If you asked me what my dream Simpsons book would be, it would be a behind-the-scenes examination of the first ten seasons. Well, it turns out dreams do come true because Alan Siegal has written just that book! Siegal completed countless interviews with the creative team behind the show’s conception, launch and its first decade on the air all in an effort to provide the reader with as comprehensive a look at just how transformative this show was surrounding pop culture in the 90s.

I learned so much about the production and creation of the show here and I would consider myself quite knowledgeable about the show’s “golden years”. The writer’s room bits were absolutely my favorite in which a single writer drafts a script and it’s “punched up” by the team, similar to how both SNL and sitcoms are produced. For example, Jon Vitti is responsible for the “Mr. Plow” episode, but Conan O’Brien pitched the bit about Homer turning his radio dial to the left to keep the truck on the road when teetering on the edge of a cliff. Or John Swartzwelder’s The Itchy & Scratchy Movie episode where the team had been wracking their brains for hours trying to come up with a punch line for Homer’s story about holding his breath, passing out and smacking his head on the table contributing to brain damage. When Bart asked for the point of the story, that’s where the team was stuck. Then George Meyer suggested the iconic “I like stories” bit, which had the whole room howling with laughter.

There is so much to unpack in this book. From the merchandising explosion, the feud with then President George H.W. Bush, the herculean struggle to keep the show as funny as possible, and the early days of the internet when commenters were slagging the show as “past its prime” during what many now consider their best years. It’s absolutely mind-boggling to read about the negative reception to such classics as “Homer’s Enemy” or “Marge vs. The Monorail” after they first aired.

This is truly an excellent book and a total “must-read” for any fan of the show.