Some Enchanted Evening: The Pilot
There is the moment in a lifespan, whether it is human or artistic project, where the end draws near and the inevitability of death is at hand. In some cases death passes by and is seen as an experience to grow from. James L. Brooks is familiar with death presenting its face to his developing projects. Working in the television and movie industry since the mid 60’s, James L. Brooks understands the near death experiences a television series can have. Through hit television shows that James had a hand in such as: Taxi, Mary Tyler Moore, and The Andy Griffith Show, Brooks understood that everything must come to an end at some point. However, his creation of the longest running animated television series, The Simpsons, almost missed its chance to change the landscape of television history when their pilot episode, Some Enchanted Evening, was ruined in the midst of production. However, through this circumstance Brooks was able to persevere and lead his staff with great humility, patience, and leadership, and through this created a dynasty in television that has lasted the last two decades.
Some Enchanted Evening, what would end up being The Simpsons first season finale, showcased the flat marriage of Homer and Marge Simpson and their attempt to try and invigorate it. They decide to go away for an evening, however finding a babysitter for Bart, Lisa, and Maggie seemed to be difficult; for the children, mainly Bart, had already ran off all the babysitters in town. One woman though, Ms. Botz, jumps at the opportunity to babysit the children. However, they soon find out she is known as the “baby sitter bandit” and leaves kids tied up while burglarizing the home in the process.
The issue with this episode was not the story, or the way that it was told. The problem was with the original animation at the end of the production of the episode. In his interview with Nerdist Writer’s Panel, James Brooks commented on the pilot episode saying, “It was all over, everything looked grotesque and that was the first time we saw the show”. In the eyes of all the crew, this could have been the nail in the coffin for the show. The characters at times looked like distorted demons and at times there was an ultraviolet hue that filtered the screen. James Brooks and co-creator Matt Groening had to send the episode back to be re-animated and patiently wait for the second episode to be received at the studio. When they received the second episode, Bart The Genius, all nerves were finally calmed. James Brooks had to step back and trust that his staff can handle the trying times, humbling himself for his crew and watching the job get done so they can eventually premiere the show.
Even though the show was planned to premiere with Some Enchanted Evening in September of 1989, the episode was not finished in time and the staff had to delay the premiere. The series premiere with a Christmas episode, something that was not and still is not done often. The episode was titled Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. The episode is about The Simpsons saving their eventual family dog from a dire fate as a retired dog racer. Now, as has been stated, Some Enchanted Evening was about a psychotic babysitter terrorizing the Simpsons children while Homer and Marge go away to reignite their relationship. Being that is was 1989, there is speculation that society was not ready for a television show that included the mature content that The Simpsons created. Though there was suggestive humor, the Christmas episode remained appropriate enough for younger children to view. From this pilot episode, there was a slow build into incorporating more inappropriate innuendos. Despite the detachment of child friendly content, the series remains iconic and watched by a variety of viewers, young and old. The fact that James and his staff had to wait until the eventual premiere of The Simpsons shows that patience, even in chaos, can create something special and long lasting.
Of course, there had to of been various difficulties amongst the 27 years of the series. One pertinent hardship, in which James Brooks held his staff together through, was the death of executive producer Sam Simon. The creation of the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios California was also a trying time, since the entire crew of the series had to step in once they saw Universal failed in doing the show creative justice as an attraction. This is the leadership that all should strive to maintain. Every project has its turbulent times and through those periods of time there needs to be a leader sitting in the pilot seat flying the plane to safety and productivity.
Throughout his tenure in television and movies, everyone that works with him from the cast and crew of the Simpsons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Terms of Endearment, and the other big hits he has had his hand in, James Brooks is revered and looked up to. It is through his humility, patience, and perseverance that Brooks leads his casts and crews to the promise land of success. Despite the turmoil throughout every project, Brooks consistently spews out hit after hit and is humble enough to even add the worst of his credits to his resume-even the projects that are deemed to be less than satisfactory, Brooks claims them as his pieces of work for the world to see. That is somebody I would like to lead me through various projects and that is the kind of leader I would like to be someday, someone who is proud of the work he does no matter the mistakes or obstacles that are encountered.
__________________________________________________________________________
References
Blacker, B. (Podcast host). (2015, August 25) The Simpsons at ATX television festival. Nerdist Writer’s Panel. Retrieved from: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/simpsons-from-atx-television/id455020248?i=350515273&mt=2
Daly, S. (2004, November 12) What, him worry? Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/detail/detail?sid=e0348ee0-d348-480f-a971-cd71467269e6%40sessionmgr4002&vid=0&hid=4112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=15120329&db=a9h
Jones, H. (1994) Some enchanted evening. Simpsons archive. Retrieved from: http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/episodes/7G01.html
Lafayette, J. (2014, January 27) Television comedy’s humble genius. Multichannel News. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=6e90d945-778c-4484-aeb7-91a88f68958b%40sessionmgr4003&hid=4112
Pizzello, C. (2009, December 8) KF Brooks. AP Images. Retrieved from: http://classic.apimages.com/OneUp.aspx?st=k&kw=james%20brooks&showact=results&sort=relevance&intv=None&sh=14&kwstyle=or&adte=1443292602&pagez=40&cfasstyle=AND&rids=15fc663441794f7dace5b0951d7701e2&dbm=PY2009&page=1&xslt=1&mediatype=Photo
Snierson, D. (2015, March 20) 1955-2015 Sam Simon. Entertainment weekly. Retrieved from: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=11&sid=f058ed14-7e03-48cf-abe2-ca737413e7b0%40sessionmgr115&hid=115
