born september american feature film television director writer producer grew philadelphia intended electrical engineer abandoned career path favor studying film graduating stand comedian moved television writing wrote company larry served showrunner series unsuccessful attempt remake british series young ones created life series starred comedian ran seasons despite lack support fox network executives disliked dark surreal humor moved create sketch edge starring partner actress left edge run executive producer showrunner simpsons fifth sixth seasons cited introducing surreal element humor shown writing credit deep space homer sees space nasa program restore interest space exploration won primetime emmy awards award work simpsons stood showrunner season produced subsequent episodes wrote remains consultant moved feature film direction directed films high school reunion early life born raised philadelphia graduated father computer engineer death older brother worked television engineer affiliate cbs owned operated station childhood interest film explored writing filming described trouble child world high school felt teaching slow allowed teachers skip class days week intended pursue career electrical engineering saw stable employment opportunity writing film making took course philadelphia offered months teaching followed month found experience chose abandon career path decided making money loved going better making good living didn took enormous chance business moved los_angeles attended film school graduated lists writing inspirations work comedy group developing dark sense humor considers film graduate inspired enter directing career early career company started stand comedian performed united_states including comedy store regular joke routine everybody blood considers joke insight way writes stand comedy profitable easily accessible route found comedy industry wasn lifestyle particularly especially traveling required got job writing television sitcom company cousin met writer mentor wrote company spin wrote script episode rejected producers company creator impressed script began pitching ideas series instead pitched series story editors years success limited script buying power eventually able pitch producers bought script hired staff writer job aiming work cheers focused character driven humor preferred writing felt turn opportunity considered company classic french structure characters stupid clever meant adapt preference character driven comedy fit forced plot difficult thing plot laughs felt experience taught lot structure greatly aided later work character focused shows hoping work cheers sent script episode writers approved offered freelance job writing final episodes season pending commissioning nbc episodes commissioned agent rejected cheers job telling client failing want work lowest rated comedy television sacked agent signed knew executive producer like cheers character focused persuaded hire wrote freelance script beat seven writers staff position series served writer supervising story editor promoted executive producer showrunner half years felt belonged finally come place life wanted come received primetime emmy award nomination comedy series nomination received category episode wrote series showrunner directed episodes wrote saw directing means protecting writing philosophy carried later work felt head writer material execution especially stuff right sure sick idea didn lose disturbing left work single camera sitcom leaving wrote freelance scripts asked create larry time worked writer consultant season later returned direct final season episode beginning end life edge wanted produce surreal single camera comedy series development deal producers persuaded buy rights produce pilot american adaptation british sitcom young ones pilot entitled featured original series wanted cast comedian pilot prevented fox wanted words tested floor surreal sarcastic picked decided develop created sitcom life conceived dark surreal version cartoon dennis menace stars year old newspaper delivery boy lives parents increasingly losing grip reality fox lukewarm idea convinced order pilot dark network executives disliked pilot seeing initial run felt didn opted change executives enjoyed finished pilot aired run network initially negative attitude prevailed according executives struggled understand objected darkness humor included frequent death character regularly threatened shut production season insistence network chris moves parents garage attempts additional jobs paper route attempts girlfriend refused compromise essential served executive producer series directed episodes wrote oversaw filming production ensure correct tone production process lengthy rise film write episodes repeat following day unlike single camera shows days film film episode days enjoyed described healthy way live logistics filming especially sets effects convinced fox film studio audience use laugh track instead achieved steady ratings season finishing shows listed nielsen ratings second season moved sunday saturday lost bulk audience canceled second season finished piece dvd release praised concluding best life achieved heights worst life television classic unlike thing better talking talking nonsense laughed hard strong cult following subsequently developed noted canceled ultimately got audience hoping super dedicated passionate day wrote pilot entitled starring brown nbc produce people network enjoyed commissioned edge sketch comedy written brown directing nbc opted production fox ran long wished produce sketch designed edge fast paced overlap end abruptly broken segments order maintain attention edge ratings success supported network considered time experienced feeling having hit created kept building growing material targets particularly producer spelling objected sketch mocking series beverly_hills fox lead actress daughter demanded public apology episodes contain parody threatening sue production company refused responded thing parodies don hurt cross promotion viewers like come week shows absolutely spelling sense humor left role executive producer edge run reported forced negative reaction spelling stated left series refusing accept substantially reduced budget producers sony failed persuade stay returned series produce final best compilation simpsons executive producer showrunner animated sitcom simpsons fifth sixth seasons following end fourth season original staff members left remained brien soon left replace david_letterman host late night executive producers hired following exit edge asked join writing team started decided instead work life fan simpsons hired started work november long production cycle season air following september program solo showrunner high staff departure end season pretty build ground noted exciting big challenge hired new writers including tenure simpsons cited period series evolved focus abstract surreal stories humor notes veterans recall crazy years time wild simpsons unauthorized history describes era moving away realistic emotional character based stories pure comedy surreal humor interview stated felt brought story oriented approach increased focus characters emotions time keeping surreal weird moved focus developed secondary characters including strongly opposed censorship network interference telling post production supervisor ignore list changes sent fox aimed blood possible episode attack interviews writers assistant describes outsider writing staff initially divided respect comedy leadership style described little bit conducted writing sessions room splitting writers groups later worked late night praised leadership including felt shows great criticised including clashed episode star burns crossover critic stated wasn join writing crew worked written fellow writers previously concluded took direction personal great time receptive era style humor popular fans season episode deep space homer characters homer recruited nasa writing credit simpsons second man came dinner written worked concept long time basing story nasa teacher scheme send ordinary civilians space order spark interest general public idea proved controversial writing staff felt having homer space large idea series creator felt idea gave writers based attitudes jokes toned episode feel realistic including impression nasa stupid homer writes writers placed greater emphasis relationship homer family homer attempts hero original script retained episode considered best empire magazine named contender greatest episode book says episode second long sequence begins homer eating potato chips space shuttle ends dramatic speech turner claimed simply finest comedic moments history television copy episode later sent view considers episode special says episode plot surreal humor era pitched plots episodes homer girlfriend homer great produced sole episode shot burns aired finale season premiere season seven writers decided write episode parts mystery contest suggested culprit felt funnier wanted culprit family member season suggested remained advisory capacity helping technical aspects editing sound mixing attending table readings scripts executive producer episodes season seven radioactive man team homer approved story pitched vegetarian lisa experiences episode based flew london record episode guest stars paul paul recording studio spent hour recording parts later said recording amazing experiences life considers episode favorites returned role showrunner produce episodes joy sect singing dancing season pitched plot joy sect attracted notion parodies calling comical interesting twisted works time consultant helping write process month production cycle allows contribute episode form whilst engaging projects wrote simpsons movie animated short nominated won primetime emmy awards award work simpsons subsequent work directed feature film high school reunion film stars friends determined high school year reunion led successful lives said film women characters haven seen female buddy movies written funny women women don odd strange self involved roles like knew previously felt perfect role expect given recent academy_award win mighty turn horrible time high school story appealed film received critical praise direction wrote brings lot energy production keeping things moving los_angeles_times says knew exactly composed like frames comic strip ordering cheerful snow cone colors girls outfits fox executives disliked life came apologized way treated stating found funny commissioned write produce direct similarly themed choice produced pilot jeff universe sarcastic parody science fiction genre executives life moved liked new new executives fox chose air plays clips talks colleges receive positive response second film feature director released rejected project times disliked script liked idea mother daughter con woman team found writing broad emotion eventually allowed rewrite script year time filmed project florida los_angeles cameo appearance film jack lawyer reactions film direction varied compared high school reunion roger_ebert said film sly ambition charming high school reunion season failed comedies comedy makes laugh wrote direction little flat clearly having tremendous fun usa today opined gets timing right allows story drag little internal logic attached direct comedy starring disregarded housewife seeks expert american football order regain husband attention project completed fan musician taylor guest starred deep space homer directed music videos songs way sea cruise write direct produce biopic businessman based memoir personal life vegetarian early 1990s relationship actress worked edge credits
David Mirkin