Judd Apatow Wrote a Simpsons Script 25 Years Ago...And The Episode Airs Later This Month

 

WG – Writer-Director-Producer Judd Apatow has a lengthy filmography that dates back to the early 90s, but the former stand-up comedian can now add the longest running scripted prime-time show to his résumé . On January 11th, The Simpsons script that Apatow wrote 25 years ago will finally see the light of day. He spoke to TV Guide about how the script finally got picked up.

I had talked about the script on stage in an interview at the L.A. County Museum and how I have always been fascinated with how difficult it is to grow up. In fact, everything I’ve done on film and TV is pretty much based on my ‘Simpsons’ idea. [Laughs] I can’t shake it. Parts of that interview hit the press and I guess Al read about it. Better late than never.

“Bart’s New Friend,” follows Bart and Homer’s newfound relationship after Homer gets hypnotized to think he’s a 10-year old. Homer enjoys the experience so much that he decides that he never wants to grow up. Apatow described the struggle to get one of his scripts made when he first began writing.

I was 22, a huge fan of The Simpsons, and hoping for a TV writing career. At the time I was a fledgling standup comic and people said, “If you want to write for sitcoms, you need to do spec scripts.” Only six episodes of The Simpsons had aired at that point but I tried to copy the style and did a spec script where Homer gets hypnotized and thinks he’s a 10-year-old. He has such a great time being Bart’s friend that he doesn’t want to become an adult again. I sent it in — in fact, I sent it to all my favorite shows — and got no job offers. I also wrote a spec script for the great Chris Elliott show Get a Life. They at least brought me in for a meeting, but that didn’t lead to any work, either. Then, all these years later, [Simpsons executive producer] Al Jean calls and says, “Hey, we’ll make it now!

 

There’s basically nothing that airs nowadays that Judd Apatow doesn’t have his paws on. Every movie and every TV show always starts by letting you know Judd Apatow had his way with it and his wife and kids will likely ruin it. Pretty sure I was on YouJizz the other day and Paul Rudd popped up. Fucking Apatow! Get out of my me time! But regardless of my disdain of Apatow ruining every movie…no seriously, did you see This Must Be 40? There was a scene that I swear was 30 minutes of his real life kids screeching. Not even saying words. Just screeching. Old people who see it are like “you’ll understand it when you’re older”. No, I understand it now, and it sucks. That movie is dreadful. One of the least fun movie going experiences I’ve ever had. Right up there with Anchorman 2…which yea, guess what…WAS PRODUCED BY APATOW. Fuck sake man, go back to being funny and not ruining everything. But ok, regardless of my disdain of Apatow ruining every movie, it is cool that he wrote a script 25 years ago and is now going to get an episode of the Simpsons. It still pisses me off though, like he’s done everything else there is to do, and now he gets to gloat that he wrote a Simpsons episode. Oh and Seth McFarlane pisses me off too. We get it, you know how to sing and you know random shit from the 70’s. Cool man. Family Guy is hilarious though. I hate snobby assholes who act like it’s not. “But there’s no plot!” Who fucking cares. There’s no 11th commandment that says thou shalt must follow the same rules as every other TV show. Funny is funny. Love Family Guy, beginning to hate McFarlane. Didn’t like Ted very much either.