Season 23 Information Thread

[jbauer]

So, apparently, Matt Selman showran Food Wife specifically, if the end credits are any indication.

I wonder if this was meant to be a one-time deal, or a potential career move.

I recall Sam Simon handed 2 episodes as testing beds for Al Jean and Mike Reiss, back in the 2nd season: When Flanders Failed and Stark Raving Dad were their first episodes as showrunners.

David Mirkin did pretty much the same thing for Oakley and Weinstein by supervising their efforts on Who Shot Mr. Burns, both season 6 efforts that were technically Mirkin's.

Personally, I don't see Al leaving the show anytime soon. He's as much integrated with it as it is Matt Groening. We do know he ran the season 23 production line as well. But I'm curious to see how Selman will be credited in upcoming episodes.

[Real Melvin]

I can see Jean passing on the crown as the honorable thing to do. It'll have been 10 years by season's end. The only showrunner that broke the 2-year-run precedent was Scully with 4. And especially now with the series' length toppling skywards, Jean (and everyone else's accumulated opinion) has to be taking into consideration the life of his showrunmanship.

That said, I've had it out for Selman from the start (well, since the beginning of my awareness of the staff). I only heard him in one commentary, and man, what a dweeb, definitely not someone I see being accountable to just himself at the top as the more passionate showrunners with actual personalities had done with glee.

[The Governor]

Jean won't step down since he (seems to have) purchased some vested ownership of the show.

[Real Melvin]

oh yeah I forgot that snotbags enjoy money

[Agent Polar]

If your in the northeast area of wisconsin at that time, you are most welcome to come friz. Why is that eww polar and toy story? I don't get it.

Don't worry (it's going to be al-right!!), I wasn't doing it to you. I thought you must have had a reason like you said below, or you were just having a party for a show you like. Toy story was being unfair.

[jbauer]

Jean won't step down since he (seems to have) purchased some vested ownership of the show.

I'm pretty sure Al should remain exec producer until the final episode, even if he doesn't showrun every single one.

He's essentially in Sam Simon's shoes at this point, the difference being that Sam was pushed out at the end of season 4. Sam still wrote a couple of shows and supervised Al Jean and Mike Reiss, even though he was no longer the showrunner.

[mgoing24]

Im woundering maybe that Al Jean will be a "Consulting Producer", like David Mirkin when he stepped down. Im also woundering if Matt Selman is going to hire his own writers.

[That Don Guy]

Can any one here tell me if there has been an official date set for the airing of the 500th episode? I wanna have a party for it and would like to be able to tell my friends when to take off.

Your friends all work on Sunday nights?

Anyway, as already mentioned, the reported date is February 19, which makes sense, as:
(a) Fox probably wants it during a Sweeps month, and the 500th episode can air in February without much air date shuffling;
(b) February 5 is Super Bowl Sunday, so Fox won't "waste" a new episode against it;
(c) February 26 is Oscar night, so Fox won't air a new episode then, either;
(d) This leaves 2/12 and 2/19 for new episodes, and, reportedly, one new episode involves Valentine's Day, so that one pretty much needs to air before 2/14.

[Alex_Of_Darkness]

Probably you will think that I'm idiot but watch do a showrunner exactly ?

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I didn't see it on here yet and don't know how to get the actual clip, but there's a whopping 23 seconds from The Book Job here:

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com...days-simpsons/

[Dark Homer]

Probably you will think that I'm idiot but watch do a showrunner exactly ?

don't worry, it's a good question

wikipedia has a pretty good summary:

"Hyphenates," a curious hybrid of starry-eyed artists and tough-as-nails operational managers. They're not just writers; they're not just producers. They hire and fire writers and crew members, develop story lines, write scripts, cast actors, mind budgets and run interference with studio and network bosses. It's one of the most unusual and demanding, right-brain/left-brain job descriptions in the entertainment world....[S]how runners make – and often create – the shows, and now more than ever, shows are the only things that matter.

my understanding is that they're the person in charge of the day-to-day production... they oversee all the various aspects of the show - the writing (they're usually also the head writers, not sure if this is true for all shows...), the animation, the sound effects, and all that jazz. they set the tone for the show and have final approval over everything (well, aside from the network). and they usually get paid the most because it's the most stressful job in tv

I read a good book about it a few years ago http://books.google.com/books?id=PemhQgAACAAJ

[Diversity Pumpkin]

Did Selman showrun The Food Wife solely, or was it a joint job along with Al Jean? (Ala Al Jean + Mike Reiss)

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

it was a twosome

[Matty]

Did Selman showrun The Food Wife solely, or was it a joint job along with Al Jean? (Ala Al Jean + Mike Reiss)

While Al no doubt still had authority, from what I understand the Food Wife and the Book Job were solely showran by Selman. The real question though is "why?"

[Dark Homer]

I'm guessing cuz he was really passionate about the subject material (video games and food blogging!!!) so they let him have full control over his baby

I don't think it's like training wheels or anything

[Matty]

I'm guessing cuz he was really passionate about the subject material (video games and food blogging!!!) so they let him have full control over his baby

I don't think it's like training wheels or anything

Yeah, but he didn't write the Book Job (maybe came up with the idea for it?)

[Dark Homer]

did I miss something? how do you know he's showrunning the book job?

[HMS pinafore]

did I miss something? how do you know he's showrunning the book job?

http://simpsonsmusic500.wordpress.co...-the-book-job/

[The Governor]

While Al no doubt still had authority, from what I understand the Food Wife and the Book Job were solely showran by Selman. The real question though is "why?"

Al visited a psychic and he new of the car accident and planned ahead.

[jbauer]

http://simpsonsmusic500.wordpress.co...-the-book-job/

And Book Job was written by none other than Dan Vebber. Yet another Futurama alum comes to The Simpsons. Good to know!

That makes Vebber the 14th Futurama writer to contribute to The Simpsons (the other 13 being Groening, Cohen, Keeler, Oakley, Weinstein, Gammill, Pross, Verrone, Burns, Odenkirk, Westbrook, Brian Kelley and Jane O'Brien).

[Alex_Of_Darkness]

@Oh that's Rapsberry ! : Thank you for the video but this video don't isn't like the other promotional video...

@Dark Homer : Thank you very much to answer to my question !

[Dark Homer]

http://simpsonsmusic500.wordpress.co...-the-book-job/

thanks

[Reverend Lovejoy]

I didn't see it on here yet and don't know how to get the actual clip, but there's a whopping 23 seconds from The Book Job here:

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com...days-simpsons/

I think this is the only episode this season I actually give a shit about, and that's probably only because of A. Neil Gaiman and B. because I'm actually interested in the subject matter. If it's done right, a parody of "tween lit" novels could actually be somewhat funny.
(The key phrase here, of course, is "if it's done right".)

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I don't know much about the subject matter, nor did I even hear of Neil Gaiman before looking him up thanks to the episode, but I have to admit his phony American accent put a pretty big grin on my face.

[warm slurm]

I've had it out for Selman from the start (well, since the beginning of my awareness of the staff). I only heard him in one commentary, and man, what a dweeb, definitely not someone I see being accountable to just himself at the top as the more passionate showrunners with actual personalities had done with glee.

I hate Matt Selman in the commentaries. I find him insufferable, and he's one of the reasons why the commentaries staring around season 11 (I think that's when he started popping up?) are so terrible. He just goes off on tangents about stupid crap and doesn't talk about the show at all, unless he wants to brag and then the only thing he talks about is how good his episodes are (Trilogy of Error, etc). He comes off as a huge smug bastard.

[biffwestwood]

We have the information from the foxflash.com website on the episode "Holidays of Future Passed" although there is no new information.





--“THE SIMPSONS”—(8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) CC-HDTV 720p-Dolby Digital 5.1



BART AND LISA GROW OLDER AND WISER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

ON AN ALL-NEW “THE SIMPSONS”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, ON FOX



It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and THE SIMPSONS flash forward thirty years and find themselves in a tech-savvy, futuristic Springfield. Bart and Lisa have children of their own and decide to spend the holidays as one big family at Homer and Marge’s house. Lisa and Bart turn to Homer and Marge for parenting advice and begin to realize that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the all-new “Holidays of Future Passed” episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, Dec. 11 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (SI-2218) (TV-PG D, L, S, V)



Voice Cast: Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson; Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson; Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson and Nelson; Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson; Harry Shearer as Skinner; Pamela Hayden as Milhouse; Tress MacNeille as Dolph

For episodic artwork and more information on this episode of THE SIMPSONS, please visit http://foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z175.



Contact: Jill Hudson 310-369-2953 jill.hudson@fox.com


The next three weeks thereafter I assume will have no new episodes since Treehouse of Horror XXII was quoted as the first of seven new episodes in a row and they are unlikely to air a new episode on either Christmas Day or New Year's Day.

[The Governor]

Woo, more zany techy shit that's futuristic, but breaks down 'unexpectedly'!? What gadgets and toys are they going to PUN-ish us with this time around?

More importantly, WILL STEVE MOBS BE ALIVE!!!???

[Stretch Dude]

Woo, more zany techy shit that's futuristic, but breaks down 'unexpectedly'!? What gadgets and toys are they going to PUN-ish us with this time around?

More importantly, WILL STEVE MOBS BE ALIVE!!!???

I find it hilarious that you're complaining about a flash-forward.

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

I find it hilarious that you're complaining about a flash-forward.

It's not the flashforward he's complaining about; it's the jokes and possible puns that he's complaining about.

There is a difference you know...

[The Governor]

I find it hilarious that you're complaining about a flash-forward.

My version of the Simpsons older is an alternate universe where the characters are 12 years older, but it takes place in the present day.