Mike Reiss

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Mike Reiss
Reiss in 2007
Reiss in 2007
BornMichael L. Reiss
(1959-09-15) September 15, 1959 (age 64)
Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.
OccupationTelevision and film writer, producer
Alma materHarvard University
Period1983–present
GenreComedy
SpouseDenise Reiss
Signature
A signature, written in a marker with little importance towards it's overall appearance, which, although slightly illegible says Mike Reiss

Michael L. Reiss[1] (/riːs/ REESS; born September 15,[2] 1959[3]) is an American television comedy writer. He served as a showrunner, writer, and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic. He created and wrote the webtoon Queer Duck; he has also written screenplays including: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, The Simpsons Movie and My Life in Ruins.

Early life

Reiss, the middle child of five, was born to a Jewish family in Bristol, Connecticut. His mother was a local journalist and his father was a doctor. He attended Memorial Boulevard Public School, Thomas Patterson School and Bristol Eastern High School and has said that he felt like an "outsider" in those places.[3]

Reiss studied at Harvard University. He says that he hates Harvard as an institution,[3] explaining that "I had an epiphany on my third day there: This place would be just as good as a summer camp where you met other people, networked, and learned from them. I feel the education I got there was distant and useless and uncaring. I feel they sort of squandered my youth and my father's savings."[1] Reiss studied English, but disliked the course and was rejected from a creative writing class.[1]

He focused his attention on comedy, performing in talent shows and writing. In

Harvard Lampoon.[1] Reiss became co-president of the Harvard Lampoon, alongside Jon Vitti.[3] Jeff Martin, another writer for the Lampoon, said Reiss and Jean "definitely loomed large around the magazine. They were very funny guys and unusually polished comedy writers for that age. We were never surprised that they went on to success."[1] Jean has also said that the duo spent most of their time at the Lampoon, adding that "it was practically my second dorm room."[1]

Career

Work with Al Jean on The Simpsons, The Critic and other projects

The humor magazine National Lampoon hired Jean and Reiss after they graduated in 1981.[1] In the 1980s, the duo began collaborating on various television projects.[4][5] During that time Reiss and Jean worked as writers and producers on television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1984–1986), ALF, Sledge Hammer!, and It's Garry Shandling's Show.[6][7]

In 1989, Reiss was hired along with Jean as the first members of the original writing staff of the

Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the show.[11]

They left after season four to create

Jay Sherman (voiced by Jon Lovitz); the show was executive produced by The Simpsons co-developer James L. Brooks.[12][13] It was first broadcast on ABC in January 1994 and was well received by critics,[14][15] but did not catch on with viewers and was put on hiatus after six weeks. It returned in June 1994 and completed airing its initial production run.[16] For the second season of The Critic, Brooks cut a deal with the Fox network to have the series switch over.[17]

Brooks wanted to have Sherman

crossover on to The Simpsons, as a way to promote The Critic's move to Fox. Sherman appeared in the episode "A Star Is Burns", which Reiss and Jean returned to produce. The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening was not fond of the crossover and complained publicly that it was just a thirty-minute advertisement for The Critic.[18] Brooks said, "for years, Al and Mike were two guys who worked their hearts out on this show, staying up until 4 in the morning to get it right. The point is, Matt's name has been on Mike's and Al's scripts and he has taken plenty of credit for a lot of their great work. In fact, he is the direct beneficiary of their work. The Critic is their shot and he should be giving them his support." Reiss said that he was a "little upset" by Groening's actions and that "this taints everything at the last minute.[...] This episode doesn't say 'Watch The Critic' all over it."[18] Jean added "What bothers me about all of this is that now people may get the impression that this Simpsons episode is less than good. It stands on its own even if The Critic never existed."[18] On Fox, The Critic was again short-lived, broadcasting ten episodes before its cancellation. A total of 23 episodes were produced, and it returned briefly in 2000 with a series of ten internet broadcast webisodes. The series has since developed a cult following thanks to reruns on Comedy Central and its complete series release on DVD.[19]

In 1994, Reiss and Jean signed a three-year deal with The Walt Disney Company to produce other TV shows for ABC. The duo created and executive produced Teen Angel, which was canceled in its first season in 1997. Reiss said "It was so compromised and overworked. I had 11 executives full-time telling me how to do my job." This was the only project created under their contract which was broadcast.[3]

The pair periodically returned to work on The Simpsons. In addition to "A Star Is Burns", they produced "

Los Angeles one day a week to attend story meetings and contribute to the writing process.[3][23] He also co-wrote the screenplay for The Simpsons Movie in 2007.[24]

Solo work

Along with director Xeth Feinberg, in 2000 Reiss independently produced

Queer as Folk. Queer Duck: the Movie was released on DVD in 2006.[11] Reiss stated that Queer Duck is "the thing I'm most excited about in my entire life. I don't like how gay people are treated in comedy. Gay people are nothing besides their gayness. So I created a cartoon that was pro-gay and featured gay animals."[1]

Reiss has contributed to numerous film screenplays. He wrote several jokes for the film

Tribeca Film Festival] were sitting there in that audience. They were sitting there going, 'These 1,498 people were wrong and the two of us are correct.' It makes me a little nuts."[3]

He has published seventeen children's books, including How Murray Saved Christmas, published by Penguin.

Edgar Award for his mystery story Cro-Magnon PI.[28]

Co-authored by Mathew Klickstein, his memoir, Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons, was published by Dey Street which is an imprint of HarperCollins, in June 2018.[29]

Reiss' first play, "I'm Connecticut" set box-office records at Connecticut Repertory Theatre in December 2011. The Hartford Courant called the romantic comedy "hysterically funny" and named it one of the top ten productions of the year. It was named Best Play of 2012 by Broadway World Connecticut.

Personal life

Reiss lives in

Jewish.[30]

In 2022 Reiss visited the wreck of the Titanic in OceanGate's Titan submersible, a year prior to the submersible's infamous implosion that killed five passengers. He noted that before embarking on the expedition he had to sign a waiver that mentioned the likelihood of death multiple times.[31]

Writing credits

The Simpsons episodes

The following is a list of episodes of The Simpsons Reiss has written with Al Jean:

The Critic episodes

He co-wrote the following episodes with Al Jean:

  • "Pilot"
  • "Dial 'M' for Mother"
  • "Sherman, Woman and Child"
  • "I Can't Believe It's a Clip Show!"

Films

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Teller, Sam (June 5, 2006). "Al Jean & Mike Reiss". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  2. ^ @MikeReissWriter (September 15, 2021). "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! As a gift to me, please listen to Part 2 of My Podcast: Mo' Simpsons Stories" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^
    The Hartford Courant
    . p. G3. Reiss, almost 50, has comic cred.
  4. ^ Brown, Elisabeth A. (January 9, 1992). "Harvard link binds 'Simpsons' writers". The Tampa Tribune. p. 4.
  5. The Milwaukee Journal
    . December 13, 1992. p. 3.
  6. ^ a b c d Suarez, Greg (February 10, 2001). "Greg Suarez talks Simpsons with Al Jean". The Digital Bits. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  7. Canberra Times
    . July 30, 2005.
  8. ^
    UGO. Archived from the original
    on August 28, 2003. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Jean, Al (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  10. ^ Reiss, Mike (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  11. ^ a b c d "Mike Reiss". Greater Talent. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ Jean, Al (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Cape Feare" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  13. ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (February 11, 1994). "Gotta Lovitz". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  14. ^ Boedecker, Hal (January 26, 1994). "The Critic is worthy follow-up to The Simpsons Animated series gets two thumbs-up". The Gazette.
  15. ^ Carter, Bill (January 13, 1994). "Reporter's Notebook; Top Hollywood Agency Reaches for the Stars Of Television News". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  16. ^ "ABC-TV returns The Critic tonight". Toronto Star. June 1, 1994.
  17. ^ Shister, Gail (May 2, 1994). "The Critic finds new life, love on Fox". Toronto Star.
  18. ^ a b c Brennan, Judy (March 3, 1995). "Matt Groening's Reaction to The Critic's First Appearance on The Simpsons". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^ Uhlich, Keith (February 3, 2004). "The Critic: The Complete Series". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  20. ^ Reiss, Mike (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "'Round Springfield" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  21. ^ Jean, Al (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  22. ^ Jean, Al (2006). The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "Simpson Tide" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  23. ^ Reilly, Andrew (March 23, 2012). "Q&A: "The Simpsons" writer to come to Tech". Collegiate Times. Archived from the original on April 18, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  24. 20th Century Fox. Archived from the original
    on March 23, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2007. On the main page, click on "About the DVD" then on "Production Notes".
  25. ^ Hard Drinkin' Lincoln
  26. ^ Heintjes, Tom. "Family Matters - The David Silverman Interview". MSNBC. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  27. ^ "My Life in Ruins". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  28. ^ "Edgars Database". TheEdgars.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  29. ^ "Springfield Confidential". HarperCollins.com. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  30. ^ "George Meyer". The Believer. September 2004. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  31. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved June 20, 2023.

External links
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