Lemon Of Troy (with Brent Forrester)

This podcast is a part of us all... a part of us all... A PART OF US ALL! That's right, this week we're hopping into Flanders' RV and taking a trip to Shelbyville as we revisit "Lemon Of Troy". However, it would be foolish to partake in this endeavour alone, so we've summoned a burly protector to save us from the barrage of married cousins, the writer of the episode, Brent Forrester!

We discuss the "lemon face" scene and how it's developed its own life in meme culture, the reason so many fans have a nostalgic connection to the story, how the episode was originally pitched and so much more.

Plus we get a crash course in comedy writing, as we delve into Brent's career working on hit shows such as King of the Hill, The Office, The Ben Stiller Show, Late Night with David Letterman and Mr. Show,  just to name a few.

Subscribe to Brent's YouTube channel at youtube.com/@ProfessorBFo

Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/fourfingerdiscount

Listen on Spotify - spoti.fi/4fDcSY0
Listen on Apple Podcasts - apple.co/4dgpW3Z

CHAPTERS:

01:56 - Why “Lemon of Troy” Still Connects with Audiences
4:00 - The Origin of Springfield vs. Shelbyville
6:39 - “Behaviour Over Banter” and Grounded Comedy
9:35 - Inside The Simpsons Writers’ Conference
14:14 - Pitching the Lemon Tree Story
20:00 - Roman Numerals, Movie References and Joke Construction
24:05 - The “Lemon Face” Meme and Comic Contradiction
28:00 - Springfield Pride, Shelbyville and Childhood Adventures
34:00 - The Episode’s Title, Childhood Memories
38:38 - Brent’s Early Comedy Career: The Ben Stiller Show and Originality
43:00 -  Learning from James L. Brooks, Judd Apatow, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross
49:05 - The Office, King of the Hill and Leading a Writers’ Room
56:30 - Showrunning, Rewrites and Making Great TV Under Pressure
01:03:00 - Comedy, Networks and King of the Hill
01:10:20 - Disappointing Conan O’Brien, Late Night and Creating “If They Mated”
01:18:44 - Brent’s Comedy-Writing Class and Creating Your Own Script
01:21:00 - Homerpalooza, Voice Actors and What Makes a Line Land
01:26:00 - Writing for Performance and the Science of Funny Words
01:30:00 - The Simpsons Season 6–7 Writers’ Room
01:32:57 - Brent’s Favourite “Lemon of Troy” Moments
01:35:00 - “Squozen,” Cousin Love and the Brilliance of Animation
01:38:30 - Brent’s Ultimate Five-Episode Simpsons Marathon

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Goin' Down To South Park - spreaker.com/show/goin-down-to-south-park

The Movie Guide with Maltin & Davis - themovieguidepodcast.com

The One About Friends - spreaker.com/show/the-one-about-friends-podcast

Talking Seinfeld - spreaker.com/show/talking-seinfeld

SpeaKing Of The Hill - spreaker.com/show/speaking-of-the-hill-a-king-of-the-hill-

The Office Talk - spreaker.com/show/the-office-talk-podcast

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/four-finger-discount-simpsons-podcast--5828977/support.