Talking Simpsons - The Dan McGrath Interview

·53 min·5 clips

Hear the only known interview with Simpsons writer Dan McGrath, released after his sudden death at 61.

The episode opens with hosts Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert explaining they are releasing a Patreon interview from August 2018 with Simpsons writer Dan McGrath, who recently passed away. They note this might be his only available interview. The original 2018 intro plays, highlighting McGrath's Simpsons episodes and thanking Dan Graney for the connection. McGrath begins by tracing his comedy writing origins to childhood collaborations with his brother and early work on MTV's 'Ha!' network. He describes getting hired at Saturday Night Live in 1990 by sending sketches to head writer Jim Downey. McGrath contrasts SNL's chaotic, sleepless production schedule with The Simpsons' more deliberate, sedentary writing room, which he likens to an 'Indian sweat lodge'. He shares pride in SNL sketches like 'Frank Gannon, P.I.P.I.' and the 'Three-Legged Jeans' commercial parody. McGrath recalls joining The Simpsons in late season four, doing rewrites on episodes like 'Clown Without Pity'. He details the intimidating, quiet writers' room where jokes required unanimous laughter for approval. He explains the transition after season four when many writers left, leaving him with Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, and Conan O'Brien until Dave Mirkin was hired as showrunner. McGrath discusses writing 'Boy Scouts in the Hood', including inventing the Ernest Borgnine cameo at 3 AM. He co-wrote Treehouse of Horror segments 'The Devil and Homer Simpson' and 'Time and Punishment' with Greg Daniels. McGrath recounts bluffing about a 'pool mobile' from his Brooklyn childhood to get it into 'Bard of Darkness'. He compares working on Mission Hill and King of the Hill to The Simpsons, noting similar production styles. McGrath analyzes the collaborative creation of the 'Who Needs the Quickie Mart?' musical number from 'Homer and Apu'. He briefly mentions script-doctoring Gravity Falls. McGrath concludes by plugging a modern Metropolis adaptation he's developing and reflecting on the gratification of connecting with audiences.

As heard by us

A warm career conversation built around Dan McGrath's Simpsons memories and the chase for the gong.

This memorial episode of Talking Simpsons revisits an August 2018 conversation with Simpsons writer Dan McGrath, keeping the focus on what the job felt like inside the room.

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Why you'd press play

You get a rare Dan McGrath career conversation, with a failed Simpsons pitch, a story-room gong, and the soft weight of hearing him after his passing.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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