WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:01.679 Four finger Discount. 2 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:19.719 Dude, Hey, eybody, welcome to four Finger Discount with this 3 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.480 is what. We were joined by the Grand Pooba, the 4 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:23.399 head honcho of the Simpsons. It is Matt Salmon. How 5 00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:23.879 are you doing so? 6 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.239 What's up? How you guys doing how? I can't see 7 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:29.000 guy's feet? Hold on? This is hold on. 8 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:32.200 It's because I'm continually sidelined by Dan, though he is 9 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:35.600 holding the spotlight from day one. 10 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.320 I'm going to take the opinion that I've never seen 11 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:41.240 one episode of seasons one through eight. 12 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:43.079 I'm sure that the news website will take that as 13 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:44.759 actual news. That's what they tend to get. Walk a 14 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:46.399 little quote from you and just run while with it, 15 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:50.359 because now, what's the latest one? It was? Simpsons showrunner 16 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:52.719 says the season the show will never have a finale. 17 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:53.719 That was the latest one. 18 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.479 Well, I do agree that it will hopefully will never 19 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:00.920 have a probably I'll never a lane finale. Yeah that's all. 20 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:04.079 I may or may not have a last episode, but 21 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.120 I just doesn't have a lame finale that tries to 22 00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:09.560 sum everything up. And you know I'm on the record 23 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:11.480 about that. But also, all of a sudden will be 24 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:15.959 someone else's decision. So that's also their problem. Maybe they 25 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:17.439 could do every they could do all they could have 26 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:21.480 it be Bart graduates fourth grade and Turns eleven and 27 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:25.359 Milhouse all that stuff. Everyone gets to be better but themselves. 28 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:26.079 What a good shipe. 29 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:28.359 Finales. As far as the O consent, do you do 30 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:29.799 you have any of that sort of leap out? It 31 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:31.920 was like, oh, they stuck the landing on that one. 32 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.239 I can't remember any shows. 33 00:01:35.319 --> 00:01:36.359 What is television? 34 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:38.560 I don't think the Cheers one was that good. I 35 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:40.719 just don't think TV shows are supposed to end, so 36 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:43.920 like idea that you're doing an unnatural The end is 37 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:48.319 not natural because they're especially like classic TV shows are 38 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.879 supposed to go on forever and make everyone print money forever, 39 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:55.200 like the Simpsons, like a giant ATM. So then all 40 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:57.239 of a sudden, you're doing a different kind of storytelling 41 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.000 for this last episode about the premise of the SHO 42 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.000 show has shifted to a new and that everyone is 43 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:06.879 the reason they see each other no longer exists. It's unnatural. 44 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.879 I think in the two thousands and maybe in the 45 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:10.800 twenty tens, you know, you got this whole presstage TV 46 00:02:10.919 --> 00:02:12.759 thing going on, and you had a lot of critics 47 00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:16.280 and pundits going. You know, TV shows are the new novels, 48 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:19.000 and you had a lot of people thinking, oh, well, 49 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.039 I'm creating a work of art here, and I need 50 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:23.280 to put a full stop on it if I may, 51 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.080 if I am doing a final episode, and I reckon. 52 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.120 There are some shows that actually did that pretty well. 53 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.560 But yeah, you're right in that. Yeah, television is generally 54 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:32.840 a thing that just keep going, keeps going and keeps going. 55 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.199 Like dramas. I mean, dramas are their own thing, But 56 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:37.479 for like half hour comedies, I don't think there are 57 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:40.120 any good last episodes. And I say that not being 58 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:43.120 able to think of any that ever happened. So with 59 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:45.639 a sample size of zero in my memory, there are 60 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:48.919 no good last episodes of any half hour comedy because 61 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:51.199 they all do the thing the show wasn't supposed to do, 62 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:53.599 which is end the show. Because they always to say 63 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:56.360 we're gonna end the show rather than just a good episode, 64 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:58.199 it is the last episode, and Nick, you never know 65 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:01.199 what happens. Then this is a new theory I just 66 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:03.400 thought of in the moment. So I don't know if 67 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:04.120 I believe. 68 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:06.960 It, but hell, the job of selling. 69 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:10.759 It, I don't think any half hour finale has ever 70 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.680 been good that tried to fundamentally shift the premise of 71 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:16.319 the show, And I can't think of any examples to 72 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:17.719 prove or disprove my theory. 73 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:19.719 Well, one thing I always fall back on is the 74 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.800 Raymond finale. I really enjoyed because it was just essentially 75 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.039 another episode and and with them just sitting around the 76 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:26.639 dinner table having family dinner. 77 00:03:26.919 --> 00:03:29.080 That's a great finale. That there you go, that one. 78 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:31.800 Any of the ones that, like, you close the bar, 79 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:35.039 you left Korea, those are the two. That's the only two. 80 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:37.360 I've only seen two shows in my life, Cheers and 81 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:41.719 Mash Murphy Brown Dies by murder suicide. Like all those 82 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:45.159 finalees are, they're not good. I mean, I guess the 83 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.400 Mash one makes sense historically, but I don't know was Mash. 84 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:48.719 No. 85 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:51.199 One listening to this knows what mashes. 86 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:53.400 I mean, I know it mashes. It's one of my 87 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:55.039 favorite shows, but I'm sure there are a lot of 88 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:56.639 people that don't really talk about Mash anymore. 89 00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:00.199 You're right, yeah, yeah, anyway, I'm starting off with a bang. 90 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:03.280 No, but sure you count and spicy and hot. It's fantastic. 91 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:05.680 I wanted to recently have the eight hundred episode. That's 92 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:08.400 that's another thing not many shows do is eight hundred episodes. 93 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:11.080 So you get the launch party? Is it the Fonder theater? 94 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.000 Fonder the theater named after? 95 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:17.680 Refinder? It was as a Bridget funder Actually don't know 96 00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:19.680 that his granddaughter. 97 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:24.839 Do you think that's a take that's going to resonate 98 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:26.360 with the younger warning? Is they going to go, who 99 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:27.519 the hell's Bridget funds. 100 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:29.439 For us singles? 101 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:31.639 And Jackie Brown fans? That really hurts. But at the 102 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:32.399 same time. 103 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.519 Any all the finders, it's hard to grow up and 104 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:37.079 show biz, right, guys? You know you can do that? 105 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:41.360 Do you guys? Get to lay your like just relax 106 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:43.319 and just sort of hang out outside of work. Very 107 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:45.600 often the entire crew like that or is that just 108 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.160 is that something only comes on a rare occasion not. 109 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:52.920 That often because the animators are live far away and 110 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:56.439 are only semi Sometimes they come to work. Sometimes they 111 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:58.639 work at home, but they they don't come in all 112 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.959 the time, and when they do, they're in office that's 113 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.879 an hour from my office. I think those parties are great. 114 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:09.560 I mean, for me, the main goal of those parties 115 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.680 is to talk to as many of the crew as possible, 116 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.480 like tell them they're doing an awesome job, which they are. 117 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:17.879 So like people who I've never met, or the people 118 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:21.560 who I rarely meet or I see on zooms to like, 119 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:23.279 you know, say you know, I know this is a 120 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:27.279 hard job and you're really doing excellent work, which they are. 121 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:30.199 Is there kind of a secret handshake among people who 122 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.199 work on the sensors or have worked on the sensors 123 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:35.120 or is it kind of a hierarchical thing where it's 124 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:37.360 you know, you're coming in like mister Burns and saying 125 00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:40.079 well done everyone, as opposed to just like, hey, whirlling 126 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:46.120 this together. Well, I don't mean that as a gotcha question, Matt. 127 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:51.199 They probably think I'm like mister Burns. I think we wait, 128 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.079 we're all in this together. But hey, you laugh at 129 00:05:54.120 --> 00:05:56.519 all my jokes. I must be so funny. Oh wait, 130 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:57.959 mister Burns. 131 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:59.959 What's it like now being that you have the Soul showruner? 132 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.600 They're correct, you've finally taken that mantle. How has your 133 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:04.879 job changed, if at all, in the last season. 134 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:08.800 But more delegation, more trusting the people under me to 135 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:13.240 be great, which they are, more like letting them, you know, 136 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:15.720 come to me with ideas or make big decisions, and 137 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:18.519 me saying, hey, if you feel strongly about that, you're 138 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:21.399 just as talented or smart as I am, if not 139 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:24.560 more so. So I don't have to be the arbiter 140 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:26.920 of every decision like why am I smarter or better? 141 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.000 I'm not, So it's just either to me. Again, this 142 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:35.639 is my distorted perspective. It's more delegation, more trust, more 143 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:40.319 empowerment of the great writing staff and producing staff and 144 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.839 animating staff. But maybe they think it is No, he's 145 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:49.959 an obnoxious, multi obnoxious, micromanaging nutcase. We have to tender 146 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.279 to think all these ideas are good. So one of 147 00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:53.040 those two things. 148 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:58.480 Did that transition into the delegator the micromanager? 149 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.879 Your words up mine? Did that come? Do you? 150 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:04.839 Did you feel like a noticeable shift in the oh 151 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:06.759 this is what I do now or this is part 152 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:08.519 of my job now? Or did this sort of happen 153 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:11.720 so gradually, you know, did you become a hardcore networks 154 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:13.240 gradually that you didn't even notice? 155 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:17.959 Ah, good reference, It happened over time, but there definitely 156 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:21.759 when there was probably one point at which I was 157 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:24.759 doing I went from going like to doing like half 158 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:27.720 the shows to a bigger chunk of the shows where 159 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:32.759 I really had to institute a system of hierarchical delegation 160 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:35.680 that was different than what had come before. And that 161 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.759 was where we kind of promoted Rob Leazebnik, Tim Long, 162 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:44.199 Mike Price, Caroinomine, Brian Kelly. Tim Long I already said 163 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:48.519 and says our mesaiegos in different capacities to really, you know, 164 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:53.199 be in charge of episodes under the umbrella of me. 165 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:56.759 So when that happened, you know, that was like a 166 00:07:56.759 --> 00:08:00.399 big shift for sure, where like I, you know, I'm 167 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:03.399 heavily involved with every show, but I can't be as 168 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:07.759 heavily involved as I was before I had to. And 169 00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:10.000 those people we call the co runners, which I think 170 00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:13.319 is a great term. You guys aren't like from Hollywood 171 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:18.560 that much. So in Hollywood people are loath to share credit. 172 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:23.800 I personally don't need any credit. Credit is credit isn't 173 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.399 really worth anything. So I like to give it away 174 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.399 to people who deserve it, because they do deserve it. 175 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:31.920 So people say to me, don't use the term co runner. 176 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:35.679 People will think you don't do everything. I'm like, I 177 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:40.759 don't do everything, ridiculous. I go home at night, see 178 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:44.960 my wife, my kids like my father. Here's a little backstory, 179 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:48.360 guys at emotional backstore that's unpacked this. My father was 180 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:52.919 a professor of early childhood and human development for fifty 181 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:57.519 years at a little school called Harvard University Community College, 182 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:00.840 right community college. And growing up in the academic world 183 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:06.840 where there's very little money for anything, there's massive fights 184 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:10.000 and arguments and political stuff over who gets credit, who 185 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:13.080 gets credit for the papers, whose name is on the grants, 186 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:17.080 whose name is on the book, you know who? You know, 187 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:22.000 which associates and which grad students, And huge fights and 188 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.879 schisms and political ego wars over who gets the credit 189 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:31.360 for the for the academic work, right, And my dad 190 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:34.960 was always like, who cares? Everyone put everyone whose name 191 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.120 on there, who worked on it, We all worked on 192 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:40.720 it together, Like doesn't hurt me. I'm I'm in a 193 00:09:40.759 --> 00:09:43.240 retirement home now, No one one way or the other. 194 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.279 No one cared if my name had other names with 195 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:49.559 it for these books and papers and grants and proposals 196 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:53.240 and you know, academic research that I did. Like, just 197 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.559 we all worked on it together. Let's let the world though, 198 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.080 there's no downside. And so I took that to heart 199 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:03.120 at this Simpsons, so I try to be ultra transparent 200 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:06.799 about the degree to which this is a super collaboration. 201 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:09.399 Before you were the show runner, did you feel that 202 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:12.559 that was the mantra always at the Simpsons, that whoever's 203 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:14.639 in charge is always willing to sort of share the credit. 204 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:19.919 I don't know who's to say that, love is saying volumes, man, 205 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:24.159 I just I don't. I think Al was great with you. No, 206 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.440 I think Al was terrific about that. It's just I 207 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:34.320 really I'm like ultra crazy about being ultra transparent. I mean, 208 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.399 Al did an amazing job for so many years, making 209 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:40.600 so many great episodes, and he always would give us credit, 210 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:44.480 like if you know, he'll also I would think role 211 00:10:44.519 --> 00:10:48.399 modeled positive credit sharing a one hundred percent that to. 212 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:49.360 The best of your experience. 213 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.120 I mean, even just having the Simpsons on your resume, 214 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:56.080 on your save a, even if it didn't have like 215 00:10:56.440 --> 00:11:00.399 an official title next to it, would that's still give 216 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:01.840 you a bit of clout if you were sort of 217 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:03.639 like going for other jobs, or if you were just 218 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:07.600 saying to people, hey, I work on the Simpsons or yeah, 219 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.679 even even if it's not I'm a showrunner or I'm 220 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:13.879 a producer, or whatever. I mean, just having having the 221 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:16.360 title on your as part of your body of work. 222 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:18.639 I mean, does that like holy shit? That Matt Selman? 223 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:18.960 Wow? 224 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.720 I don't know. I think it looks okay. I mean 225 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:27.919 TV is so in a shrunken, desiccated state in that 226 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:33.000 there's more qualified applicants for every writing job than there 227 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:37.480 are writing jobs that I don't think there's any credit 228 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:40.960 that gets you hired just the credit. It really has 229 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:47.399 to be outstanding material, outstanding recommendations, extending personal experience with 230 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:52.679 that writer, and probably five other things that are to 231 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:56.519 get you that writing job. So am I holding my 232 00:11:56.600 --> 00:12:00.480 breath for future writing jobs after the Simpsons end? I 233 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:03.080 am not. And you know what, I've had a great run, 234 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:05.960 so I'm not super stressed about it at the moment, 235 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:08.320 but I mean a little bit. It's also such an 236 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:12.840 old show. Simpsons writers are somewhat of an an unknown 237 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:15.840 quantity in the rest of regular television. But we're a 238 00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:18.600 little bit like off on our own crazy Galapagos island, 239 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:24.080 and we have operated with our own evolutionary system, and 240 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:27.120 we have our own strange animals and different plants and 241 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:30.000 floras and faunas that you know, we're not part of 242 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:33.120 kind of traditional TV where you jump from job to 243 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.440 job and you write pilots, and you know a lot 244 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:37.759 of executives, and you pitch a lot of shows and 245 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:39.799 some of them you write a script, and some of 246 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:42.240 them are a pilot, and some of them are a show, 247 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:45.279 and so then maybe you're successful and you have a 248 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:48.200 kind of an overall deal. Like words, we really just 249 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:52.639 do this one thing on the Homer's Galopagas Island. So 250 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.080 I'm not sure what the rest of showbiz thinks of 251 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:58.279 us the show as a credit in terms of future jobs. 252 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:00.960 Sometimes I think it might be like they think we 253 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:04.240 worked on Sesame Street because it was something from their childhoods. 254 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:07.039 So like the executives are now, let's say the executives 255 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:09.360 are thirty. So if I say I worked on the Simpsons, 256 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:13.879 They're like, oh, you worked on Powerpuff Girls right from 257 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:14.759 when they were kids. 258 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:16.919 Didn't that show starting black and White? Yeah, it was 259 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:17.600 something like that. 260 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:21.360 Never count on anything. That would be my advice to 261 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:24.399 all your listeners. Always assume this is your last job. 262 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:27.360 I always assume every job is the last time anyone 263 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:28.039 will ever pay. 264 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:30.879 What's the turnover? Like with the writer's room these days, 265 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:34.559 zero turnover. Yes, do mayb people leave the Simpsons once 266 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:35.480 they joined the Simpsons. 267 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:40.039 Nobody leaves. Everyone who left regrets it, every single one 268 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:42.480 of them except for Greg Daniels and Cod and O'Brien. 269 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.480 Well, we had Josh once once staying on the show racially, 270 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:49.000 and he said he regrets leaving the show because he 271 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:51.240 just expected. I mean, that was twenty plus years ago now, 272 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:53.679 but he thought, well, I've been I've run the Simpsons 273 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.200 onto bigger and better things. Now I can take on 274 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:57.679 the world. And he said, once he left the Simpsons, 275 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.240 he realized, Oh, the Simpsons, as you said, it is 276 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:02.519 on its own island, in its own bubble. Once you're there, 277 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:04.320 never get off it. You should just stay there forever. 278 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:07.200 Yeah, I know that was a that was a mistake. 279 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:09.919 Like it worked out for me. 280 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:11.039 It did. 281 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:13.519 Indeed everyone else made worked out for me. 282 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.320 The next milestone is that because you guys obviously see 283 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:18.360 milestones yet, but the four to fiftieth episode, the seven 284 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:20.360 hundred to eight hundred is the next one. The movie 285 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:24.440 is that the next milestone we're taking off? Yes, eventually. 286 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:30.960 Milestone or perhaps forgive this wordplay milestone or perhaps millstone 287 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:33.399 will see Yes, how. 288 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:35.720 Have you guys learned to balance the workload from the 289 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:37.440 first one, if you've learned anything at all. 290 00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:41.519 It's just like, well, I can only work when I'm awake, 291 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:45.240 so I don't feel bad for not working more hours 292 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:45.840 than i'm a week. 293 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:48.600 Is it stressful? Do you find it? You're more just 294 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:50.679 the team in general, just sort of can you feel 295 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:52.240 that there's a movie being made at the same time 296 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.000 At the moment. 297 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:55.639 I think it feels good. I think it feels really fun. 298 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:57.720 Everyone knows the movie is going to be terrific and 299 00:14:57.759 --> 00:14:59.879 that it's going to kind of give the show a boost. 300 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:03.279 I think we have a good balance right now. Yeah, 301 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:06.639 and assuming the Millstone effect does not drowned me in 302 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:08.600 a sea of craziness? 303 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:12.200 Was a pushback due to scheduling conflicts? Was a pushback 304 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:13.240 to give you guys all time? 305 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:15.000 What pushback? Where's the pushback? 306 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:15.759 Is there a pushback? 307 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:18.519 What do you know? What have you heard? 308 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.879 I've heard many things now, so originally July in now September, 309 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:24.000 so it's only three months delay. 310 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:27.320 But well, you know, I just corporations have their chess 311 00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:30.039 games that I don't second guess those moves all this. 312 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:33.919 They have their ways, They they know what's best. Corporations 313 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.600 knows what's best. I just I just work on the 314 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:40.360 stories and the Fortnite collaborations. You go on that you 315 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:43.879 I gently supervised it, But Jeff Westbrook and Ryan Coe 316 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:47.240 did all the did all of the creative on our side, 317 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:51.120 and but also the Fortnite people did a ton of 318 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:54.519 great creative on their side. It was a really they 319 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:57.799 really went above and beyond the call of duty. Hopefully 320 00:15:57.799 --> 00:15:59.960 there will not be a Simpson's call of duty level that. 321 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:05.200 It got made to actually find out what Fortnite actually was. 322 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:07.000 I didn't even know what Fortnite was, and I downloaded 323 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:10.240 and played it and I enjoyed it. So did you 324 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:11.159 play it at all? 325 00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:16.200 I dipped my toe? Yeah, But as a fifty four 326 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:20.440 year old man being sniped by a thirteen year old 327 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.879 and not knowing what the hell just happened, it gets 328 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:28.320 old pretty fast. So the frustration factor is maybe the 329 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.159 Simpsons next collab should be with the New New York 330 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:36.039 Times crossword puzzle excuse me, scrabble ripoff called cross play 331 00:16:36.519 --> 00:16:38.679 that maybe I could hold my own at. It's like, 332 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:41.039 you know, the New York Times is main revenue source 333 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.039 these days is games so they have this game called 334 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:47.600 cross play that's like a it's like a scrabble ripoff. 335 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:50.080 I'm sure, So do you in Price have a game 336 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:50.759 going at the moment? 337 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.480 Or Price and I have played, Although then I feel 338 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:57.159 like bad that I'm distracting him from work and he's 339 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:01.240 distracting me from work. So I just if Rando's challenge me, 340 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:02.559 I will, I will fight them. 341 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:05.000 Is there time for the you say distractions? But is 342 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:08.359 there time for just general knucking around? At the Simpsons? 343 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:11.759 You can't make a show without mucking around. If you 344 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:15.079 don't muck, it's like a It's like a machine with 345 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:18.960 no oil. The gears grind and everything sparks and the 346 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:24.240 whole engine collapses. Everyone involved in a creative enterprise knows 347 00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:28.400 that mucking is a muck is a crucial lubricant for 348 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.119 creativity and collaboration. 349 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:32.079 Having said that, I mean, is there a time when 350 00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:33.200 you're like, that's too much muck? 351 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:33.519 Guys? 352 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.880 We need to uh, you know, the machine's running smoothly. 353 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:38.559 Now let's let's make some widgets. 354 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.839 I don't want to overmuck the machine, but like it's animation, 355 00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:46.240 we're not building sets tomorrow another and then shooting it 356 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:48.480 and then that's it. You get a lot of bites 357 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:50.680 at the apple or swings at the cricket bat. And 358 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:51.559 do you guys play cricket? 359 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:52.119 We do? 360 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:56.599 Yeah, all right, talk you call them swings? What do 361 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:57.839 you call them? Pitches? 362 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:01.119 Swing? Swing the bat on the cricket pitch, Yes, but. 363 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:03.440 The pitches like the grass is the field? 364 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:05.200 Yes, what do you call that? 365 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:07.160 What do you call when they throw the underhound ball? 366 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:10.039 That's a ball? So you bowl the ball down the 367 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:12.079 pitch which is the rectangle bit in the middle of 368 00:18:12.119 --> 00:18:12.680 the field. 369 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.960 Yeah, should we had a lot of balls at the back. 370 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:18.279 Did you learn about cricket because of the Bluey episode? 371 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:20.720 No, but we do have a we have a cricket 372 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:22.559 thing in an upcoming Simpsons episode. 373 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:24.759 We were gonna just because we discussed this on a 374 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:27.839 podcast about six months ago. We said the Simpsons need 375 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:31.519 to do a cricket episode. So finally cricket episode. But 376 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:32.720 there's a cricket gag. 377 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:35.319 Oh, for sure, there's a cricket scene. 378 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:37.480 Because we're talking about obviously this is not going to happen, 379 00:18:37.480 --> 00:18:39.920 but we were talking about I think it was with 380 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.880 with We'll maybe Bill Oakley or one of the guests 381 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:45.799 and he was talking about how we can bring back 382 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:47.799 a poop if a poop was ever going to be 383 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:50.839 brought back, And cricket is essentially the sport of India, 384 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:52.880 so we thought a cricket tie in with India could 385 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:54.720 be a waye fun way to bring a poop back 386 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:55.920 for a guest appearance or whatnot. 387 00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:57.079 It could be interesting. 388 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:00.000 Yeah, but we'll see it happen. But with the Simpsons, 389 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:01.640 obviously we're not going to get any datails. I'm not 390 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:03.920 going to ask for daytiles that that's just silliness. But 391 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:06.160 unless you want to give this data. But my question 392 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:10.279 is that surely, well, how will it differ at all 393 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:12.720 from the first one? Will it be structure? Tone? What 394 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:14.799 are you able to discuss that at all? Or is 395 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:15.319 it just no? 396 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:19.559 I don't know. It just has to be funny and 397 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:24.599 emotional and exciting, and it has to deliver something that 398 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:28.519 you can't get watching at home, right, because that's the challenge. 399 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:31.920 One of the advantages you have in a movie like 400 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:34.279 this is that most of your audience will know and 401 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:38.119