IGN.com Interviews Al Jean

Simpsons News — Posted 31 Aug, 2003 by Scott

Hey Gamers!, thanks to all those who gave us a heads up about IGN's interview with Simpsons Exectuive Producer Al Jean. He's been in television for more than twenty years now, starting off with The Tonight Show before moving to Alf and later The Tracy Ulman Show, which spawned The Simpsons. Jean would leave for a short period to launch The Critic, but unfortunately the Jon Lovitz-voiced cartoon wouldn't last, and Jean would return to Springfield. With the fourteenth season of The Simpsons done and the third season coming out on DVD, now was as good a time as any to talk to him about the long-running show and why it's taking so long to get the season DVD sets. Read the Full Interview Here.

IGN DVD: On to the DVDs. Why such a delay getting them out?

Al Jean: You know, I'll tell you what it was. The writers who would have to do the commentary are trying to make the show stay good. To me, the current show is the priority. The DVDs can always come out. We finally had the time to do these commentaries. Some of the cast appear on these, too, and there's a lot of different aspects to the Simpson world and to me, the prime time show is the most important. It's also the reason why the movie has taken so long, and it will be a while yet before a film comes out. We just don't want to give the show a short shrift. And that's another reason the show has lasted so long. We're not trying to do everything and burn it out.