   last exit to springfield    articles                                                                                                                             it's the hottest ticket in town               by lynn elber               bart simpson is acting like himself, which is to say naughty.               he also sounds like the bart we know, with that familiar mischievous               lilt. but bart's voice is coming out of a petite blonde wearing               a fluffy, bright-pink wrap.                              homer has morphed into a lanky fellow and marge's towering blue               hair is brown and tastefully cropped. the event is a  table read,                when the cast of the simpsons gathers with a roomful of writers,               producers, and guests and use their imaginations to conjure the               animated family with the distinctive mustard hue.                              it is just one of the steps towards crafting an episode of this               television phenomenon, now in its 16th season. irreverent, witty,               and willing to take on anything from politics to religion to family               values, the simpsons has provided a rare bit of spice for the oatmeal-bland               bowl that is tv broadcasting.                              the table read is held in a trailer at the 20th century fox studio               in los angeles, where the series is produced. actors, producers               and writers sit at a huge table littered with water bottles and               note pads.                              invitation-only visitors ring the table. noticably absent are the               network executives who often haunt rehearsals for shows, but the               simpsons has a rare stipulation, won by executive producer james               l. brooks, limiting fox ececutive meddling.                               it's sort of the hottest ticket on the lot,  says yeardley smith,               who voices lisa simpson.                              this is the first time this script has been performed after months               of writing and revision. the assembled performers include smith,               dan castellaneta, who voices homer, krusty the clown, and grandpa               simpson.                              also seated at the table is blonde nancy cartwright (bart) in her               pink wrap, julie kavner (marge) and harry shearer, who does an               array of voices including ned flanders and mr. burns.                              each 21 minute episode takes about nine months to create, including               the animation work done in the us and south korea. the actors move               through their lines and most of the jokes draw guffaws from the               room.                              one person seated at the table rarely smiles. this shaggy-haired               figure is a tough customer to win over. it's the series creator               and executive producer, matt groening.  he's not an easy laugh,               so when you get a laugh out of him you feel like 'yes!' it's a               big deal,  smith says of groening, who follows the script carefully,               taking notes for the show's writers.                              among his suggestions: omit a giggle from baby maggie in one scene               and beef up another in which marge finds herself without a partner               for her new bike built for two.                               it's a fairly well-oiled machine,  smith says. no matter what               else changes, though, the characters stay the same. says               smith:  it's about a bratty boy and a sensitive, intellectual girl,               a dumb but well-meaning husband and a wife who's sweet and               knows a little better than him.                           read                   more                                                                                                                                                                         it's                       the hottest ticket in town                                                     june 2005: goes behind                     the scenes of a recent table read for season 17. speaks to                     yeardley smith about what goes on and her time with the show.                                                                                             looking                       forward from 350                                                     may 2005: matt groening                     discusses whether his cast and crew can chalk up another                     350 episodes. also discusses the postponed catholic episode.                                                                          moral                       backlash on gay simpsons                                                     february                         2005: published after there's something about marrying                         aired in america. discusses the controversy which followed                         the airing of the episode.                                                                                                                            dysfunctional                       family man ...                                                     january                         2005: article discusses the appeal of the show, with                         comments from webmaster adam wolf (who?) and collector                         nathan mustet.                                                                                                                            homer's                       where the heart is                                                     november                         2004: on the eve of the season 15 finale, tv guide                         looks at the success of the show from its early days                         to the future, a movie and 20 seasons.                                                                                                                        cult classic roles on                                                     august 2004: talks                     to matt groening about the success of the show shortly after                     being animated in my big fat geek wedding.                                                                                             awaiting the simpsons movie                                                     march                            2004: an opinion column following the announcement                           of a simpsons movie to be produced. will it be worth                           it?                                                                                                   homer heading for                    new record                                                     may                            2003:  this article exclusively talks                            to writer/producer matt selman. he tells details of                           what goes on behind the scenes.                                                                          family favourites                                                     april                            2003: on the brink of the airing of episode 300,                           the advertiser looks at why we love the simpsons after                           all these years                                                                                                   the family that                    never grew up                                                     june                            2002: al jean talks about the advantages of the                            simpsons being a cartoon rather than a live sitcom                                                                                                     the simpsons are                    going to university                                                     december                            2001: a short article on the new course available                            to michigan college students using the simpsons                                                                                                     review: simpsons                    road rage                                                      december                            2001: ezy entertainment magazine review the simpsons:                           road rage for the playstation 2.                                                                                                      digital revolution                    gathers pace                                                      december                            2001: the simpsons have made history,                            being part of the 3d digital revolution which will                           affect  the future of movies.                                                                                                     cyber thriller                                                     december                            2001: the simpsons are hitting the big screen in                            a 3d adventure featuring characters from antz.                                                                                                     love affair with                    homer                                                     october                            2001: dan castellaneta talks to tv plus about his                           beginnings with the show, and how he got the job of                           voicing homer.                                                                                                     gamble pays off                                                     march                            2001: this article talks about the 250th episode                           of the simpsons and the history of the show.                                                                                                     simpsons vs. malcolm                    in the middle                                                     february                            2001: this article compares the                           characters in the simpsons to those in malcolm in the                           middle.                                                                                                                                                  dead                       funny                                                     may 2000: explains                       why the character of maude flanders was killed off with                       general info on the show.                                                                                                                              homer                       hailed as the ideal father                                                     november 1999:                       homer a role model for modern fathers? believe it or not,                       the psychology experts say he is.                                                                                                                              dan a man of many                    parts                                                      1999:                            talks about dan castellaneta's claim to fame, voicing                        over thirty characters.                                                                                                     hollywood gossip                                                     1999:                            simpsons spin-off plan revealled in this weekly gossip                            column.                                                                                                      end in sight for                    simpsons / bart's back                                                     1999:                            mike scully makes comments about misinterpretations                        of the end of the show.                                                                                                     d'oh! it's just                    a name..                                                     1999:                            a short article about matt groening naming his                            children homer and abraham.                                                                                                     animator draws fans                                                     1998:                            animator david silvermans visit to australia attracted                        more fans than expected.                                                                                                      the d'oh must go                    on                                                      1998:                            a report on the simpsons leading up to the 200th episode.                        with yeardley smith.                                                                                                     duff beer bonanza                                                     1998:                            south australia's own duff beer is now worth up to $10,000                            a carton.                                                                                                   the voice behind                    the simpsons                                                     1996:                            how does harry shearer cope with doing over 100 different                        voices on the show?                                                                                                     why                       simpsons are flying high                                                     1996:                            animation director david silverman talks about the history                            of the simpsons.                                                                                                   man                       who created the simpsons                                                     1996:                            matt groening's history as a cartoonist and how he                       came up with some characters.                                                                                                   nancy   yeardley                    put to the test                                                      95/96:                            they provide the voices of bart and lisa, but can they                            draw them?                                                                                                   i'm                       nancy cartwight, who are you?                                                     1996:                            tv hits interview nancy cartwright, the voice of bart                            simpson.                                                                                                   lisa simpson vs.                    australia                                                      1995:                            tv hits interview yeardley smith about her thoughts                       on ' bart vs. australia'.                                                                                               who shot hated mr.                    burns?                                                      1995:                       matt groening talks about keeping the ending to 'who shot                       mr. burns' secret.                                                                                               bart the brat comes                    down under                                                     1995:                            how will australia react after the airing of the episode                            bart vs. australia?                                                                                homer's odyssey                                                     1995:                            dan castellaneta talks about the unexpected                        success of the simpsons.                                                                                               bart talks to tv                    hits                                                      1995:  bart                        simpson  talks to tv hits in this fictional factpiece.                                                                                                homer simpson speaks                    to tv hits                                                     1993: what                       do these two guys have in common? they're both homer simpson!                                                                          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