This week, we welcome back Simpsons writer Brian Kelley! Last time on "ECUS" we talked to him about the Season 29 premiere episode "The Serfsons". This time, we expand the conversation to include his experiences writing on Futurama, NewsRadio and the much-maligned Friends spin-off Joey! Brian's impressive resume is as long as his spirit is embiggening to the smallest man (which is to say, a LOT). Join Allie and Julia as we venture down this '90s-centric walk down Brian's memory lane -- including the time he wrote sketches for his comedy hero Steve Martin on SNL!

Brian Kelley

Round Springfield is a Simpsons-adjacent podcast hosted by Allie Goertz and Julia Prescott where they interview writers, directors, showrunners, and voice-actors from the Simpsons-verse on their various paths to Springfield, failed pilots, other projects, and beyond. In this 20-episode limited series, you'll hear David X. Cohen talk Futurama, Josh Weinstein talk Mission Hill, and Yeardley Smith dig deep into her diverse path of becoming Lisa Simpson.

TV & Film

Comedy

6 years, 3 podcast titles, 2 networks, 1 friendship that started it all. In this very special very last episode of Simpsons Pod, Allie and Julia reflect on all the life that happened from the moment they pressed "Record" all those years ago. The fans, the friends, the book deals, the live tours -- the guests that got away! The guests they couldn't get enough of, the crazy instance of getting to even be in the same room as their heroes. Between the very last 'Krusty Q' and fond farewells from previous guests, it's a sweet 'Sayonara' to their Simpsons corner of the world and a celebration of all that can happen when you take a chance on a silly idea with a sweet friend. So grab your disgruntled goat doll, tighten that Bart baseball cap and take solace in the fact that A&J will forever be your twitter home for exchanging Frinkiac Simpsons memes. It's not a good bye, it's a "Smell ya later."

Smell Ya Later!

THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE. Allie and Julia round out the home stretch of RS with the heavy hitters of the heavy hitters -- the Papi of the Pod, the Sultan of the Simps, the Cartoonist Creator who started it all... a young upstart named Matt Groening! In this multi-hour (!) super-mega-episode, the girls dig into Matt's early days in Oregon, the go-go '80s of Hollywood and how he's never lost the spirit of the 'drawing kid' who landed here with a dream and a scrappy sense of humor. Will this episode unlock secrets to the show's many mysteries? Do they uncover Fry from Futurama's true origin story? Is he an *overachiever* and proud of it?!  Only one way to find out (hint: by immediately downloading this episode and listening to it in its entirety). IT'S THE PENULTIMATE POD! Our last episode is out July 19th!

Matt Groening

Mike Scully returns! Come for the tales of his early writing career (meeting the legendary Don Knotts on his first staff job, "What a Country"!), stay for the lessons in being within eyesight of a producer when another writer quits so you can take their job! Mike's ascension of the Entertainment Industry ladder is riddled with mysterious tragedy -- and you bet your sweet, sweet can we get into it. From working as an "Audience Hype Man" to feeling terrible for pranking unsuspecting bystanders in a failed hidden camera show. This episode has everything -- including a sweet plug for Season 2 of "Duncanville" airing now on FOX every Sunday night!

Mike Scully

This week, Allie and Julia talk to Simpsons co-executive producer, Jeff Westbrook! Together, he regales them with his unconventional path to the writers room –  starting as an algorithms researcher, then a professor at Yale, then an engineer at AT&T Laboratories! We discuss his friendship and collaborations with Ken Keeler – finding his way from science to The Simpsons and crafting the voice of early Futurama. It's a must listen with one of the smartest "Are you SURE you didn't waste your life writing silly jokes?" guests we've ever had. 3 more episodes to go!

Jeff Westbrook

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, BABIES. Our first ep in the final 5 of Round Springfield are here! Just in time for Father's Day – we're kicking off with the father-daughter writing team behind the episode, "Yokel Hero"-- Jeff and Samantha Martin! You may remember Jeff from ECUS where he gabbed about being part of the writing team in the early days and the go-to songwriter for hits like "Streetcar! The Musical" and "Baby On Board" (which Sam was the inspiration behind!). Samantha always thought of herself as a performer, but explains the moment she realized she wanted to become a writer – but still NEVER thought she'd write a Simpsons with her Dad. It's a sweet hang with a family steeped in Simpsons history and the kind of chat you immediately call your Dad after.

Brian Kelley

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