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Matt Groening joins the podcast to discuss the origins of The Simpsons, his early days in Los Angeles, and the creative chaos of the writers' room. Conan O'Brien reflects on how landing a writing job on The Simpsons saved his career after he left Saturday Night Live in a professional funk. Together, Groening and Conan trade behind-the-scenes stories about legendary writers like John Schwarzwelder and George Meyer, the strict rules of cartoon physics, and how accidental throwaway lines became permanent pop culture touchstones.
The conversation also explores the accidental rise of The Simpsons into a global phenomenon, starting from 15-second shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show to over 800 episodes across 38 seasons. Groening shares his unorthodox path from washing dishes and ghostwriting for Western directors to creating two iconic animated series, while Conan recounts his own memories of pitching absurd jokes and playing practical jokes on the writing staff.
A playful advertisement for Wonderful Pistachios chocolate treats sets a lighthearted tone before the show begins.
Conan greets guests and shares a humorous anecdote about self‑driving Waymo cars acting like ghosts in traffic.
Conan introduces Emmy‑winning writer and animator Matt Groening, marking the start of the main interview segment.
Groening explains the initial concept, pitching process, and early challenges that led to the creation of The Simpsons.
Discussion of how the show quickly gained popularity, the decision to produce 13 episodes without a pilot, and its rapid cultural impact.
Conan and Groening reflect on the show’s enduring success, its 38 seasons, and the challenges of keeping content fresh over decades.
Conan introduces AI and discusses how The Simpsons and Futurama predict future events, highlighting the humor and eeriness of such predictions.
Conan reflects on writing for Mr. Burns and the creative freedom of Futurama’s futuristic setting, contrasting humor styles between the two shows.
Conan explains how the Simpsons characters were named after his family and shares anecdotes about their reactions to the show.
Conan recounts visits to the old writers' room, the animatics room, and quirky stories about the Fox lot’s history and oddities.
The episode concludes with standard podcast credits, followed by a series of paid advertisements for LL Bean, BetterHelp, Publix, and Toyota.
Conan humorously narrates a confusing text thread with Sona and David, revealing a mix‑up between car and food delivery messages.
Conan's Simpsons Origin Storystory
Conan explains how walking away from Saturday Night Live without a job led two Simpsons writers to recruit him, a move that saved his career.
Bootleg Simpsons Merchandise Collectionstory
Matt Groening describes collecting bizarre, bootleg Simpsons merchandise from around the world, including a crude wooden bust of Bart named Bart Sanchez.
The Rule of Cartoon Physicsinsight
Matt Groening and Conan discuss the guiding rule that cartoon gags can be improbable, but characters cannot magically defy reality without consequences.
John Schwarzwelder's Writing Habitsstory
The hosts share stories about legendary writer John Schwarzwelder, who built an exact replica of his favorite smoking booth in his house after smoking was banned in restaurants.
Writer-Chauffeur Hollywood Jobsstory
Matt Groening shares details from his early days in Los Angeles working as a writer-chauffeur for a retired Western film director.
From 15-Second Shorts to TVdata
Matt Groening explains how The Simpsons originated as tiny 15-second shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show before getting an order for 13 episodes without a pilot.
The Evolution of 38 Seasonsdata
Matt Groening reveals that The Simpsons has produced over 800 episodes across 38 seasons, requiring immense pencil mileage from animators.
Writer and animator Matt Groening feels honored about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Matt sits down with Conan to discuss fond memories of The Simpsons writers' rooms of yesteryear, keeping track of jokes over 800+ episodes, and mining the future for endless comedy with Futurama. Later, Sona reports on a mishandled attempt to have Conan’s food delivered. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com. Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (323) 362-2295.
13,599 words · 7 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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