Posted in: Fox, TV | Tagged: 20th century studios, conan o'brien, conan o'brien needs a friend, fox, the simpsons

The Simpsons: Conan O'Brien Discusses His "Just Awful" Writers' Room

On his podcast, Conan O'Brien shared with guest Ed Sheeran why his time as a writer on The Simpsons "wasn't sexy or fun or cool at all."

Without the constraints of network or cable television, Conan O'Brien is far looser about his time working his way up in the industry in his podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. Speaking with his guest Ed Sheeran, the musician asked the host about his time writing and producing on The Simpsons. O'Brien wrote four episodes over the course of seasons four and five during its earlier years. To provide a reference, the Fox animated series, currently in its 35th season, outlasted all his late-night shows from Late Night, The Tonight Show, and his self-titled TBS series Conan.

Conan O'Brien Knocks Down the Mystique of Working on The Simpsons

"So many people think, 'Oh my god, this epic television show [that's] known for its really good writers,' these people I got to work with are insanely talented, and the room is just awful. The room is terrible," O'Brien said. "It looks like the worst — I mean, it did at the time, I think it's much nicer now — there was just a bad shag carpet. Sofas that, if you're in your first year at college or university, you just get them off the sidewalk." The host remembered the particular bad habits his colleagues had, which included a steady diet of "fried foods." "There was a writer who smoked all the time who sat next to me," O'Brien recalled, "so when I die, it will be because of him."

Passing the time in search of inspiration also became a task of itself. "It wasn't sexy or fun or cool at all," O'Brien admitted. "I remember we all chewed up some caramel and put it together into a big blob and mashed it up into the ceiling and then tried to get things to stick to it because you'll do anything to pass the time." For more, including how episodes were pitched and writer room rituals, you can check out the video below.

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