Buttmunker

What is the deal with one-time Simpsons writer, Adam I. Lapidus? Why did he only get to do one Simpsons episode, (The Front), and nothing more? Were the showrunners at the time pissed off that his show ran too short, and they had to work extra hard to try and expand it to the minimum run time? Or was the task so daunting to him that he didn't want the job anymore?

If the episode ran so notoriously short, how come there were so many deleted scenes in the hopper? If they had to go so far as to come up with The Adventures of Ned Flanders to fill time, why not instead insert the deleted scenes and be done with it? (The joke with Lisa knowing one word, but not knowing what Shinola meant, was particularily good.)

Raul3

Have you tried this new website called "Google", I think that's how it's spelled.

My Other Self

Just because someone is credited as a writer of an episode doesn't mean they penned the whole thing. Most episodes are a complete group effort, with each writter putting in their own brand of humor. If you had just one writer completely pitching, writing, and editing their own idea then you'd have one boring-ass show. More likely than not, Lapidus was asked to pitch an episoe idea and he came up with The Front. It's not his call to trim out jokes or to write a entire episode or decide on filler to meet the minimum episode length. That's up to the show runners.

Unless you're hired as a staff writer, you're asked by someone who's on the staff that you probably know to come up with an idea. Ricky Gervais has written an episode in the past, as has Seth Rogen. Seth MacFarlane will be credited with an episode in the Fall, as well.

More involved questions like this would probably be better answered on NoHomers.net. Lots of knowledgeable folks over there. Since you've asked other Simpsons-related questions in the past it may be of interest to you.

Buttmunker

Yes, and it doesn't go into it that deeply. Figured fans of the show will have more answers (and will be happy to have an excuse to talk about the show, particularily from this cherished era).

story

I think I recall a commentary or two on the DVDs in which they explained that back in those days they did writers' retreats where everyone went to an off-site cabin-style setting with their ideas, pitched them to the room, conversation happened, and if the discussed idea had promise, the show runner(s) would assign someone to write up a draft which then got brought to got brought back to the writers' room and was touched on by the entire writing staff. It's the person who was assigned to write up that first draft who is credited as the writer though it's likely many persons contributed material and/or edits. This means it's quite possible Adam I. Lapidus contributed to many scripts but was only assigned to write up one.

madcougar

I read he had an idea for a show about two twins who lived in a fancy apartment building in New York he was shopping around.

PhantomStranger

And there are stories circulating that scripts were massively re-written in the early years by one or two people, like Sam Simon. Basically the credited writer was the guy who would usually pitch the initial idea and bring in the first draft of the script. Television writing is a group process due to the time constraints.

PatD

I remember when I used to tape each episode of The Simpsons individually. I must of missed "The Front" in its original run. It wasn't until years later than actually saw it for the first time. It seemed so different from the rest of that season's episodes. In fact, it's almost like a proto-Family Guy episode. Or more precisely, more like what The Simpsons is now (including a whole separate skit at the end to pad out time).

Jay G.

Wikipedia says this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fro...ns)#Production
So it sounds like he was hired on solely to write that episode, which he had submitted as "spec," meaning he wasn't already on the staff.

story

Waitasec, that was all on Wikipedia and Buttmunker didn't check Wikipedia first?!

Buttmunker

I did, but Wiki only tells you so much. Fans know so much more!

For example, it doesn't go on to explain why he only gets credit for one episode in the entire show's history (and that's a long history). It wasn't as if it was a bad episode, or even a sub-standard episode - it was a really good episode, so why only once?

Jay G.

Because he was only hired on to write that one script. It's possible that the writers room was otherwise fully staffed, so they didn't have a full-time slot for him, and then maybe after that the timing never worked out. Or maybe he preferred staying freelance at the time.

The Wikipedia article cites the DVD commentaries as the source of their info. There doesn't seem to be any other source that even fans could get more info from. Adam Lapidus isn't likely to show up at any Simpsons conventions, and any other Simpson writer when asked will likely repeat what was on the commentaries. If there was some personal or professional reason why Lapidus wasn't hired on, they may refrain from stating it out of professional courtesy.