The Simpsons writer David Mirkin said that one of his favorite jokes on the show is the one where Grampa cycles down the street in high speed and shouts that he feels young again, and is then knocked flying from his bicycle after a doll's head flies into the spokes and falls into an open grave.

Mirkin later said that recording with the McCartneys was one of the most " amazing " experiences of his life and considers the episode to be one of his favorites.

Mirkin said of the film: " These are women characters we haven't seen before.

" Mirkin has said that Patrick Stewart is " one of the best guest performances " because " he was so committed to character.

Mirkin said, " Things had to happen really fast.

Mirkin said he felt the gremlin was well-done because he looked scary and " yet it looks like a completely organic Simpsons character ".

Mirkin said he believes Halloween shows can be " scary as well as fun ".

David Mirkin said that Homer's line " Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish " is one of his favorites in the show, and that the alternate future in which the family are rich " breaks heart every time ".

" There was an eerie silence ," Mirkin said.

It was filmed on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City and directed by David Mirkin, who later said that Fox " couldn't have been less supportive " because they thought it would be too expensive.

Mirkin later said that recording with the McCartneys was one of the most " amazing " experiences of his life.

" Mirkin said the episode was also a tour de force for Kavner, who in one scene voices Marge, Marge's two sisters, and Marge's mother.

Mirkin also said Neill was " really game " and did " a terrific job " on the episode.

Mirkin said Mantegna is a joy to direct and that Mantegna loves the role so much, he wishes to voice him " even if he only coughs ".

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening thought it was a " quintessential " Swartzwelder episode, and executive producer / show runner David Mirkin said it was a " fantastic job by one of the most prolific writers of the show ".

Mirkin said the elephant " never quite bonds because it's a very cantankerous animal, a concept that was very important to this episode ".

Mirkin said Swartzwelder had always enjoyed putting presidents into his jokes, and this was only one of his many references to Lincoln.

Mirkin said of the Westworld parody: " Again, to show you what a collaboration this is, we had the animators looking at Westworld and making sure of the animation, and then we made sure that Simpsons composer Alf Clausen got the brilliant soundtrack from the film.

The scene was directed by David Mirkin and was the first time a Simpsons character had been in the real world in the series.

The character's new addiction to coffee was suggested by writer-producer David Mirkin, who has friends who stopped drinking alcohol and became addicted to coffee.

Created by Brown, Charlie Coffey, and director and executive producer David Mirkin, it was a comedy about actress Julie Robbins ( Brown ), who in this initial story, goes to great lengths to land an interview with teen singer Kiki ( played by Kim Walker ) in the hopes of getting hired as a tabloid-TV celebrity journalist.

Mirkin was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Northeast High School in 1975.

Mirkin has described himself as a " nerd " and was often in trouble as a child because he was " in another world ".

" Stand-up comedy was the most profitable and easily accessible route Mirkin found into the comedy industry, but " it wasn't a lifestyle that particularly coveted ," especially due to the traveling required.

Although rejected by the producers of The Ropers, Three's Company creator Bernie West was impressed by the script and Mirkin began pitching ideas for that series instead.

Mirkin was apprehensive about the job because he was aiming to work on Cheers, a show more focused on character-driven humor which Mirkin preferred writing, but felt he could not turn the opportunity down.

The episodes were commissioned, but Mirkin's agent rejected the Cheers job without telling his client, failing to see why Mirkin would want to work on what was then the lowest-rated comedy on television.

Mirkin " felt was where I belonged.

It was the first nomination the show had received in that category and for the first episode Mirkin wrote as the series ' showrunner.

" A philosophy he carried in to his later work, Mirkin felt that " being the head writer ... was not enough ; you had to see the material through its execution – especially the weirder stuff.

Mirkin created Get a Life alongside Chris Elliott, who was also the show's lead actor

Mirkin had wanted to cast comedian Chris Elliott in the pilot, but was prevented by Fox, which wanted Elliott for another show.

Fox was lukewarm about the idea, but Mirkin convinced them to order a pilot by understating how dark the show would be.

The network executives disliked the pilot after seeing an initial run-through, but Mirkin felt that this was because they " didn't get " the show and opted not to change it.

The show's production process was lengthy ; Mirkin would rise at to film the show, write further episodes from until, and then repeat that the following day.

" A strong cult following subsequently developed, and Mirkin noted that although the show was canceled " ultimately we got the audience I was hoping for and they are super dedicated and passionate to this day.

Mirkin was the executive producer and showrunner for the animated sitcom The Simpsons, during its fifth and sixth seasons ( 1993 – 1995 ).

" Mirkin considers the joke to be " an insight into the way writes.

According to David Mirkin, this is a joke about how " huge " Carrey's movies were at the time, and how he was not garnering much respect as an actor.

Üter, a character from Germany, also makes his first appearance on the show in this segment ; he was conceived as a one-time joke, but reappeared in later episodes because Mirkin felt he was " such a perfect stereotype ".

The " grade F meat " joke was written by Mirkin, inspired by his cousin once seeing a box of hot dogs labeled " grade C, approved for human consumption ".

Mirkin enjoyed the joke enough to reuse parts of it in " Lisa the Vegetarian ", adding new twists to further enhance the comedic effect.

The character, which was pitched by former show runner David Mirkin and portrayed by Castellaneta, has become one of the writers ' favourites, and was series animation director Jim Reardon's favourite joke of the entire season.