#934
Post
by hearthesilence » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:13 pm
I think it may have been on one of the DVD sets for the first eight seasons, but there was an archival interview with Dan Castellaneta where he recalls what it was like to have The Simpsons greenlit as show. The Tracy Ullman Show was his first steady gig on TV, but it was nearing its end with the final fourth season - so having the network spin off one of the recurring sketches into its own show was pretty fortuitous. He recalled specifically thinking,"If this can last like three...maybe four seasons like the Ullman Show, that would be really, REALLY great!" It's amazing to think back that his entire career, really his entire life was pretty much fine from that moment on, and no one in their right mind would have predicted 32+ years, not even if they believed in the show's inevitable success.
But how many shows hold up 32+ years later without anything looking politically dated? I'm guessing none, but this is likely the first time a show has lasted so long that they've had to address those issues head-on rather than discuss them in hindsight. It really is uncharted waters, and given how many factors are going to be at odds with each other, it's no surprise that it's been awkward, but it sounds like they're doing as best as can be expected.