More than 30 years ago, “The Simpsons” tackled workers’ rights in the beloved 1993 episode “Last Exit to Springfield.” Now, the series is updating its take on unions for the modern age, via this Sunday’s episode “Night of the Living Wage.” And there’s even a unique backstory: Cesar Mazariegos, who wrote the episode, also recently served as a WGA strike captain during last year’s Writers Guild strike.
In “Last Exit to Springfield,” Homer became president of the union at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and took the workers on strike to save their dental plan. This time, it’s Marge’s turn. In “Night of the Living Wage,” the Simpsons are stuck with a large veterinarian bill, forcing Marge to take a job at the food delivery app “GimmeChow” and its ghost kitchens.
But Marge soon finds that she and her fellow workers are overworked — as depicted in one scene,...
In “Last Exit to Springfield,” Homer became president of the union at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and took the workers on strike to save their dental plan. This time, it’s Marge’s turn. In “Night of the Living Wage,” the Simpsons are stuck with a large veterinarian bill, forcing Marge to take a job at the food delivery app “GimmeChow” and its ghost kitchens.
But Marge soon finds that she and her fellow workers are overworked — as depicted in one scene,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
One picketer said it best: “The longer this strike goes, the more detailed these signs get.”
Judging by some of those Simpsons-themed placards, he’s not wrong. But there have also been lots of not-so-veiled references to some of the ongoing strike coverage. (Don’t recognize the reference to Carol Lombardini and The Cheesecake Factory? Read this story. Can’t remember the exact quote about putting people out of their homes? That notorious line originated here.)
Some of the signs also just show signs of fatigue. “I’m gonna be honest I’m running out of clever sign memes,” said one. “Cause, like, seriously?”
It’s now day 120 of the WGA strike and Day 47 of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Here’s what some picketers have to say these days about walking the line.
120 pic.twitter.com/ZqrnJcR8Wg
— Mike Royce (@MikeRoyce) August 29, 2023
Bad logistics as I attended the kid-friendly picket...
Judging by some of those Simpsons-themed placards, he’s not wrong. But there have also been lots of not-so-veiled references to some of the ongoing strike coverage. (Don’t recognize the reference to Carol Lombardini and The Cheesecake Factory? Read this story. Can’t remember the exact quote about putting people out of their homes? That notorious line originated here.)
Some of the signs also just show signs of fatigue. “I’m gonna be honest I’m running out of clever sign memes,” said one. “Cause, like, seriously?”
It’s now day 120 of the WGA strike and Day 47 of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Here’s what some picketers have to say these days about walking the line.
120 pic.twitter.com/ZqrnJcR8Wg
— Mike Royce (@MikeRoyce) August 29, 2023
Bad logistics as I attended the kid-friendly picket...
- 8/30/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
“Aren’t you gonna say hello?” asks the mega-frightening Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Tim Curry) when he first appears in ABC’s 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s It. The story about the shape-shifting cosmic creature who devours children — and the group of friends who defeat him twice, as kids and as adults — is an iconic horror tale. And yet, after 32 installments of The Simpsons’ annual Halloween treat, “Treehouse of Horror,” it’s one that had yet to be parodied when episode writer Cesar Mazariegos pitched it. “We all looked at each other and were like, ‘How did we not ever do It?’” he recalls. The real reason? Time. Fox’s yearly spookfest has usually told three or more unnerving tales within the half hour. King’s novel is more than 1,100 pages. The solution: Make “Not It” the animated sitcom’s first single-story “Horror.” Then, on October 30, air “Treehouse of Horror Xxxiii,...
- 10/3/2022
- TV Insider
The Simpsons are tossing something extra in trick or treat bags this year. The show will present audiences with two nightmarish “Treehouse of Horror” installments. One of which features an iconic figure of Halloween: Krusty the Clown from Springfield, USA, stepping in for Stephen King’s Pennywise the Clown from Derry, Maine. Fans have been rendering both masters of disaster laughter in homemade art, and the Fox animated series decided to supply them with a receptacle.
“For one of our two Halloween episodes this year, we’re holding a Simpsons Halloween Fan Art Contest to get some great homemade drawings of scary Krusty,” The Simpsons‘ showrunner Matt Selman tells Den of Geek. “We’ll put the winners under the end credits of ‘Not It,’ our parody of… well, you know.”
Viewers are encouraged to send Krusty the Clown fan art for a chance to have their work aired during...
“For one of our two Halloween episodes this year, we’re holding a Simpsons Halloween Fan Art Contest to get some great homemade drawings of scary Krusty,” The Simpsons‘ showrunner Matt Selman tells Den of Geek. “We’ll put the winners under the end credits of ‘Not It,’ our parody of… well, you know.”
Viewers are encouraged to send Krusty the Clown fan art for a chance to have their work aired during...
- 10/3/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Tudum, meet Tud’oh! “The Simpsons” has gone “Simpflix” with the two-part episode “A Serious Flanders,” which executive producer Matt Selman calls a “dark, twisted ‘Fargo’ story.” Variety has an exclusive on the trailer that writer Cesar Mazariegos cut for the event; scroll down to watch.
According to Selman, “A Serious Flanders” was inspired by the TV adaptation of “Fargo,” which he finally caught up on. That, and the continued rise of prestige premium drama on cable and streaming, let to the idea of how “The Simpsons” might parody the space.
Mazariegos wrote the two-parter, which even relies on guest voices from that world: “Succession” star Brian Cox guest stars in “A Serious Flanders,” along with Cristin Milioti (“Fargo”), Timothy Olyphant (“Deadwood”), Chris O’Dowd (“Get Shorty”) and Jessica Paré (“Mad Men”).
“We wanted to do all the tricks that these cool streaming shows get to do: Flashbacks, crazy time jumps,...
According to Selman, “A Serious Flanders” was inspired by the TV adaptation of “Fargo,” which he finally caught up on. That, and the continued rise of prestige premium drama on cable and streaming, let to the idea of how “The Simpsons” might parody the space.
Mazariegos wrote the two-parter, which even relies on guest voices from that world: “Succession” star Brian Cox guest stars in “A Serious Flanders,” along with Cristin Milioti (“Fargo”), Timothy Olyphant (“Deadwood”), Chris O’Dowd (“Get Shorty”) and Jessica Paré (“Mad Men”).
“We wanted to do all the tricks that these cool streaming shows get to do: Flashbacks, crazy time jumps,...
- 11/3/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
“Better Call Saul” are among the top nominees for this year’s Writers Guild Awards, landing a nod for best drama series, as well as three nominations in the episodic drama category. “The Simpsons” landed four nominations in best animation, while newcomers “Ted Lasso” and “The Great” both scored nominations in best comedy, new series and episodic comedy. Winners will be honored at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on Sunday, March 21, 2021. Here’s the complete list of nominations, announced on Wednesday morning:
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
“The Boys,” Written by Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Anslem Richardson, Craig Rosenberg, Michael Saltzman, Rebecca Sonnenshine; Amazon Prime Video
“The Crown,” Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
“The Mandalorian,” Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni; Disney Plus
“Ozark,” Written by Laura Deeley,...
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
“The Boys,” Written by Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Anslem Richardson, Craig Rosenberg, Michael Saltzman, Rebecca Sonnenshine; Amazon Prime Video
“The Crown,” Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
“The Mandalorian,” Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni; Disney Plus
“Ozark,” Written by Laura Deeley,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
“Black Bear,” “Kokoloko,” “Night of the Kings,” “Rosa’s Wedding” and “Undine” have been selected as the competition titles for the Marimba Award at the upcoming Miami Film Festival Gems event.
The seventh annual edition of Gems will be held virtually from Oct. 8-11. The juried prize, which carries a $25,000 award, is given for a film that best exemplifies richness and resonance for cinema’s future.
“Black Bear is a U.S. film, directed by Lawrence Michael Levine and starring Aubrey Plaza, Sara Gadon and Christopher Abbot. It premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Kokoloko” (Mexico), directed by Gerardo Naranjo, received a Best Actor prize for Noé Hernández at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.
“Night of the Kings” comes from Ivory Coast, France, Canada and Senegal. Directed by Philippe Lacôte, it is the Ivory Coast’s official submission in the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category
“Rosa’s Wedding” (Spain...
The seventh annual edition of Gems will be held virtually from Oct. 8-11. The juried prize, which carries a $25,000 award, is given for a film that best exemplifies richness and resonance for cinema’s future.
“Black Bear is a U.S. film, directed by Lawrence Michael Levine and starring Aubrey Plaza, Sara Gadon and Christopher Abbot. It premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Kokoloko” (Mexico), directed by Gerardo Naranjo, received a Best Actor prize for Noé Hernández at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.
“Night of the Kings” comes from Ivory Coast, France, Canada and Senegal. Directed by Philippe Lacôte, it is the Ivory Coast’s official submission in the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category
“Rosa’s Wedding” (Spain...
- 9/23/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Alexandra Codina got involved with filmmaking right after college. Following her job as a production assistant in New York, she began working with the Miami Film Festival in 2002, where she learned to further pursue a career in the filmmaking industry. Codina ran the community programming and outreach areas of the festival until 2005, when she confidently decided to fully pursue documentary production. In 2010, her first feature film, “Monica and David,” was picked up by HBO.
“Because I worked [at the Miami Film Festival], I made a lot of friendships with people in the industry so when I was ready for ‘Monica and David’ it wasn’t as frightening to go out there and to try to sell the film and to try to talk to people as peers,” she says.
This year, Codina returns to the Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival with her feature “Paper Children,” a drama centered on the immigration crisis at the United States-Mexico border.
“Because I worked [at the Miami Film Festival], I made a lot of friendships with people in the industry so when I was ready for ‘Monica and David’ it wasn’t as frightening to go out there and to try to sell the film and to try to talk to people as peers,” she says.
This year, Codina returns to the Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival with her feature “Paper Children,” a drama centered on the immigration crisis at the United States-Mexico border.
- 3/6/2020
- by Cata Balzano
- Variety Film + TV
At the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, TV is invading the schedule in a whole new way. The Park City film fest has previously dabbled in what’s possible on the small screen, but this year marks the launch of the Indie Episodics section — which will spotlight TV pilots that mostly lack mainstream distribution.
The selections include “America to Me,” a new docu-series by “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James; as well as “The Mortified Guide,” a screen adaptation of the popular stage show “Mortified,” spotlighting the most embarrassing true stories of adolescence. There’s also “This Close,” showcasing star/creators Josh Feldman and Shoshannah Stern (both of whom are deaf), and “Franchesca,” featuring digital star and “The Nightly Show” writer/contributor Franchesca Ramsey.
This marks a major change for Sundance, and a renewed commitment to independent television. While Sundance has featured TV programming since the premiere of “Top of the Lake” in...
The selections include “America to Me,” a new docu-series by “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James; as well as “The Mortified Guide,” a screen adaptation of the popular stage show “Mortified,” spotlighting the most embarrassing true stories of adolescence. There’s also “This Close,” showcasing star/creators Josh Feldman and Shoshannah Stern (both of whom are deaf), and “Franchesca,” featuring digital star and “The Nightly Show” writer/contributor Franchesca Ramsey.
This marks a major change for Sundance, and a renewed commitment to independent television. While Sundance has featured TV programming since the premiere of “Top of the Lake” in...
- 12/4/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
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