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Mike Reiss
Reiss in 2007
Reiss in 2007
Born Michael L. Reiss
(1959-09-15) September 15, 1959 (age 65)
Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation Television and film writer, producer
Alma mater Harvard University
Period 1983–present
Genre Comedy
Spouse Denise 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 (born September 15, 1959) is an American television comedy writer. He is well-known for his work on the animated TV series The Simpsons. He was a showrunner (the person in charge of a TV show), writer, and producer for The Simpsons.

Mike Reiss also helped create another animated series called The Critic. He wrote for the web cartoon Queer Duck. Plus, he has written screenplays for movies like Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and The Simpsons Movie.

Early Life and Education

Mike Reiss grew up in Bristol, Connecticut. He was the middle child in a family of five. His mother was a local journalist, who writes for newspapers, and his father was a doctor.

Reiss went to Harvard University. He studied English there. While at Harvard, he met Al Jean, who would become his long-time writing partner. They became good friends and worked together on the humor magazine Harvard Lampoon. Reiss even became a co-president of the magazine. Other writers at the Lampoon noticed how funny and skilled they were at comedy writing.

Mike Reiss's Career

Working with Al Jean

After graduating in 1981, Mike Reiss and Al Jean were hired by the humor magazine National Lampoon. In the 1980s, they started working together on many TV shows. They wrote and produced for shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and ALF.

The Simpsons and The Critic

In 1989, Reiss and Jean joined the original writing team for The Simpsons. This animated series became very popular. They worked on the first season's episodes.

By 1991, Reiss and Jean became executive producers and showrunners for The Simpsons. A showrunner is like the main boss for an episode. They are responsible for everything, including writing, animation, voice acting, and music. They felt a lot of pressure to make the episodes great. They often rewrote scripts many times to make them funnier.

They were showrunners until 1993. During their time, they helped give the show more depth. Many fans believe that these seasons were some of the best. Reiss has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Simpsons.

After The Simpsons, Reiss and Jean created The Critic. This was an animated show about a film critic named Jay Sherman. It first aired in 1994. Critics liked the show, but it did not get many viewers. It later moved to the Fox network.

To help promote The Critic, Jay Sherman appeared in an episode of The Simpsons called "A Star Is Burns". Reiss and Jean returned to produce this episode. The Critic eventually developed a cult following thanks to reruns and DVD releases.

Other TV Projects

In 1994, Reiss and Jean signed a deal with The Walt Disney Company. They created a TV show called Teen Angel. However, this show was canceled during its first season in 1997. Reiss felt that too many people were trying to change the show.

Reiss and Jean also returned to work on The Simpsons from time to time. They produced episodes like "The Springfield Files" and "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious". When Al Jean became the permanent showrunner for The Simpsons again, Reiss returned part-time as a consultant and producer. He also helped write the screenplay for The Simpsons Movie in 2007.

Mike Reiss's Solo Work

Mike Reiss has also worked on many projects by himself.

Animated Cartoons and Films

In 2000, Reiss worked with director Xeth Feinberg to create a series of cartoons called Hard ... Lincoln. He then teamed up with Feinberg again for a short internet cartoon series called Queer Duck. This series was later picked up by Showtime. Queer Duck: the Movie was released on DVD in 2006. Reiss said he wanted to create a cartoon that was supportive of gay people and featured gay animals.

Reiss has also contributed to many film screenplays. He wrote jokes for the movie Ice Age. He later wrote screenplays for films like Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Rio.

His first live-action film was My Life in Ruins in 2009. This movie starred Nia Vardalos. Reiss based the film on his own experiences traveling on bus tours in Mexico and Greece. While some critics did not like the film, Reiss defended it, saying it made people happy and was a sweet movie about kindness.

Books and Plays

Mike Reiss has written seventeen children's books. These include How Murray Saved Christmas and The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery story Cro-Magnon PI.

In 2018, his memoir, Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons, was published.

Reiss's first play, "I'm Connecticut," was very popular. It set box-office records at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre in 2011. Critics called it "hysterically funny" and named it one of the top productions of the year.

Personal Life

Mike Reiss lives in New York City with his wife, Denise. They often travel to other countries. He is Jewish.

In 2022, Reiss visited the wreck of the Titanic in a submersible called the Titan. This was a year before the submersible had an accident that killed five passengers. He mentioned that before the trip, he had to sign a paper that talked about the possibility of death many times.

Writing Credits

The Simpsons Episodes

Here are some episodes of The Simpsons that Mike Reiss wrote 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

Screenwriter

Consultant

See also

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