So why is The Simpsons so popular? Is it the characters? The jokes? The stories? According to a study undertaken by Fox, the number one reason people like the show was when Homer hits his head and 'all the pretty colours'.
That's focus groups for you. The answer is more complex and John Ortved's first revelation is the role of Matt Groening. If there's a Matt-sized hole in the book, it's because the cartoonist behind the Life is Hell strip played only a very minor role in the story of how The Simpsons quickly became the most successful show in television history.
While it's true Matt drew a family based around his own to pitch for the Tracy Ullman show, the book reveals the brains behind the tone, look and setting of The Simpsons.
If there's a heart to the show, then it's down to James L Brooks – the man behind the sitcom Taxi and the writer/director of Terms Of Endearment. Ortved reveals Brooks to be the force that anchored the antics of The Simpsons around the idea of family – as well as a ruthless director of who should enjoy financial success from the show.
All the yellow skin and garish colours is down to animators, Klasky-Csupo. The creation of Springfield and the myriad of supporting characters is the work of hard drinkin', hard gamblin' comedy veteran Sam Simon. And what was Matt Groening doing all this time? Sitting in his office authorising ever more outlandish merchandising opportunities for Homer and co.
The real pleasure to be had from The Simpsons Confidential – particularly for any comedy fan – are the chapters dedicated to the show's writing room. Various ex-writers, such as Conan O'Brien and Jon Vitti describe writing for the show as equal to 'shooting hoops with Michael Jordan'.
Some of the finest minds in American comedy have written scripts and almost all of them for the generally accepted classic era (between seasons 2 and 6). This is a good book to discover the work of George Meyer, the man behind the singular Army Man magazine and John Swartzwelder, who wrote more classic scripts than any other writer. Without them, there wouldn't be the lines, 'Pray for Mojo' or the deliciously violent Itchy and Scratchy.
Inevitably, a good final third of the book is devoted to just how poor the show has become in recent years. John Ortved squarely nails his colours to the mast – the show should have ended seasons ago. But The Simpsons is a monster. The Fox network owes its very existence to the show; only Seinfeld has earned more money. It's almost impossible for any of the people interviewed in the book to imagine the show coming to an end and because of this, the book tends to drag. But The Simpsons Confidential is not just a history of the show. It's an essential read for anyone who wants to learn about the icons of recent American comedy writing. And that makes it pretty funny too.
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