Twenty-five years ago today, the world got its first, crudely animated taste of "The Simpsons" with the holiday episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." The show introduced us to the dysfunctional Springfield family, but no one could’ve guessed that twenty-six seasons and 561 episodes later the program would not only still be on the air but would be known the world over as a television institution that at the the height of its powers spawned hit music videos ("Do The Bartman!"), best-selling soundtrack albums, a sea of merchandising (okay, it still does) and a feature length film. But perhaps it’s better to hear the story from the folks who brought the multifarious Springfield milieu to life.
To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the show, watch the below 80-minute roundtable talk from 2013 featuring Conan O’Brien, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Jay Kogen and Jeff Martin. As diehard fans know, O’Brien led the show’s writer’s room during what is widely considered the show’s golden years before he was a fixture of late night TV, penning iconic episodes,"Marge vs. the Monorail" and "Homer Goes to College" (and contributing to many others). Here, he reminisces with his old colleagues, and what follows is often very funny chat about the origins of the show, how ideas were pitched, the dull realities of writing, and their memories of working together.
It’s great stuff from the guys who made television history. Watch below.
