets them do the talking ... It's the kind of expression in his face that tells me that ... He relishes these people and the memories with it ... Successful people like him ... To have that attitude ... Shows the reason why he is up there ... It takes a big heart filled with courage ...
The story about George Takei turning down the Simpsons because he's on the city transportation board and therefore refuses to make fun of monorails...that kills me
I cannot thank these men enough for enriching my childhood and making me so happy every time I sit down and watch The Simpsons. Comedy doesn’t get better than this.
I own simpsons 1-13 and I’ve listened to all the commentary, because these writers are up there among the greatest/funniest tv writers ever. I need a 12 hour version of this
I'd recommend getting a hold of the audio book "Simpsons Confidential", it's read (& was co-written) by Mike Reiss, by one of the guys at this roundtable. A few of the same things touched upon in this discussion are covered in the book as well, but more in depth and obviously there's a ton more/different material there.
I always figured Conan was behind a lot of Mr. Burns jokes. He has that knack for old timey, esoteric, obscure references (which people laugh at even when they don't exactly get the reference.)
I think I read somewhere that Schwartzwelder was actually the main source of all those 19th century/old times linguistic references since he had an obsession with that period
I've been youtube surfing all night. I don't think I finished a single video over 5 minutes. These guys have such great chemistry that they held my ADHD riddled mind for the whole hour and 20 mins. Thanks, Coco! Entertaining as always!!!
It's so validating to hear about Phil Hartman. For years it has always amazed me that people said he was the master of a thousand voices. No, he had one voice! Exactly! And I mean no disparagement of the man - he was very a successful talent and obviously gone too soon.
I love this. I've listened to every single audio commentary of The Simpsons so I get all of the references and names, it's like meeting up with old friends almost.
Conan is such a great moderator, keeps everybody on great topics, flows smooth and making laughs. Plus all these guys are my childhood...thanks for making my childhood better!!
i find it so crazy that john swartzwelder is not on this panel, its like the guy is a myth , you look on his Wikipedia page & his profile pic is from like 92. swartzwelder is one of the best writers of the simpsons from the 90s era
@@yackfou2412 uhm, you are aware that some names are spelled a particular way?? this name might have remotely got something to with Schwarzwald but still. maybe the name was americanised or whatever. you can't translate names though. names are names. his official surname is Swartzwelder btw. i'm german too
@@yackfou2412 the letter ä doesn't exist in English, so no, you don't write it like that. Also "sch" wouldn't work with the English pronunciation. It's probably safe to say his ancestors came from Germany, but then the name was Americanized, as it happened to a lot of immigrants. Also, the name might come from Schwarzfelder as well, you can't know. So yeah, don't be stupid
They should do another version of this. But with Conan's original writing staff from Late Night - Louis CK, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, Robert Smigel - that would be insane.
@@johnmccarthy4134 Oh definitely, he wrote Bart Sells His Soul, Lisa's Wedding and 22 Short Films About Springfield, then left and co-created King of the Hill which is another of my favourite shows. An absolute heavyweight when it comes to US television comedy over the last 30 years, his influence stretches far...
I hope they bring back these guys and other key writers for the final season of The Simpsons. It's these people that made the show. Good writers are mainly key to be successful and memorable. The last episode that was good was Halloween of Horror. It had heart.
your right....if they ever have a final season of the simpsons, they should bring back all the best writers and have them each write their own episode first draft and have the room write the jokes together and then we may get a season better than the legendary season 4.....if you watch the simpsons movie that had a lot of the classic writers it was great...I wonder why....but they were missing some of the early writers from seasons 1-5....people like conan wally hogen and james brooks should have been involved in the writing of the movie..they left them out for some reason...the best show runners were clearly bill Oakley and josh Weinstein..aka seasons 5-8..they knew how to run the show.......
This reminds me of high school friends meeting again. All fun and you can clearly see that Conan highly respects these guys and has learned a lot from them.
Im from Russia and in 1996 i was 11 when they started showing Simpsons and they were with me growing up until 11th season. Gold era of Simpsons. They were shown in the evening and i remember taping it , and couldn't wait to chat about the last episode next day at school. Perfect and never forgotten.
well what about the show The Man Who Came to be Dinner from a few seasons ago, written by Al Jean and Daivd Mirkin (show runner of seasons 5 and 6, the greatest seasons of the show) and directed by David Silverman? It's been called one of the worst shows of the series.
3:50 "Sam Simon's a genius, and Matt Groening... you know? Has... and interesting.... uh... comic strip!" While Groening came up with the original strip, the Simpsons universe and tone was built by Sam Simon. Most people don't know that.
@@lindenstromberg6859 Life in hell was a wonderful comic strip with a bunch of panels it appeared in a square instead of a long line if you can picture the Sunday comics except this was in things like a weekly local paper. In Marin County it was the Pacific Sun. The comics were black-and-white and they were absolutely hilarious - completely dry, Absurd situations that you could imagine happening or things that probably did happen except life in hell would rewrite the ending to make it the scene you wish happened. A little like Dilbert. One strip shows a whole kitchen being wrecked - the whole house being wrecked by someone. The mother comes in andthe kid looks up and says, "Mistakes were made." You could probably look it up it was a shame when it stopped running.
...So I tied an onion to my belt. Which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where was I... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time....
I was in college when this started. Me and my friends missed the Christmas episode which aired as a special. Everyone talked about it. When it debuted as a series, my roommate was determined that we had to watch it. We loved it instantly. I remember being mesmerized as over the coming weeks we realized that the show could have been called “Springfield” instead of “The Simpsons”. I can count on one hand the number of things I’ve encountered that I knew were classic the first time I saw it. This is one of them.
It was really interesting listening to the writers of one of the greatest TV show in US history talk about the writing process and daily working life in general. They sound like a gang of hard working jolly nerds. Very cool upload.
That's a brilliant observation. You're totally right ... If anything you can almost see their humor, personalities and sensibilities almost dripping from their mouth onto the page of a Simpson's episode written 15-25 years ago.
***** Well, it's more just the shift in writers. It's depressingly obvious when watching the film because it had moment that are very reminiscent of the older series
***** I can watch The Simpsons, but i can't say i love it anymore. It's gone from being witty, and ever dry at times, to just throwing pop culture references at everything. Like that episode there was just a bunch of Studio Ghibli characters for no reason.
+Senator Cthulu I agree, but I'm pretty sure that Studio Ghibli thing at the end was a reference to the "then" perceived closing of Studio Ghibli, which if it actually had happened would certainly have been the end of an era.
Steven Narey I would personally argue season 9 and to some extent season 10. Apart from Principal and the pauper, Season 9 is imo a great season. Heck even Principal and the pauper has good comedic moments. It’s the twist that spoils it. Season 10 less so, but it still has great episodes. You can definitely see the shift though. Season 11 to 13 has a handful but it definitely becomes harder to find a great episode. Season 14 on is just mediocre to outright terrible.
Conan just can't stop the funny. His throwaway joke, "I brought you here because one of you is a murderer" is so smart and well-delivered. All of these guys are writers, and wonderful ones, but you can see that Conan has this amazing performer muscle the others just don't have.
Yeah, the whole "It's not a cartoon even though it's animated" was a brilliant idea, and in my opinion (I say as though I'm alone on this), the reason the show started to decline is because it ABANDONED that idea. It got too silly and cartoony.
@nnork I totally agree. It always had a very vague "it's a cartoon" feel, but classic moments such as Homer falling off the side of the cliff ('Bart the Daredevil') were funny because they were unexpected and almost black humour in that you knew he would be badly hurt. Likewise with episode plots, from the odd "that's a little" quirky plot, over the seasons things started to get more and more forcibly "wacky", which in my opinion was sadly the thing that really damaged the show as a whole. I don't mind a wonderful "what the HELL?" episode occasionally (heck, 'Marge Vs. The Monorail' is one of my all-time favourite episodes, but can you imagine that episode even happening in the first couple of seasons?), but it's felt in later seasons that many episodes actually start out with actually quite good plot concepts, but nearly always have to go for the "unexpectedly zany" outcome, that badly stretches belief in the series and sadly isn't always that funny.
I see the Poochie episode as the turning point. Now, that episode was a classic and had none of the problems I was talking about in and of itself, BUT when I listened to the commentary they talked about how it was a story of how long-running shows (at the time eight seasons seemed long to them) stay fresh. But more specifically, there's the scene where the kids test watch all those Itchy and Scratchy cartoons reflected a split in viewers: some wanted the show to stay grounded as it was, more a sitcom that happened to be animated than a "cartoon". And the other side wanted the show to get even wackier and crazier. They chose wrong.
You hit the nail on the head my friend. I feel the same way. With all the other animated sitcoms out, the more Simpsons tries to be "fresh" and "original" it fails at. It did what no other show dared to do at the time, but now we've gone beyond that and there is nothing left for it to become.
No John Swartzwelder, objectively the best writer the show had. Not really surprised, though. The guy is allegedly pretty antisocial and tries to avoid the limelight.
Conan was the best writer. The Monorail episode and Homer Goes to College are great episodes. John is second and maybe David Cohen third. David and Conan didn't stick around long, but they wrote some of the best stuff.
I 'thumbs up'd' your comment because I am a die hard John Swartzwelder fan and love knowing another Simpsons nerd (I say that with adoration) paid attention to the writers of early Simpsons episodes. You can even sense which episodes were his without having to look it up. I agree with you 100%.
Swartzwelder was the spirit of that show ! He was THE guy ! He is the writer that wrote more episodes than anyone thats why Simpsons were on top for a long time.
We did a editorial shoot with Brooks, Groening, and the rest of the producers. We had them for about an hour and they had us laughing the entire time. Great memories!
Much is made of the idea that they were written as a real *family*. The episode that sticks out the most in my mind is "Lisa The Babysitter" (if that's the title), where Bart is knocked unconscious by a tumble down the stairs. Great story, great acting, real suspense-very rare for a primetime sitcom.
***** Season 4 was the last for Sam Simon and most of the original writing team. Some real classics in there, I concur; "Mr. Plow", "Krusty Gets Kancelled", "Marge vs. The Monorail" among them.
You’re right. I can immediately remember what I feel for Lisa when it dawns on her that Bart is really hurt. Plus, it’s enhanced by sympathizing with all her pride and frustration leading up to that thud.
In 3rd grade, we had to choose a musical instrument to play in band. For years, my mom and I wanted me to play the flute. But when that paper hit my desk, I had three numbered lines to write my instruments of choice, and I put the saxophone as #1, because of my love for Lisa Simpson. 30 years later, it's my longest commitment and passion...THANK YOU!!!
The Bart Simpson t-shirts were huge in elementary school. The administrators and teachers would make the students turn the shirts inside out because of the profanity.
Simpsons was a confluence of brilliance and one of the biggest influences on me growing up (for better or worse). Can you even imagine America without it?
I've lost track of how many times I've watched this. The Simpsons were the foundation for my sense of humor and I can sit and watch an episode I've seen a hundred times before and still laugh like it's the first time.
List of episodes written by John Swartzwelder: No one has written as many episodes as this guy. This guy can write. - The Regina Monologues (2003) ... (written by) - Treehouse of Horror XIV (2003) ... (written by - as Triple Admiral John Swartzwelder) - Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington (2003) ... (written by) - The Frying Game (2002) ... (written by) - The Sweetest Apu (2002) ... (written by) - I Am Furious Yellow (2002) ... (written by) - The Lastest Gun in the West (2002) ... (written by) - A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love (2001) ... (written by) - Simpson Safari (2001) ... (written by) - Hungry Hungry Homer (2001) ... (written by) - The Computer Wore Menace Shoes (2000) ... (written by) - A Tale of Two Springfields (2000) ... (written by) - Kill the Alligator and Run (2000) ... (written by) - The Mansion Family (2000) ... (written by) - Take My Wife, Sleaze (1999) ... (written by) - Monty Can't Buy Me Love (1999) ... (written by) - Maximum Homerdrive (1999) ... (written by) - Homer to the Max (1999) ... (written by) - Homer Simpson in: 'Kidney Trouble' (1998) ... (written by) - The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace (1998) ... (written by) - King of the Hill (1998) ... (written by) - Bart Carny (1998) ... (written by) - The Cartridge Family (1997) ... (written by) - Homer's Enemy (1997) ... (written by) - The Old Man and the Lisa (1997) ... (written by) - Homer vs. the 18th Amendment (1997) ... (written by) - Mountain of Madness (1997) ... (written by) - You Only Move Twice (1996) ... (written by) - The Day the Violence Died (1996) ... (written by) - Homer the Smithers (1996) ... (written by) - Bart the Fink (1996) ... (teleplay by) - Treehouse of Horror VI (1995) ... (written by - as Scary John Swartzwelder) - Radioactive Man (1995) ... (written by) - Homie the Clown (1995) ... (written by) - Bart's Comet (1995) ... (written by) - Homer the Great (1995) ... (written by) - Itchy & Scratchy Land (1994) ... (written by) - The Boy Who Knew Too Much (1994) ... (written by) - Bart Gets an Elephant (1994) ... (written by) - Bart Gets Famous (1994) ... (written by) - Homer the Vigilante (1994) ... (written by) - Rosebud (1993) ... (written by) - Krusty Gets Kancelled (1993) ... (written by) - Whacking Day (1993) ... (written by) - Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie (1992) ... (written by) - Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes? (1992) ... (written by) - Dog of Death (1992) ... (written by) - Homer at the Bat (1992) ... (written by) - Treehouse of Horror II (1991) ... (written by - as Spooky John Swartzwelder) - Bart the Murderer (1991) ... (written by) - The War of the Simpsons (1991) ... (written by) - Bart Gets Hit by a Car (1991) ... (written by) - Itchy and Scratchy and Marge (1990) ... (written by) - Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish (1990) ... (written by) - Treehouse of Horror (1990) ... (written by - segment "Bad Dream House") - The Crepes of Wrath (1990) ... (written by) - Life on the Fast Lane (1990) ... (written by) - The Call of the Simpsons (1990) ... (written by) - Bart the General (1990) ... (written by - uncredited)
I think it should be said. The world has changed immeasurably since The Simpsons started. The changes have been so great, yet so seamless that it's hard to pinpoint what the show is now missing without just saying "the heart" or "the passion". I personally think it has to do with self awareness and postmodernism. The Simpson's was certainly always postmodern, in its justified critiques of almost every facet of Western (particularly American life) from the nuclear family, the government, kids, adults, the democratic system, the education system, the nature of corruption, the temporal and toxic nature of popular culture, the use of shameless, often phoned in celebrity appearances that brilliantly mocked the 1970-1980s overuse of this in sitcoms, war, armies, the state in general, the problem with the opinion of the majority in democracy, Capitalism, Socialism, the pangs of materialism, intellect verse stupidity, the faults and flaws of religion, racial tensions. You name it and The Simpsons had something brilliant and sophisticated to say about it, something new to bring to the table. Regardless of their critiques, The Simpsons always knew where they stood on an issue, when to call something out for being too extreme or nonsensical. From roughly season 10 onwards, they appear to be struggling to identify with well..... anything. While noting the flaws of the nuclear family and the stresses and pressures it places on individuals and countries, they would always come back to the value of family, the security they provide in the harshest of times. Despite the bullying and teasing between brother and sister, they would end with reform and apologies. Government and the education system may be slow, impotent, ineffective and corrupt - but in the end the benefits outweighed the flaws (Mr Lisa Goes To Washington in particular). The show knew when cynicism became useless and dogmatic and when a joke shed light or added commentary on an issue with a comedic twist. It was genius in its execution. I would argue the reason The Simpson's seems so soulless now is because, quite frankly it is just that - soulless. An earlier episode that would end with Homer and Lisa sitting watching a sunset after learning that even though they are both different, they still love each other will now end with an overwhelming "Meh" attitude towards what had just happened. It no longer knows what it stands for, what it likes or dislikes, what messages it wants to convey, and has slipped into a format of tell don't show. The show really doesn't advocate anything substantial today, or anything you can't find better advocated elsewhere these days. They've become engrained in their own cultural position as a "legendary show". The celebrity appearances seem less and less satirical and more and more like genuine ratings-pulling attempts. The cultural references from Shakespeare to Star Wars seem increasingly less intelligent and more simplified. Characters that were once portrayed deeper and more sophisticated have degenerated into stereotypes (Which may be a consequence of outside media reacting to the Simpsons rather than the Simpson's themselves). The references to modern pop culture, Apple, Homosexuality and other issues the recent seasons have played around with seem lost and not sure of what they're saying. This isn't entirely The Simpson's fault of course, in a world of Social Media, the job the Simpsons did in the 90s is now easily and more quickly filled with billions of users and creators. The relative optimism of the 90s has been slanted into the skepticism and uncertainty of the 21st century, where shows like South Park, 30 Rock etc provide much more relevant and intelligent commentaries on modern life. Lastly, I should say despite what I said. I have nothing but the upmost respect for The Simpsons, it is a cultural icon that we have all been so fortunate to grow up with. I remember coming home from school feeling like shit, and waiting for 6pm to roll around and the Simpsons would come on. It made my day many a time. I knew about Shakespeare, political ideologies, wars and history from The Simpsons well before school ever addressed these areas. I think many people are the same. I can't say for sure why its different now or if it even is, whether it's us, the writers, our world..... but I have a feeling it's all three. If The Simpsons is still reflecting our lives like it had in the past, maybe we're all just unhappy, scared and uncertain - and the writers are simply reflecting that.
+Giga419 great analysis, absolutely agree. I remember when Lisa was a shy girl, too smart for her age, who felt more comfortable in the presence of adults than children her age. She felt real and complicated, but now she's just a girl who knows a lot and follows teenage trends and tries really hard to make friends with people her age, just a stereotype of a nerdy girl. The show may still be funny to some, but without a soul it's no longer what it used to be
I remember watching this the day after it came out, and have seen it several times since, and it's still one of my favorite things that Conan has ever done. This is truly one of the best interviews that I have ever seen. You can tell that all of these men were friends and we're passionate about the work that they were doing, and that that comradery still exists all these years later. It just goes to show when you give intelligent and talented people the free creative reign to do something original without impeding or diluting what they are doing, you will come out with something special. That is why in those first 8 seasons of The Simpsons, they helped to create the greatest television comedy ever. The show may not be what it used to, but nothing can undo the impact and importance of those first 8 years.
"So basically, after The Principal and the Pauper in Season 9, it all started going downhill, but there was still too much money to be made. For another 20 years at least."
Season 9 had plenty of great episodes after "Principal and the Pauper", such as "The Cartridge Family", "Trash of the Titans", "The Joy of Sect", "The Trouble with Trillions", and "Lisa the Skeptic" among others. I would say the decline started during Season 10. Still some good ones in that season, but not as good as previous seasons.
drfenderfunk Yeah. I picked that episode as the first sign of decline, but Season 9 was still great overall. Seaon 10, it was obvious that the show wasn't as good.
This is why I love Conan He’s by far the most famous and acclaimed of these men, yet he lets them all have their moments while he just takes it all in Jimmy Fallon would interrupt them every 10 seconds
This was just delightful. I think my favorite moment was when they were talking about Michael Jackson: "Well, he was a little eccentric." "It's possible."
You're not wrong - the Golden Age is acknowledged to be seasons 2-9 (1990-1997), though some push it out a year either side to seasons 1-10. Season nine had the first really negatively-received 'bad' episode, The Principal and The Pauper (4F23); season eleven brought the pointless cameo and truly critically-and-fan-panned episode 'Kill the Alligator and Run' (BABF16), and season ten brought the birth of Jerkass Homer. The show was never the same afterwards. It remained watchable for some time, but these days...ugh, don't fucking bother.
simpsons should of done this when the movie came out. age the charachters. bart and lisa in their teens - homer and marge practically the same and do a search for the new voice of maggie who wold now be lisas age. it would of been ballys historic move. And then every now and then have a simpsons "old school" flashback episode.
Dork Whoop While the later seasons of Futurama aren’t as good, imo they’re still great. Season 5 (or at least season 5 on the DVD’s since the amount of seasons is different from place to place) is in my opinion one of the better seasons. They are also still filled with heartwarming moments as well. The Futurama writers are pretty good at making great endings. They’ve had to make four so far.
I swear, I have to watch it a few times a year. I always pick up on details quicker or catch something that I didn't catch before. Makes me feel better about how much I've enjoyed The Simpsons. I highly recommend it!
What always makes me laugh hard about The Simpsons is when there is a scene in front of an audience, for example a school play or a town meeting and something is being said that the crowd doesn't like at some point you'll hear a shotgun being cocked. It gets me every damn time, i don't know if its still being done today since i haven't seen any of the recent seasons but i hope its still being done.
Wow! These guys made my childhood! So much talent in one room! I hope the simpsons keeps going! It's a show that even though the quality has dropped, to some, it's been a part of everyone's lives and it's so great!
I disagree. The audience have ruined the show. Consider how bad family guy is yet it gets big ratings, so why would Simpsons have the motivation to deliver something good. Same with PewdiePie, KSI, Jake & Logan Paul, iDubbz and H3H3 who all just spam out lame videos quickly and get big views there is no financial incentive for proper well thought out content. Creativity has in many ways been killed by modern audiences. Even Disney just recreates their old movies in live action form and the Marvel movies are among the most profitable movies in the world and they are pretty much all the exact same movie done over and over. Simpsons is simply a product of its time when there was less content for audiences so only decent stuff got made and the truly great stuff was watched by everyone. Once audiences would happily watch lame Seth Macfarlane or Chuck Lorre comedy shows and be satisfied sometimes even going as far as to say they were good in the mid 00s there was no longer any critical or financial incentive to workshop jokes like Simpsons used to do and put deep meaning in shows since audiences became too dumb to get them anyway. Avengers End Game becoming the highest grossing movie sort of highlights just how far we've fallen. Tell me, why should Simpsons bother to create quality programming with modern day audience behavior? Simpsons is a relic of its time and modern Simpsons perfectly matches entertainment of this current time.
@@sirpranksalot1 I think you make an interesting point, however a show with the prestige of being incredibly witty and smart should at least hold up to its own standards. The quality went down before family guy ever made it big.
@@tamarleahh.2150 I agree it sure would be nice if they did but I don't really think its fair to say they should. They don't really owe us anything as fans. If anything we owe them for creating something so incredibly layered. However we as a society disrespected them with the whole silly Apu thing which was ridiculous considering the radical left were attacking a progressively left-thinking (yet balanced) show and the fans just stood there and let them do that. Ironically that unfunny SJW comedian admitted he never watched a single episode of Simpsons so he is pretty much admitting to being a bigot (predejuce without understanding). Anyway I would LOVE all the old Simpsons writers like Conan O'Brien to return but I do not blame them for leaving for even one second based on how audiences have become I think its safe to say they made the right call. I do not blame Simpsons for phoning it in. As a creator I wouldn't be bothered to write anything "good" or layered anymore when current audiences are happier to watch some guy on TH-cam vlogging half-baked ideas or playing a video game in one take with no writing. Even the laziest Simpsons writing is far superior to the Best PewDiePie video. BTW I'm not insulting PewDiePie, I've watched a few of his vids and they are better than most other TH-camrs. I'm more just using him as an example to highlight the modern lazy audience behaviour (including my own) and how a show like Simpsons no longer works in the modern entertainment culture.
Bart the daredevil episode is a love story between a father and son. The extended tumbling provided comic relief; reminding us, "we are supposed to be laughing." The message was deep and carried through many seasons.
I totally agree with you about being fortunate growing up watching the earlier Simpsons, it definitely shaped my sense of humor. Although I can't quite agree with you about Simpsons being much better than Futurama. I would say they were different, not necessarily better. I feel that Futurama's setting shaped the type of humor. Simpsons was very grounded, realistic and a family comedy (kind of) but Futurama's sci fi setting allowed them to be even more crazy and out there compared to Simpsons. I think I do like Simpsons more but I think that's more to do with nostalgia. Either way, both great shows.
My good friend, Stephen Sack, worked with Matt Groening in a record store in L.A. before Matt made it. Matt published his early Life In Hell comics in his home in very limited releases..Stephen still has a copy. I'd like very much to get Stephen and Matt connected, as Matt has expressed an interest in finding out about Stephen, who now resides in San Francisco. They were good together.
This is the best thing I've watched all day. I can't express to you how much I miss this kind of "shop talk" among equals; for me, it was musicians in a bar in NOLA, but I miss it.
i've read it's at the end when the rebel fighters are attacking the planet core thing. everyone says something different. I don't think anyone can hear it. I don;t think it's even in the film.
This was so enjoyable! As I live in a Prius with a cat traveling the USA 😂 good god what I’d give for that round table to pound a few stories about this! Greetz from Utah (this week)
I still come back to this video often. I'm currently writing a paper on the Simpsons history. I truly love this show so much and hearing the writers/show runners talking about how things came to be.
Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Conan, Jeff Martin, Jon Vitti, George Meyer - went to Harvard (and worked on the Harvard Lampoon) And Sam Simon went to Stanford. There is some serious brainpower in this room.
they should do a whole Tv show on Fat Tony and his mafia goons, best episode i seen ever was when they did a Sopranos cover and had a war with yakuza triads, and every Halloween special growing up made my childhood , thanks guys for not quitting what you started.
Ten years ago. Wow. CONAN DO THIS AGAIN!!!!! They should ALL come on a special episode of Conan Needs A Friend!! I'd listen to another 2 hours in a heartbeat
YES!
Yes please.
These guys shaped my sense of humor, how do you even thank someone for that?
by expanding it into something bigger!
wally and jeff hogen wrote the best episode ever....last exit to springfield...and most of the best episodes from seasons 1-4.....they are my idols...al jean takes way to much credit....he sucks.....
David, totally agree! I have always looked at shows like The Simpsons and The SpongeBob as my sense of humor sculptors
blow them
the best episode is 'you only move twice', nice try...
Great moment at 50:31 when Conan is telling the story how he gave Johnny Carson wrong directions and Carson turned right instead of left, and the whole table starts pitching jokes like it was happening in a Simpsons episode. I loved that.
It's funny how you can tell that Conan still sort of looks up to them all, like the nerdy but smart kid who gets to hang out with the group of slightly older, equally nerdy guys.
I think him and Geoff/Jeff, that guy next to him get along the best and have the most similar humour. They seem like two school friends.
It's so weird, he seems really young in this video from the group dynamics, the guys don't kiss his ass at all either
True.. but from what I remember Conan O'Brian himself was one of the writers for the simpsons as well..
Mahlercougar Yup, he wrote the monorail episode as they talk about and it's considered by many as one of the best episodes of the show and of television history.
Mahlercougar
he was a writer on the simpsons but... did you not watch the video lol
Imagine if the Simpsons only ran for 10 seasons? It would hands down be considered the single greatest comedy anything, from any culture of all time
As long as it's in the animated category
People over exaggerate about later seasons. It's fine
@@ThePunk01 I agree. I recently started watching some of the newer episodes,many of which I've never seen, and I was very surprised by how funny they were. Different. But funny.
@@bradeng7158 same here. I grew up watching the Simpson's in the early 90s till about 2004 and have been watching the newer stuff and it's still good. Tree house of horror always being a favorite. It must be doing something right to still have a big following and lasting this long on tv. I think people just have rose tinted glasses
@Roy Sunshine I concur
Serious Jibber-Jabber is possibly Conan’s greatest achievement imo. These interviews are timeless.
Conan has an unbelievable resume'.
Most people wouldn’t acknowledge I’m glad you do
NBC are idiots for letting him go
But whatever
He's better in YT and TBS.
The 7 month stint at the Tonight show doesn't look too good.
@Roy Sunshine Got a chip on your shoulder much?
He kind of invented modern comedy. His seasons of SNL and the Simpsons are some of the most influential.
This upload is exactly what I love about Conan. He's hilarious and super-quick and he has a big heart and clearly loves these guys. It doesn't feel like a vanity project, rather it feels like Conan is trying to give credit to guys and introduce them to people who may know nothing about them.
I'll never forget when my brother was a huge Simpsons fan and at 12 yo (he's 30) he got knocked down died twice but fortunately he came bk to life he was in the ICU and he came to then he was taking to the high dependency unit and he couldn't communicate but we spent all our effort and time trying to get him to squeeze our hands if he can hear and understand us and get him to use his vocal chords to talk I have to say Simpsons all of them got him bk to where he is today and we are so grateful so when I see him we can say the lines so he can remember and communicate bk thank you Simpsons
what
I knew Burns was Conan’s favorite! :D When Conan puts his hands together and talks in a high-pitched force you can tell lol.
Lyns if you watch the early Simpsons enough, and are a fan of Conan you will not only pick out his episodes but his individual jokes, you know his sense of humour.
I re-watch this every year or so. Amazing ♥
Now that you’ve pointed it out... I can’t unsee it.
@@octaviancaesarhibernicus4447 absolutely. Mr Burns releasing his winged monkeys and watching them fall to their death is pure Conan
Towards the end... If you look at keenly ... You will notice that Conan lets them do the talking ... It's the kind of expression in his face that tells me that ... He relishes these people and the memories with it ... Successful people like him ... To have that attitude ... Shows the reason why he is up there ... It takes a big heart filled with courage ...
i think conan just likes to quips. he dont generally like to talk at length
Liv in maybe it's because at the Simpsons he was part of a group and these guys were his peers and superiors.
The story about George Takei turning down the Simpsons because he's on the city transportation board and therefore refuses to make fun of monorails...that kills me
"we went to the only actor who took monorails seriously" 😂
@@johnkirk. lmao
Your name, your profile picture. It's perfect.
@@manray7189 Thanks man
@@thesprawl2361 im not a usual rock listener, but the guitar on "teenage riot"😍
I cannot thank these men enough for enriching my childhood and making me so happy every time I sit down and watch The Simpsons. Comedy doesn’t get better than this.
Simpsons in the 90's was the absolute peak of all television
yes
This was pure gold. The camaraderie is very real between these guys. The old gang reunited.
I’ve rewatched it several times. It’s that good. Conan being Conan
I didn't know Conan had this format way before he started a podcast in 2018. Goes to show how he really excels in this kind of long form interviews.
If Conan had a podcast this is how it would be
Successful people don't have podcasts.
prorobo ... watch what you're saying pal
Podcasts are boring af
Mr Sondre198 how old are you dude?
Grizzly
I'm not your pal, chief.
The only thing wrong with this is that it ends... Thanks Conan this was an enjoyable hour and twenty minutes.
and the audio
I own simpsons 1-13 and I’ve listened to all the commentary, because these writers are up there among the greatest/funniest tv writers ever. I need a 12 hour version of this
I'd recommend getting a hold of the audio book "Simpsons Confidential", it's read (& was co-written) by Mike Reiss, by one of the guys at this roundtable. A few of the same things touched upon in this discussion are covered in the book as well, but more in depth and obviously there's a ton more/different material there.
I always figured Conan was behind a lot of Mr. Burns jokes. He has that knack for old timey, esoteric, obscure references (which people laugh at even when they don't exactly get the reference.)
Get in the autogyro!!!
"You there, fill it up with petroleum distillate and revulcanise my tyres, post haste!"
I think I read somewhere that Schwartzwelder was actually the main source of all those 19th century/old times linguistic references since he had an obsession with that period
@@T-Dogg121 Interesting, I'll have to look that guy up then.
Ahoy! Ahoy!
Beep Beep! Outta my way! I'm a Motorist!
I could listen to these guys talk about Simpson's history for hours.
Press play again
@@bradleyhayman2682 I tried what you suggested, but they keep telling the same stories. I think he meant listen to different stories for hours.
Play it at half speed
The episode commentaries for the first 10 or so seasons often include these guys and are usually pretty funny and informative imo, highly recommend :)
@JoshPhoenix11 now they all sound drunk
I've been youtube surfing all night. I don't think I finished a single video over 5 minutes. These guys have such great chemistry that they held my ADHD riddled mind for the whole hour and 20 mins. Thanks, Coco! Entertaining as always!!!
It's so validating to hear about Phil Hartman. For years it has always amazed me that people said he was the master of a thousand voices. No, he had one voice! Exactly! And I mean no disparagement of the man - he was very a successful talent and obviously gone too soon.
This was a lot of fun to watch. You can tell Conan was happy to be chatting with his old buddy's.
I love this. I've listened to every single audio commentary of The Simpsons so I get all of the references and names, it's like meeting up with old friends almost.
Same! Can't even imagine how many hours of commentary I listened to between seasons 1-10. And multiple times...
ahh fellow nerds....you're my kind of people...
NNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!
Conan is such a great moderator, keeps everybody on great topics, flows smooth and making laughs. Plus all these guys are my childhood...thanks for making my childhood better!!
i find it so crazy that john swartzwelder is not on this panel, its like the guy is a myth , you look on his Wikipedia page & his profile pic is from like 92. swartzwelder is one of the best writers of the simpsons from the 90s era
He's a total recluse. Do yourself a favor and buy one of his books; they're hilarious.
You write this name Schwarzwälder. Don't be stupid. It's German.
It means 'man of Black Forest'. I'm from the Black Forest, I mean from Schwarzwald.
@@yackfou2412 uhm, you are aware that some names are spelled a particular way?? this name might have remotely got something to with Schwarzwald but still. maybe the name was americanised or whatever. you can't translate names though. names are names. his official surname is Swartzwelder btw. i'm german too
@@yackfou2412 the letter ä doesn't exist in English, so no, you don't write it like that. Also "sch" wouldn't work with the English pronunciation.
It's probably safe to say his ancestors came from Germany, but then the name was Americanized, as it happened to a lot of immigrants.
Also, the name might come from Schwarzfelder as well, you can't know.
So yeah, don't be stupid
Just did an interview with the New Yorker a month ago.
I don't know why this appear on my recomended sections just now, but is amazing
Nicolás Riveros agree
for its because of the countless hours of simpsons clips that've watched LOL
They should do another version of this. But with Conan's original writing staff from Late Night - Louis CK, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, Robert Smigel - that would be insane.
A genuinely fantastic idea
Brian Stack and Brian McCann as well.
What about Greg Daniels! He literally created The Office!!!
Yes to the sum total of this post
@@johnmccarthy4134 Oh definitely, he wrote Bart Sells His Soul, Lisa's Wedding and 22 Short Films About Springfield, then left and co-created King of the Hill which is another of my favourite shows. An absolute heavyweight when it comes to US television comedy over the last 30 years, his influence stretches far...
They all actually look like real life Simpson characters.
I hope they bring back these guys and other key writers for the final season of The Simpsons. It's these people that made the show. Good writers are mainly key to be successful and memorable. The last episode that was good was Halloween of Horror. It had heart.
your right....if they ever have a final season of the simpsons, they should bring back all the best writers and have them each write their own episode first draft and have the room write the jokes together and then we may get a season better than the legendary season 4.....if you watch the simpsons movie that had a lot of the classic writers it was great...I wonder why....but they were missing some of the early writers from seasons 1-5....people like conan wally hogen and james brooks should have been involved in the writing of the movie..they left them out for some reason...the best show runners were clearly bill Oakley and josh Weinstein..aka seasons 5-8..they knew how to run the show.......
I think they should bring the writer of bojack horseman in. He wrote a quick fanfiction for the simpsons and posted it on his twitter. It was amazing.
This reminds me of high school friends meeting again. All fun and you can clearly see that Conan highly respects these guys and has learned a lot from them.
Im from Russia and in 1996 i was 11 when they started showing Simpsons and they were with me growing up until 11th season. Gold era of Simpsons. They were shown in the evening and i remember taping it , and couldn't wait to chat about the last episode next day at school. Perfect and never forgotten.
What were your favorite episodes?
Is that what you watched after you stood in line for bread and a quart of milk for 4 hours? Good times!
Wow, the nostalgia is palpable through your answer, friend! Such a phenomenal show that shaped so many.
Did you get to watch "Worker and Parasite".....?
@@Kain5th all up to 10th season, afterwards it lost me and i switched to futurama
I'd love to see these guys come back and write another script, just to prove the show CAN still be great as it once was.
Let it die with the shred dignity it has left which is close to none
yep, sadly.
well what about the show The Man Who Came to be Dinner from a few seasons ago, written by Al Jean and Daivd Mirkin (show runner of seasons 5 and 6, the greatest seasons of the show) and directed by David Silverman?
It's been called one of the worst shows of the series.
wouldn't it be great if they were given a year to write the whole FINAL season ?
Al Jean as a writer on The Simpsons!!!!?
Come on, now you are just being silly.
3:50 "Sam Simon's a genius, and Matt Groening... you know? Has... and interesting.... uh... comic strip!"
While Groening came up with the original strip, the Simpsons universe and tone was built by Sam Simon. Most people don't know that.
He was referring to Life In Hell.
@@Gretchluver1 Ah, yeah, I am only aware of Life In Hell's existence, but don't know any details about it.
@@lindenstromberg6859 Life in hell was a wonderful comic strip with a bunch of panels it appeared in a square instead of a long line if you can picture the Sunday comics except this was in things like a weekly local paper. In Marin County it was the Pacific Sun. The comics were black-and-white and they were absolutely hilarious - completely dry, Absurd situations that you could imagine happening or things that probably did happen except life in hell would rewrite the ending to make it the scene you wish happened. A little like Dilbert. One strip shows a whole kitchen being wrecked - the whole house being wrecked by someone. The mother comes in andthe kid looks up and says, "Mistakes were made." You could probably look it up it was a shame when it stopped running.
@lindenstromberg6859
Wrong, dumbass. It was built by David Silverman, idiot.
Homer! There's a man here who thinks he can help you!
Is it Batman?
No. He's a Scientist!
Batman's a Scientist....
It's not Batman!!
Love that monorail episode lol
+Matthew Rajnish
I shouldn't have stopped for that haircut!
Think harder homer
classic
I personally think the monorail episode is little over rated
...So I tied an onion to my belt. Which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where was I... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time....
I actually went out out one evening with an onion tied to my belt just so I could make that speech whenever folks asked about it but nobody noticed.
"This elevator only goes to the basement, and someone made an awwwwful mess down there!"
Kurt Adams That's a good rhyme
Mono... D'oh!!
the master of my university college used to say this quote whenever he lost his train of thought. RIP Michael
I was in college when this started. Me and my friends missed the Christmas episode which aired as a special. Everyone talked about it. When it debuted as a series, my roommate was determined that we had to watch it. We loved it instantly. I remember being mesmerized as over the coming weeks we realized that the show could have been called “Springfield” instead of “The Simpsons”. I can count on one hand the number of things I’ve encountered that I knew were classic the first time I saw it. This is one of them.
This is genuinely one of the most interesting videos I have ever watched
whyaremeninmyshoes exactly same
It was really interesting listening to the writers of one of the greatest TV show in US history talk about the writing process and daily working life in general. They sound like a gang of hard working jolly nerds. Very cool upload.
I re-watch this every year or so. Amazing ♥
Wilburgur it’s Jesus Christ himself!!
Where’s your comment this year for 2020?
@@Fafafohi somebody farted, gosh dernit.
Me too
#metoo
Their professionalism is so high that they even look like their characters.
That's a brilliant observation. You're totally right ... If anything you can almost see their humor, personalities and sensibilities almost dripping from their mouth onto the page of a Simpson's episode written 15-25 years ago.
So true... I wonder if that was subconsciously done.
Can you explain that one?
:(
I don’t get what that has to do with professionalism. Talent, maybe.
This is such a great watch. It's both interesting and very funny. It's a shame we will never see a show as great as the first 8 seasons.
***** Well, it's more just the shift in writers. It's depressingly obvious when watching the film because it had moment that are very reminiscent of the older series
***** I can watch The Simpsons, but i can't say i love it anymore. It's gone from being witty, and ever dry at times, to just throwing pop culture references at everything. Like that episode there was just a bunch of Studio Ghibli characters for no reason.
+Senator Cthulu I agree, but I'm pretty sure that Studio Ghibli thing at the end was a reference to the "then" perceived closing of Studio Ghibli, which if it actually had happened would certainly have been the end of an era.
Steven Narey I would personally argue season 9 and to some extent season 10. Apart from Principal and the pauper, Season 9 is imo a great season. Heck even Principal and the pauper has good comedic moments. It’s the twist that spoils it.
Season 10 less so, but it still has great episodes. You can definitely see the shift though. Season 11 to 13 has a handful but it definitely becomes harder to find a great episode. Season 14 on is just mediocre to outright terrible.
True. It’s only rivalled by Rick and Morty imo. That show has many of the same qualities...
Conan just can't stop the funny. His throwaway joke, "I brought you here because one of you is a murderer" is so smart and well-delivered. All of these guys are writers, and wonderful ones, but you can see that Conan has this amazing performer muscle the others just don't have.
Yeah, the whole "It's not a cartoon even though it's animated" was a brilliant idea, and in my opinion (I say as though I'm alone on this), the reason the show started to decline is because it ABANDONED that idea. It got too silly and cartoony.
Look up "now you see it" they have a video on that topic
the Family Guy effect lol
@nnork I totally agree. It always had a very vague "it's a cartoon" feel, but classic moments such as Homer falling off the side of the cliff ('Bart the Daredevil') were funny because they were unexpected and almost black humour in that you knew he would be badly hurt. Likewise with episode plots, from the odd "that's a little" quirky plot, over the seasons things started to get more and more forcibly "wacky", which in my opinion was sadly the thing that really damaged the show as a whole. I don't mind a wonderful "what the HELL?" episode occasionally (heck, 'Marge Vs. The Monorail' is one of my all-time favourite episodes, but can you imagine that episode even happening in the first couple of seasons?), but it's felt in later seasons that many episodes actually start out with actually quite good plot concepts, but nearly always have to go for the "unexpectedly zany" outcome, that badly stretches belief in the series and sadly isn't always that funny.
I see the Poochie episode as the turning point.
Now, that episode was a classic and had none of the problems I was talking about in and of itself, BUT when I listened to the commentary they talked about how it was a story of how long-running shows (at the time eight seasons seemed long to them) stay fresh.
But more specifically, there's the scene where the kids test watch all those Itchy and Scratchy cartoons reflected a split in viewers: some wanted the show to stay grounded as it was, more a sitcom that happened to be animated than a "cartoon". And the other side wanted the show to get even wackier and crazier.
They chose wrong.
You hit the nail on the head my friend. I feel the same way. With all the other animated sitcoms out, the more Simpsons tries to be "fresh" and "original" it fails at.
It did what no other show dared to do at the time, but now we've gone beyond that and there is nothing left for it to become.
These guys should do another reunion and write an episode for old times sakes or just go for a full on movie
GrayWoIf we all wish ❤️
Unfortunately Al Jean still does write episodes. To Make Simpsons Great Again, you need George Meyer
Hayden Merrick or Conan.
Writers are totally under appreciated, the real talent behind these shows but how many people can name more than a handful of names.
Quentin Tarantino
Lewis Carrol
Kevin Smith
Chris Columbus
John Hughes
E.B. White
This is my favorite Conan vid all time. Amazing ♥
Wilburgur Love your videos man
WILBURGER!
HEY WILBURGER!
...
*Can't you hear me yell-aaa? You're putting me through hell-aaa!*
*Stella. STELLAAAAAAA!*
Mine too. I'm on my third watch.
No John Swartzwelder, objectively the best writer the show had.
Not really surprised, though. The guy is allegedly pretty antisocial and tries to avoid the limelight.
Conan was the best writer. The Monorail episode and Homer Goes to College are great episodes. John is second and maybe David Cohen third. David and Conan didn't stick around long, but they wrote some of the best stuff.
He wouldn't even put his voice to the DVD episode commentaries.
@@Paulafan5 Swartzwelder has it all over conan in terms of Simpson's writing it's not even close.
Tom Shaw you don't understand how writers credits work
George Meyer is. You don't understand how writers credits work.
I just think when the final season finally comes, this should be the writing team
John Swartzwelder was the best and most prolific Simpsons writer. Look at all the episodes he wrote. Unbelievable.
His detective novels are incredible as well.
@@kevinwr7093 "The Exploding Detective" I gotta read that one lmao
I 'thumbs up'd' your comment because I am a die hard John Swartzwelder fan and love knowing another Simpsons nerd (I say that with adoration) paid attention to the writers of early Simpsons episodes. You can even sense which episodes were his without having to look it up. I agree with you 100%.
@@marcdumont2275 It is incredible! Admittedly, its hard to read any of his characters without giving them Simpsons voices. lol
Swartzwelder was the spirit of that show ! He was THE guy !
He is the writer that wrote more episodes than anyone thats why Simpsons were on top for a long time.
Is he the guy in the cap ? He's awesome if it is
I just realised a replied to a 5 year old comment
Big Virgil no
Which one is Swartzwelder in that photo?
Schwartzwelder is famously very private. In the photo the is bottom right.
We did a editorial shoot with Brooks, Groening, and the rest of the producers. We had them for about an hour and they had us laughing the entire time. Great memories!
Link??
Much is made of the idea that they were written as a real *family*. The episode that sticks out the most in my mind is "Lisa The Babysitter" (if that's the title), where Bart is knocked unconscious by a tumble down the stairs. Great story, great acting, real suspense-very rare for a primetime sitcom.
That's an amazing episode. Season 8 was a fantastic season.
Yeah, I really appreciate the family aspect too, like in Marge be not proud or Secrets of a successful marriage - and others of course.
***** Season 4 was the last for Sam Simon and most of the original writing team. Some real classics in there, I concur; "Mr. Plow", "Krusty Gets Kancelled", "Marge vs. The Monorail" among them.
You’re right. I can immediately remember what I feel for Lisa when it dawns on her that Bart is really hurt. Plus, it’s enhanced by sympathizing with all her pride and frustration leading up to that thud.
@@Poezick88 ew Mike Scully
This guys are legendary no doubt! Created something that was so iconic and had a true huge benchmark in the tv history.
This is pretty much old buddies talking about the fond memories.Makes me smile to see how comfortable everyone is. Telling how they are close friends.
What these guys achieved with their work was monumental. The moments they made still have me in tears years later, and I hope for many years to come.
In 3rd grade, we had to choose a musical instrument to play in band. For years, my mom and I wanted me to play the flute. But when that paper hit my desk, I had three numbered lines to write my instruments of choice, and I put the saxophone as #1, because of my love for Lisa Simpson. 30 years later, it's my longest commitment and passion...THANK YOU!!!
Erica the red head wow, what a great comment, i was just getting pissed off with the "the sinpsons suck now" comments.
I'm so glad that Conan did this. I've watched it over the last 10 years probably 5 times.
The Bart Simpson t-shirts were huge in elementary school. The administrators and teachers would make the students turn the shirts inside out because of the profanity.
Good god, yes! It seems so tame compared to nowadays.
@gustercc
Yeah, it's like when you look at Friday the 13th part 1. Pretty TAME By today's Standards!
Simpsons was a confluence of brilliance and one of the biggest influences on me growing up (for better or worse). Can you even imagine America without it?
I've lost track of how many times I've watched this. The Simpsons were the foundation for my sense of humor and I can sit and watch an episode I've seen a hundred times before and still laugh like it's the first time.
CONAN CAME UP WITH THE MONORAIL?!?!?!?
Yes, and also the episode when Homer went to college.
- Marge vs Monorail
- Homer Goes to College
- New Kid on the block
The monorail character is Conan..
Watch the episode.
You can’t unsee it.
Alpha Ones Homer goes to college is the best
I call the big one bitey.
They even open with what could be a classic, golden-era Simpsons line: "Yeah, I got a blessing from the pope that resigned."
Conan leading a discussion with Simpson’s writers is makes my nerdy heart SO happy.💕
List of episodes written by John Swartzwelder:
No one has written as many episodes as this guy. This guy can write.
- The Regina Monologues (2003) ... (written by)
- Treehouse of Horror XIV (2003) ... (written by - as Triple Admiral John Swartzwelder)
- Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington (2003) ... (written by)
- The Frying Game (2002) ... (written by)
- The Sweetest Apu (2002) ... (written by)
- I Am Furious Yellow (2002) ... (written by)
- The Lastest Gun in the West (2002) ... (written by)
- A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love (2001) ... (written by)
- Simpson Safari (2001) ... (written by)
- Hungry Hungry Homer (2001) ... (written by)
- The Computer Wore Menace Shoes (2000) ... (written by)
- A Tale of Two Springfields (2000) ... (written by)
- Kill the Alligator and Run (2000) ... (written by)
- The Mansion Family (2000) ... (written by)
- Take My Wife, Sleaze (1999) ... (written by)
- Monty Can't Buy Me Love (1999) ... (written by)
- Maximum Homerdrive (1999) ... (written by)
- Homer to the Max (1999) ... (written by)
- Homer Simpson in: 'Kidney Trouble' (1998) ... (written by)
- The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace (1998) ... (written by)
- King of the Hill (1998) ... (written by)
- Bart Carny (1998) ... (written by)
- The Cartridge Family (1997) ... (written by)
- Homer's Enemy (1997) ... (written by)
- The Old Man and the Lisa (1997) ... (written by)
- Homer vs. the 18th Amendment (1997) ... (written by)
- Mountain of Madness (1997) ... (written by)
- You Only Move Twice (1996) ... (written by)
- The Day the Violence Died (1996) ... (written by)
- Homer the Smithers (1996) ... (written by)
- Bart the Fink (1996) ... (teleplay by)
- Treehouse of Horror VI (1995) ... (written by - as Scary John Swartzwelder)
- Radioactive Man (1995) ... (written by)
- Homie the Clown (1995) ... (written by)
- Bart's Comet (1995) ... (written by)
- Homer the Great (1995) ... (written by)
- Itchy & Scratchy Land (1994) ... (written by)
- The Boy Who Knew Too Much (1994) ... (written by)
- Bart Gets an Elephant (1994) ... (written by)
- Bart Gets Famous (1994) ... (written by)
- Homer the Vigilante (1994) ... (written by)
- Rosebud (1993) ... (written by)
- Krusty Gets Kancelled (1993) ... (written by)
- Whacking Day (1993) ... (written by)
- Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie (1992) ... (written by)
- Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes? (1992) ... (written by)
- Dog of Death (1992) ... (written by)
- Homer at the Bat (1992) ... (written by)
- Treehouse of Horror II (1991) ... (written by - as Spooky John Swartzwelder)
- Bart the Murderer (1991) ... (written by)
- The War of the Simpsons (1991) ... (written by)
- Bart Gets Hit by a Car (1991) ... (written by)
- Itchy and Scratchy and Marge (1990) ... (written by)
- Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish (1990) ... (written by)
- Treehouse of Horror (1990) ... (written by - segment "Bad Dream House")
- The Crepes of Wrath (1990) ... (written by)
- Life on the Fast Lane (1990) ... (written by)
- The Call of the Simpsons (1990) ... (written by)
- Bart the General (1990) ... (written by - uncredited)
Jake Rowles great episodes, what a legend!
Truly a God amongst men
but he isnt in this interview right?
Joaquin Shang He doesn’t do public appearances. He’s never done any of the commentaries and they only got him on through a phone call.
Spooky John Swartzwelder
Scary John Swartzwelder
Triple Admiral John Swartzwelder
I think it should be said. The world has changed immeasurably since The Simpsons started. The changes have been so great, yet so seamless that it's hard to pinpoint what the show is now missing without just saying "the heart" or "the passion". I personally think it has to do with self awareness and postmodernism. The Simpson's was certainly always postmodern, in its justified critiques of almost every facet of Western (particularly American life) from the nuclear family, the government, kids, adults, the democratic system, the education system, the nature of corruption, the temporal and toxic nature of popular culture, the use of shameless, often phoned in celebrity appearances that brilliantly mocked the 1970-1980s overuse of this in sitcoms, war, armies, the state in general, the problem with the opinion of the majority in democracy, Capitalism, Socialism, the pangs of materialism, intellect verse stupidity, the faults and flaws of religion, racial tensions. You name it and The Simpsons had something brilliant and sophisticated to say about it, something new to bring to the table. Regardless of their critiques, The Simpsons always knew where they stood on an issue, when to call something out for being too extreme or nonsensical. From roughly season 10 onwards, they appear to be struggling to identify with well..... anything.
While noting the flaws of the nuclear family and the stresses and pressures it places on individuals and countries, they would always come back to the value of family, the security they provide in the harshest of times. Despite the bullying and teasing between brother and sister, they would end with reform and apologies. Government and the education system may be slow, impotent, ineffective and corrupt - but in the end the benefits outweighed the flaws (Mr Lisa Goes To Washington in particular). The show knew when cynicism became useless and dogmatic and when a joke shed light or added commentary on an issue with a comedic twist. It was genius in its execution. I would argue the reason The Simpson's seems so soulless now is because, quite frankly it is just that - soulless. An earlier episode that would end with Homer and Lisa sitting watching a sunset after learning that even though they are both different, they still love each other will now end with an overwhelming "Meh" attitude towards what had just happened. It no longer knows what it stands for, what it likes or dislikes, what messages it wants to convey, and has slipped into a format of tell don't show.
The show really doesn't advocate anything substantial today, or anything you can't find better advocated elsewhere these days. They've become engrained in their own cultural position as a "legendary show". The celebrity appearances seem less and less satirical and more and more like genuine ratings-pulling attempts. The cultural references from Shakespeare to Star Wars seem increasingly less intelligent and more simplified. Characters that were once portrayed deeper and more sophisticated have degenerated into stereotypes (Which may be a consequence of outside media reacting to the Simpsons rather than the Simpson's themselves). The references to modern pop culture, Apple, Homosexuality and other issues the recent seasons have played around with seem lost and not sure of what they're saying. This isn't entirely The Simpson's fault of course, in a world of Social Media, the job the Simpsons did in the 90s is now easily and more quickly filled with billions of users and creators. The relative optimism of the 90s has been slanted into the skepticism and uncertainty of the 21st century, where shows like South Park, 30 Rock etc provide much more relevant and intelligent commentaries on modern life.
Lastly, I should say despite what I said. I have nothing but the upmost respect for The Simpsons, it is a cultural icon that we have all been so fortunate to grow up with. I remember coming home from school feeling like shit, and waiting for 6pm to roll around and the Simpsons would come on. It made my day many a time. I knew about Shakespeare, political ideologies, wars and history from The Simpsons well before school ever addressed these areas. I think many people are the same. I can't say for sure why its different now or if it even is, whether it's us, the writers, our world..... but I have a feeling it's all three. If The Simpsons is still reflecting our lives like it had in the past, maybe we're all just unhappy, scared and uncertain - and the writers are simply reflecting that.
nice comment
+Giga419 My god, you tryna write an essay?
+Giga419 6pm? are you british? channel 4?
Vithuraan Varoththayan Australian, Channel 10.
+Giga419 great analysis, absolutely agree. I remember when Lisa was a shy girl, too smart for her age, who felt more comfortable in the presence of adults than children her age. She felt real and complicated, but now she's just a girl who knows a lot and follows teenage trends and tries really hard to make friends with people her age, just a stereotype of a nerdy girl. The show may still be funny to some, but without a soul it's no longer what it used to be
I've watched this 6 times. It's THAT good
I think I just finished 5 ^^
I remember watching this the day after it came out, and have seen it several times since, and it's still one of my favorite things that Conan has ever done. This is truly one of the best interviews that I have ever seen. You can tell that all of these men were friends and we're passionate about the work that they were doing, and that that comradery still exists all these years later. It just goes to show when you give intelligent and talented people the free creative reign to do something original without impeding or diluting what they are doing, you will come out with something special. That is why in those first 8 seasons of The Simpsons, they helped to create the greatest television comedy ever. The show may not be what it used to, but nothing can undo the impact and importance of those first 8 years.
What the hell happened to Serious Jibber Jabber? Conan needs more of this.
No no, vapid actors plugging their movies is way more compelling.
I would give these men a one man standing ovation if i could.
Only I may dance.
EmployeeJoe630 i
😂😂😂😂
Sit perfectly still.
Just say the line
@christiankim6864
(Sighs....huffs!)
Shouh-Dare!!!!
"So basically, after The Principal and the Pauper in Season 9, it all started going downhill, but there was still too much money to be made. For another 20 years at least."
In what part of the video? It is too long....
That was me. But most people say that episode, during the first season of the Scully era, was the first sign of the show's decline.
James Leffel
I think there's a lot of funny stuff in the episode ("Up yours, children!") but the premise was bizarre.
Season 9 had plenty of great episodes after "Principal and the Pauper", such as "The Cartridge Family", "Trash of the Titans", "The Joy of Sect", "The Trouble with Trillions", and "Lisa the Skeptic" among others. I would say the decline started during Season 10. Still some good ones in that season, but not as good as previous seasons.
drfenderfunk
Yeah. I picked that episode as the first sign of decline, but Season 9 was still great overall. Seaon 10, it was obvious that the show wasn't as good.
This is why I love Conan
He’s by far the most famous and acclaimed of these men, yet he lets them all have their moments while he just takes it all in
Jimmy Fallon would interrupt them every 10 seconds
This was just delightful. I think my favorite moment was when they were talking about Michael Jackson: "Well, he was a little eccentric." "It's possible."
Simpsons have been stale for 10 years. Not the phenomenon it was. But the truth is- if it was ever cancelled, everyone would feel depressed.
You're not wrong - the Golden Age is acknowledged to be seasons 2-9 (1990-1997), though some push it out a year either side to seasons 1-10.
Season nine had the first really negatively-received 'bad' episode, The Principal and The Pauper (4F23); season eleven brought the pointless cameo and truly critically-and-fan-panned episode 'Kill the Alligator and Run' (BABF16), and season ten brought the birth of Jerkass Homer. The show was never the same afterwards. It remained watchable for some time, but these days...ugh, don't fucking bother.
Eòghann Lamond holy shit....the real comic book guy, how are you
simpsons should of done this when the movie came out.
age the charachters.
bart and lisa in their teens - homer and marge practically the same and do a search for the new voice of maggie who wold now be lisas age.
it would of been ballys historic move. And then every now and then have a simpsons "old school" flashback episode.
bioschlock I read that Matt Groening set their ages in stone when they created the show. "No aging".
Dork Whoop While the later seasons of Futurama aren’t as good, imo they’re still great. Season 5 (or at least season 5 on the DVD’s since the amount of seasons is different from place to place) is in my opinion one of the better seasons. They are also still filled with heartwarming moments as well.
The Futurama writers are pretty good at making great endings. They’ve had to make four so far.
I swear, I have to watch it a few times a year. I always pick up on details quicker or catch something that I didn't catch before. Makes me feel better about how much I've enjoyed The Simpsons. I highly recommend it!
This is such a great resource for fans of comedy, sitcoms, cartoons, and writers. Thanks for doing this! And thanks for posting it for everyone!
What always makes me laugh hard about The Simpsons is when there is a scene in front of an audience, for example a school play or a town meeting and something is being said that the crowd doesn't like at some point you'll hear a shotgun being cocked. It gets me every damn time, i don't know if its still being done today since i haven't seen any of the recent seasons but i hope its still being done.
The humanization of the characters was essential. It felt like a tangible connection to people who were not only fiction, but illustrated.
Wow! These guys made my childhood! So much talent in one room! I hope the simpsons keeps going! It's a show that even though the quality has dropped, to some, it's been a part of everyone's lives and it's so great!
Finally a face to place for Al Gene. I have listened to so many Simpson commentaries that I have a great respect for Mr. Gene's contributions.
its really cool to see this different body language from conan being surrounded by people he admires.
Boy did I LOVE this show. Best show ever to air on television, in my opinion.
NugSquish I think so aswell, I'm a massive Seinfeld fan but to this day myself and my dad still connect the most over a love of early Simpsons.
They should have written an episode while they were all back together.
The current writers have ruined the show.
David Davidson yeah I think the same
They recently lost there last good writer John Swartzwelder
I disagree. The audience have ruined the show. Consider how bad family guy is yet it gets big ratings, so why would Simpsons have the motivation to deliver something good. Same with PewdiePie, KSI, Jake & Logan Paul, iDubbz and H3H3 who all just spam out lame videos quickly and get big views there is no financial incentive for proper well thought out content. Creativity has in many ways been killed by modern audiences. Even Disney just recreates their old movies in live action form and the Marvel movies are among the most profitable movies in the world and they are pretty much all the exact same movie done over and over. Simpsons is simply a product of its time when there was less content for audiences so only decent stuff got made and the truly great stuff was watched by everyone. Once audiences would happily watch lame Seth Macfarlane or Chuck Lorre comedy shows and be satisfied sometimes even going as far as to say they were good in the mid 00s there was no longer any critical or financial incentive to workshop jokes like Simpsons used to do and put deep meaning in shows since audiences became too dumb to get them anyway. Avengers End Game becoming the highest grossing movie sort of highlights just how far we've fallen. Tell me, why should Simpsons bother to create quality programming with modern day audience behavior? Simpsons is a relic of its time and modern Simpsons perfectly matches entertainment of this current time.
@@sirpranksalot1 I think you make an interesting point, however a show with the prestige of being incredibly witty and smart should at least hold up to its own standards. The quality went down before family guy ever made it big.
@@tamarleahh.2150 I agree it sure would be nice if they did but I don't really think its fair to say they should. They don't really owe us anything as fans. If anything we owe them for creating something so incredibly layered. However we as a society disrespected them with the whole silly Apu thing which was ridiculous considering the radical left were attacking a progressively left-thinking (yet balanced) show and the fans just stood there and let them do that. Ironically that unfunny SJW comedian admitted he never watched a single episode of Simpsons so he is pretty much admitting to being a bigot (predejuce without understanding). Anyway I would LOVE all the old Simpsons writers like Conan O'Brien to return but I do not blame them for leaving for even one second based on how audiences have become I think its safe to say they made the right call. I do not blame Simpsons for phoning it in. As a creator I wouldn't be bothered to write anything "good" or layered anymore when current audiences are happier to watch some guy on TH-cam vlogging half-baked ideas or playing a video game in one take with no writing. Even the laziest Simpsons writing is far superior to the Best PewDiePie video. BTW I'm not insulting PewDiePie, I've watched a few of his vids and they are better than most other TH-camrs. I'm more just using him as an example to highlight the modern lazy audience behaviour (including my own) and how a show like Simpsons no longer works in the modern entertainment culture.
Bart the daredevil episode is a love story between a father and son. The extended tumbling provided comic relief; reminding us, "we are supposed to be laughing." The message was deep and carried through many seasons.
I'm glad I was able to grow up watching the earlier Simpsons seasons. Does anyone else feel that Futurama never matched The Simpsons on comedy?
I totally agree with you about being fortunate growing up watching the earlier Simpsons, it definitely shaped my sense of humor. Although I can't quite agree with you about Simpsons being much better than Futurama. I would say they were different, not necessarily better. I feel that Futurama's setting shaped the type of humor. Simpsons was very grounded, realistic and a family comedy (kind of) but Futurama's sci fi setting allowed them to be even more crazy and out there compared to Simpsons. I think I do like Simpsons more but I think that's more to do with nostalgia. Either way, both great shows.
Futurama is funny. I don't think I'd say it's better or worse, but it is really good.
Both are amazing. But only remember Futurama being able to make me cry. Honestly think it was the most perfect ending
Conan pretending to be an intern bringing in lunch...
My orange juice nearly came out of my nose and now I'm in tears.
It's kinda sad hearing them reminisce about Phil Hartman
I was rewatching all the episodes with my wife and found out he was sadly murdered by his own wife. I don’t know much about it though
@@turnerburner922 then u stared at your wife and u could see a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes
My good friend, Stephen Sack, worked with Matt Groening in a record store in L.A. before Matt made it. Matt published his early Life In Hell comics in his home in very limited releases..Stephen still has a copy. I'd like very much to get Stephen and Matt connected, as Matt has expressed an interest in finding out about Stephen, who now resides in San Francisco. They were good together.
"No, Marge I'm a farmer this week.. it's just the kind of guy I am."
Honestly that's genius!
I could watch these lads talk for hours. Great insight to the golden years of The Simpsons.
You can tell Conan respects these folks cuz he is giving them their space. A personality like Conan is too dominating to share screen presence
This is the best thing I've watched all day. I can't express to you how much I miss this kind of "shop talk" among equals; for me, it was musicians in a bar in NOLA, but I miss it.
The Simpsons pretty much brought me up in the 90's, shaped my sense of humour and my view of the world. These men are gods.
Jubjub made it into Star Wars 7 XD
+MrSuperbear90 I've heard but after 4 viewings I still can't find it.
i've read it's at the end when the rebel fighters are attacking the planet core thing. everyone says something different. I don't think anyone can hear it. I don;t think it's even in the film.
This was so enjoyable! As I live in a Prius with a cat traveling the USA 😂 good god what I’d give for that round table to pound a few stories about this! Greetz from Utah (this week)
I still come back to this video often. I'm currently writing a paper on the Simpsons history. I truly love this show so much and hearing the writers/show runners talking about how things came to be.
Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Conan, Jeff Martin, Jon Vitti, George Meyer - went to Harvard (and worked on the Harvard Lampoon)
And Sam Simon went to Stanford. There is some serious brainpower in this room.
I’ve watched this 3 times now. Can’t get enough of these comedic geniuses
The Simpsons has given me sooooooo much joy ! Thank you ❤️
they should do a whole Tv show on Fat Tony and his mafia goons, best episode i seen ever was when they did a Sopranos cover and had a war with yakuza triads, and every Halloween special growing up made my childhood , thanks guys for not quitting what you started.