PRESTIGIOUS HONORS IN TELEVISION JOURNALISM. >>> BUT FIRST, UNLESS YOU'RE
OVER THE AGE OF 35 OR SO, OR
RATHER IF YOU'RE UNDER THE AGE
OF 35 OR SO, YOU CANNOT
REMEMBER A TIME WHEN THE
SIMPSONS WAS NOT ON TV.
IT'S BEEN ON THE AIR FOR THREE
DECADES, AND IT IS THE LONGEST
RUNNING SCRIPTED SHOW EVER IN
PRIMETIME.
AND IT'S FAMOUS NOT JUST FOR
LONGEVITY BUT FOR QUALITY.
>> THE SIMPSONS IS CONSIDERED
ONE OF THE GREATEST TELEVISION
SHOWS OF YOU HAVE ALL TIME, AND
HOMER, MARGE, BART, LISA, AND
MAGGIE HAVE BECOME PART OF THE
POP CULTURE NOT JUST IN THE
U.S. BUT AROUND THE WORLD.
MIKE REESE HAS HAD AEN FRONT-
ROW SEAT FOR ALL OF IT.
>> HE'S BEEN A WRITER AND
PRODUCER FOR THE SIMPSONS SINCE
ITS FIRST SEASONS AND HAS BEEN
CREDITED AS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT INFLUENCES.
>> WHEN YOU WERE IN JUNIOR HIGH
SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, WERE YOU
THE FUNNY KID IN CLASS?
>> THIS IS NO JOKE, I WOULD
WRITE FOR THE CLASS CLOWN.
MY FRIEND WAS THE CLASS CLOWN,
AND I WOULD SLIP HIM JOKES OR
GO HEY, KYLE, SAY THIS.
I NEVER WANTED TO BE A
COMEDIAN.
I'M NOT A MEAN COMEDIAN.
>> Reporter: HE GOT A JOB AT
NATIONAL LAMPOON WHERE HIS
WRITING WAS FUNNY ENOUGH TO
LAUNCH HIM INTO MOVIES.
>> WRITING JOKES FOR A MOVIE
CALLED AIRPLANE.
>> YES!
>> AIRPLANE 2, WHAT A SETUP.
>> Reporter: AIRPLANE IS A
COMEDY CLASSIC.
>> CAN YOU FLY THIS PLANE AND
LAND IT?
>> SURELY YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS.
>> I AM SERIOUS.
AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY.
>> Reporter: AIRPLANE 2, ON THE
OTHER HAND, WAS A LOUSY
HOLLYWOOD SEEK QUELL.
>> THE MOVIE BOMBED.
I HAD NO CAREER PROSPECTS, AND
THEN I VERY LUCKILY GOT ANOTHER
JOB IN MTV AND BOUNCED AROUND
TV AND BOUNCED AROUND TV FOR 10
YEARS UNTIL THE SIMPSONS CAME
ALONG.
>> Reporter: ALONG THE WAY, YOU
WORKED ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH
JOHNNY CARSON.
>> YES, I DID.
>> HERE'S JOHNNY!
>> Reporter: THE TONIGHT SHOW
WAS A RATINGS POWERHOUSE, AND
IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF CARSON,
THE UNDISPUTED KING OF LATE
NIGHT.
>> WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE
LIKE?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN OFFICE.
YOU'D COME IN EVERY DAY AT 10,
YOU'D READ THE PAPER, YOU'D
WRITE A BUNCH OF JOKES, HE'S
RECORD IT AT 5:30.
YOU WERE OUT AT 6:30 EVERY
SINGLE NIGHT.
AND IT WAS NOT A FUN JOB FOR
ME.
IT WAS EXCITING, YOU KNOW?
AND I WAS A FAN OF CARSON.
BUT I WOULD SAY IT WAS THE
NADERE OF HIS CAREER.
HE WAS ON HIS THIRD DIVORCE AT
THE TIME.
HE WAS TIRED.
HE WAS A BITTER MAN.
UH, AND LETTERMAN HAD JUST COME
ALONG AND SORT OF SHAKEN UP THE
TALK SHOW WORLD.
SO THAT WAS REALLY AN UNHAPPY
TIME TO BE WORKING FOR CARSON.
>> YOU ALSO WORKED FOR GARY
SHANDLING.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> IT WAS INTERESTING.
HE WAS A VERY, VERY NICE MAN.
AND HE WAS LITERALLY AN
IMPOSSIBLE BOSS.
I DON'T MEAN DIFFICULT.
I MEAN, HE WAS LITERALLY
IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE.
>> IF YOU'RE IN A BAD MOOD
ABOUT YOUR WORK, DON'T COME IN
HERE AND TAKE IT OUT ON ME AND
MY AUDIENCE.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 7:00
A.M.
>> YOU'D PITCH A JOKE AFTER
JOKE, STORY AFTER STORY, AND HE
WOULD JUST REJECT EVERYTHING.
AND IT WAS SORT OF A THING YOU
KNEW IF HE HAD THE TIME AND
ENERGY, HE COULD DO IT ALL
HIMSELF AND DO IT BETTER.
BUT YOU HAD TO GET IT THROUGH
HIM, AND THE BEST RESPONSE YOU
COULD GET OUT OF HIM, YOU'D
PITCH HIM SOMETHING, AND HE'D
JUST SIT THERE AND GO HA, HA.
THAT'S FUNNY.
BECAUSE WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE
GOING TO SAY, AND THEN HE'D
PITCH SOMETHING ELSE.
THAT SEEMED TO BE YOUR JOB WAS
JUST TO SORT OF JOGGLE HIS MIND
SO HE WOULD THINK OF SOMETHING
BETTER.
>> Reporter: WERE YOU HAPPY OUT
THERE?
WERE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME AS
A YOUNG GUY WRITING COMEDY?
>> I LOVED WRITING COMEDY.
I STILL LOVE IT.
I GO INTO THE SIMPSONS NOW
AFTER 30 YEARS AND I'M EXCITED
EVERY DAY.
I LOVE IT.
ANYONE WOULD LOVE IT.
YOU'RE IN A ROOM FULL OF REALLY
FUNNY PEOPLE AND YOUR JOB ALL
DAY LONG IS TO TRY AND MAKE
THEM LAUGH, AND THEY'RE TRYING
TO MAKE YOU LAUGH.
IT'S A GOOD WAY TO MAKE A
LIVING.
>> Reporter: SO THE SIMPSONS
CAME ALONG.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: THERE HAD NOT BEEN
A CARTOON IN PRIMETIME SINCE
THE FLINTSTONES.
>> YABBA DABBA DO.
>> BA DOO.
>> Reporter: THE PROSPECTS FOR
THE SIMPSONS AT THE TIME?
>> THEY STARTED OUT AS ONE-
MINUTE CARTOONS ON THE TRACEY
ULLMAN SHOW.
I WAS WORKING ON THE GARY
SHANDLING SHOW, THE SECOND
LOWEST RATED SHOW.
HE SAYS YOU WANT TO WORK ON THE
SIMPSONS?
I SAY WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME?
I DON'T KNOW YOU.
HE SAID I'M CALLING YOU BECAUSE
EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN HAS
TURNED THE JOB DOWN.
EVERYONE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO
FAIL.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE IN THE KNOW
THOUGHT IT WILL FAIL AND RUIN
YOUR CAREER FOREVER.
SO THAT WAS IT.
I WAS ON SUMMER BREAK FROM THE
GARY SHANDLING SHOW.
I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE WHAT I WAS
DOING.
I THOUGHT I HIT ROCK BOTTOM.
>> Reporter: A FASCINATING LINE
ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO WORK
FOR THE TONIGHT SHOW.
THE HOURS WERE NORMAL.
HE'S DONE SHOWS WHERE YOU WORK
80, 90, 100 HOURS A WEEK.
HE SAID MOST COMEDY WRITERS IN
HOLLYWOOD WOULD BE VERY HAPPY
WORKING FOR AN INSURANCE
COMPANY BECAUSE THE HOURS ARE
SO GREAT.
EVERYBODY IN INSURANCE
COMPANIES WANT TO BE A COMEDY
WRITER.
THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON
THE OTHER SIDE.
>> ALWAYS.
>> SO WHAT IS IT REALLY LIKE TO
TURN OUT A SCRIPT THAT IS FRESH
AND FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING?
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WITH MIKE
REESE TOMORROW ON 207 AND OFFER
HIS THOUGHTS ON WHY THE SHOW
HAS LASTED SO LONG, 30 YEARS.
>> THAT WILL BE INTERESTING TO
HEAR BECAUSE IT HAS HAD A VERY
EXTENSIVE RUN.
>> I LOVE THE INSIDER STUFF.
AND HE'S GOT SOME GOOD INSIDE
STUFF.
>>> AN APPEARANCE AT THE JEWISH
COMMUNITY ALLIANCE OF SOUTHERN