Brooks on Books: The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History

OK, so the show isn't what it used to be. I don't watch it anymore. But that doesn't mean the first (pick your number of choice here) seasons alone don't constitute one of the best television shows in the medium. John Ortved's oral history of the show does that legacy justice, providing an enlightening and lively insight into the creation and execution of the landmark cartoon and pop culture phenomenon. It's an essential book for fans, and though I haven't listened to all the copious DVD commentaries on the season sets, but I really doubt you'll get the kind of frank dialogue you get here.

Ortved even acknowledges the show has gone downhill, and the injection of that kind of opinion and analysis makes this a little different than some other oral histories you might have read. The author does a fine job of assembling comments from multitudes of figures involved with "The Simpsons" from a variety of sources (He relies on secondhand sources like magazine interviews to get the thoughts of big players like Matt Groening because, as the book's title indicates, he got no cooperation from the show's current caretakers).

However, he includes many of his own comments, clearly delineated in bold text, to provide not just context for the oral history, but a good dose of his own take as well. It's not at all obtrusive; to the contrary, it enriches the text and provides a POV that gives it a little spice. Ortved didn't need to take shots at sitcoms like "Everybody Loves Raymond," but it helps to know his perspective when he discusses the shortcomings of "The Simpsons Movie" or why many feel the show is stagnant under current showrunner Al Jean.

Ortved's opinions actually reflect the general consensus among hardcore fans, and I think, and he doesn't push them on us without sharing thoughts of others as well. And don't get me wrong, the real meat of the book is the oral history. It's sad that I feel obligated to talk about the decline of "The Simpsons" when discussing the show, but let's not lose sight of the fact that this is one of the all-time bests overall. Ortved's book certainly doesn't. Most of the pages here deal with the glorious prime of the sitcom, when the writing and voice talent combined with the animation to provide what felt like a groundbreaking experience each week.

Watching the episodes nowadays, I find their impact can't be what it was then when it was so fresh and new. I don't know if someone going to those early episodes (or second or third through sixth or so seasons, to be precise) now for the first time can possibly appreciate how outstanding they were when they first aired, before the ensuing two decades of TV comedy copied and expanded on them to make that perspective more commonplace. But they can enjoy a great show, though.

You won't get a ton of specific detail about individual episodes here--there is no episode guide or anything like that--but you will learn a lot about how the show is/was put together. There is a great history of how the show grew from an interstitial segment on "The Tracy Ullman Show" to a staple of FOX's early broadcast lineup. The focus of the text is on the writing. You get a vivid impression on the writers room and on many of the writers themselves, including guys who became famous later, like Conan O'Brien, and guys you think maybe should be more famous, like Brent Forrester, who provides a tremendous amount of incisive and detailed commentary.

Perhaps the most valuable portions, though, are those that delve into the complex relationship between show creators Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon. All 3 are depicted as talented but flawed individuals, and it seems inevitable that they would conflict as the show's success far exceeded expectations. Brooks in particular comes off as a lot more of a jerk than I expected, given the lavish praise I've read about him from others, but his clout and commitment not only got "The Simpsons" on the air, but shielded the show from FOX meddling in its formative years. Groening deserves credit for creating the core characters, but is seen as a distant presence who was never a big hands-on presence in the actual production of the series, yet had no problem accepting the credit. Simon is a volatile individual who resented not getting his share of credit but is believed by many to have been the true creative genius who shaped "The Simpsons" that we know and love. I get the sense that he's one of those guys who is widely believed to be an a-hole but gets away with it because he's brilliant, and besides, you know where you stand with him.

I could go on and on about this book, as I could go on and on about the show. Reading this gives you a good dose of the dark side of the Simpsons saga, but it also reinforces the greatness of what this guys produced. Ortved's brilliantly organized oral history covers all aspects of this classic TV show, from merchandising to famous guest stars to standards and practices. If you love "The Simpsons," you must read this book.