The Simpsons: Amazon.ca: John Ortved, Douglas Coupland: Books

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Review

"Ortved managed to finagle interviews with some of the show's most prominent writers, producers, voice actors and guest stars, including Conan O'Brien, Hank Azaria and Ricky Gervais. He even nabbed an interview with Fox boss Rupert Murdoch, who laughed off the protests of his producers. For hardcore Simpsons devotees, some of the information unearthed in Ortved's book might be as intoxicating as a few cans of Duff or as sweet as an all-syrup Squishee." (Hamilton Spectator 20091029)

"The book contains observations from Simpsons veterans like Conan O' Brien, Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and even one-time guest voice Tom Wolfe, but the list of people who wouldn' t talk to Ortved is just as impressive...The book is at its strongest with off-centre stories...It' s a Simpsons history almost as odd as the show itself." (Maclean's 20091113)

"There are tales of animation deals gone sour, personality clashes that have turned into decades-long grudges -- it seems like everyone interviewed knows of someone who got less than he deserved. (Or, in the case of Groening, much, much more.)" (City News 20091118)

"In explaining why he structured his book as an oral history, compiled from both original interviews and excerpts from old ones, Ortved says that his approach is all the more logical because of ' the lack of cooperation from Jim Brooks and the current Simpsons staff.' The subtext in this line is clear: if you want to find the dirt they -- i.e., executive producer Brooks, creator Matt Groening, and the voices of the Simpsons themselves -- don' t want you to know, you' ve come to the right place." (See Magazine )

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The Simpsons is one of the most successful shows ever to run on television. From its first moment on the air, the series's rich characters, subversive themes, and layered humour resounded deeply with audiences both young and old who wanted more from their entertainment than what was being meted out by the likes of Full House, Growing Pains, and Family Matters. Spawned as an animated short on The Tracey Ullman Show -- mere filler on the way to commercial breaks -- the series grew from a controversial cult favourite to a mainstream powerhouse, and after twenty years, the residents of Springfield no longer simply hold up a mirror to our way of life: they have ingrained themselves in it.

Contrary to popular belief, The Simpsons did not spring out of Matt Goening's brain, fully formed, like an uproarious Athena. Its inception was a process, with many parents, and like the family it depicts, the show's creative forces have been riven by dysfunction from the get-go- outside egos clashing with studio executives and one another over credit for and control of a pop-culture institution worth billions. John Ortved's oral history is the first-ever look behind the scenes at the creation and day-to-day running of the show, as told by many of the people who made it, amoung them writers, animators, producers, and network executives. It's an intriguing yet hilarious tale, portraying more than two decades of betrayal, ambition, and love.

(20091204)

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