Al Jean

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Al Jean (b. Farmington Hills, Michigan) is a television comedy writer best known for his work on The Simpsons. His family owns a hardware store across the street from the high school, called Jean's Hardware.

He graduated from Harrison High School and attended Harvard University,^[1] where he majored in mathematics.

He has written for National Lampoon magazine, The Tonight Show, ALF and The PJs. In 1994, along with Mike Reiss, he created the prime time animated show The Critic. He was show runner for Seasons 3 and 4 of The Simpsons, along with Mike Reiss. Jean is also the creator of the web series "Jesus and His brothers" on Icebox.com

Jean is currently executive producer on The Simpsons and has been since 2001. The show's eighteenth season, currently airing, is his sixth season as executive producer.

Based on a few comments that Jean made during commentary tracks on The Simpsons Season 3 DVD, some fans believe that he is critical of the Fox cartoon show Family Guy. Jean became slightly more blunt on a season 9 commentary when he implied that Family Guy's opening theme had been taken from a joke in the Simpsons episode, "Lisa's Sax". In the credits of "Treehouse of Horror XVI", where names are usually changed or given nicknames to become scary or Halloween-related, Jean's name is written as Al 'Family Guy' Jean.

Jean has been prominent in The Simpsons DVD commentaries, being part of the commentaries for almost every episode he Executive Produced or worked on. In the commentary for "Lisa's Sax", Jean states that his Wikipedia profile mentions that it is rumoured that his father looks like Homer. Jean confirms that this is false. (The information has since been removed.)

[edit] Credited episodes

• "There's No Disgrace Like Home" – with Mike Reiss.
• "Moaning Lisa" – with Mike Reiss.
• "The Telltale Head" – with Matt Groening, Mike Reiss and Sam Simon.
• "The Way We Was" – with Mike Reiss and Sam Simon.
• "Stark Raving Dad" – with Mike Reiss.
• "Treehouse of Horror II" – contributor.
• "Lisa's Pony" – with Mike Reiss.
• "Treehouse of Horror III" (Clown Without Pity) – with Mike Reiss.
• "'Round Springfield" – story with Mike Reiss; teleplay by Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimillia.
• "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" – with Mike Reiss.
• "Lisa's Sax"
• "Mom and Pop Art"
• "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"
• "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder"
• "HOMR"
• "Day of the Jackanapes"
• "Children of a Lesser Clod"

[edit] References

1. ^ [1] SNPP.

[edit] External links

• Al Jean at the Internet Movie Database
• Washington Post - A Q&A with Al Jean

Preceded by Matt Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon	(with Mike Reiss) The Simpsons show runner Seasons 3 and 4 1991–1993	Succeeded by David Mirkin
Preceded by Mike Scully	The Simpsons show runner Seasons 13 - Incumbent 2001 – present	Succeeded by current show runner

The Simpsons writers view • talk • edit
Current writers
J. Stewart Burns • Dan Castellaneta • Daniel Chun • Joel H. Cohen • Kevin Curran • John Frink • Dana Gould • Dan Greaney • Ron Hauge • Al Jean • Deb Lacusta • Tim Long • Ian Maxtone-Graham • George Meyer • David Mirkin • Carolyn Omine • Don Payne • Michael Price • Mike Reiss • Mike Scully • Matt Selman • Matt Warburton • Jeff Westbrook • Marc Wilmore
Former recurring writers
Richard Appel • James L. Brooks • Donick Cary • David X. Cohen • Jonathan Collier • Jennifer Crittenden • Greg Daniels • Larry Doyle • Brent Forrester • Matt Groening • Ken Keeler • Brian Kelley • Jay Kogen • Jeff Martin • Tom Martin • Dan McGrath • Frank Mula • Bill Oakley • Conan O'Brien • Bill Odenkirk • Jace Richdale • Brian Scully • Sam Simon • David M. Stern • John Swartzwelder • Steve Tompkins • Jon Vitti • Josh Weinstein • Wallace Wolodarsky
One or two-time writers
Bob Bendetson • Michael Carrington • Robert Cohen • Spike Feresten • Ricky Gervais • Ned Goldreyer • Andrew Kreisberg • Bob Kushell • Rob LaZebnik • Ken Levine • Josh Lieb • Jane O'Brien • Steve O'Donnell • Rachel Pulido • David Richardson • David Sacks • Nell Scovell • Dennis Snee • Joshua Sternin • Julie Thacker • Jeffrey Ventimilia • Patric Verrone • Steve Young