John Swartzwelder: The Simpsons’ Prolific Writer Rejected by Letterman and Fired from SNL

by

No other TV show is as well-known for its writing team as The Simpsons. This team is the creative force behind what many consider the funniest and most innovative show ever made. A remarkable number of successful comedy writers and producers have gotten their start there, including Conan O’Brien, and the creators of The Office and Parks and Recreation, Greg Daniels.

However, no one has contributed more to The Simpsons than the writer behind the most episodes – including many of its most beloved. This remarkably private individual was instrumental during the show’s peak, creating more memorable television with their writing than most entire network writing staffs could achieve in their careers.

Before becoming one of the most celebrated writers for The Simpsons, John Swartzwelder faced some early career setbacks. He didn’t land a job on Late Night with David Letterman, and his time at Saturday Night Live was short-lived – Lorne Michaels fired him less than a year after he started.

Although Swartzwelder helped write some of the most memorable sketches in Saturday Night Live history, he was let go by the summer of 1986. He then found success creating a cartoon about a typical American family, which began as short segments on The Tracey Ullman Show.

John Swartzwelder Is The Greatest Simpsons Writer In History

Looking at episodes of The Simpsons widely considered the best, a surprising number were written by John Swartzwelder. He excelled at both episodes that cleverly commented on current events, such as “The Boy Who Knew Too Much” and “The Cartridge Family,” and those built around memorable scenes, like “Homer at the Bat” and “Homer the Great.” Swartzwelder was truly skilled at insightful and relevant social commentary.

He developed some of the most iconic one-off characters in The Simpsons, like Frank Grimes from “Homer’s Enemy” and Hank Scorpio in “You Only Move Twice.” He also crafted unforgettable episodes centered around Itchy & Scratchy, and consistently contributed to the show’s yearly Halloween specials, “Treehouse of Horror.”

Al Jean wrote a remarkable 59 episodes of The Simpsons over 14 seasons – more than any other writer on the show. After leaving in the early 2000s, he turned to writing a series of quirky detective novels featuring a character named Frank Burly.

While Matt Groening created the initial idea and distinctive look of The Simpsons, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon guided how stories were told and characters evolved. However, it was John Swartzwelder who truly captured the show’s playful, rule-breaking attitude in its first years. He was a unique writer who needed a show with a lot of creative liberty to thrive.

Letterman Rejected Swartzwelder After A “Spectacularly Awful” Interview

In 1983, Jim Downey, a writer for Late Night with David Letterman, received a joke in the mail with no return address. He was so impressed that he tracked down the author, John Swartzwelder, through his mother. At the time, Swartzwelder was working in advertising, and Downey arranged for him to meet Letterman.

According to Mike Sacks’ book, Poking a Dead Frog, what happened next is now famous. While Madonna’s interview with David Letterman was certainly shocking, John Swartzwelder’s private conversation with the host might have been even more memorable.

According to Jim Downey, the interview was a complete disaster. Writer George Swartzwelder unexpectedly showed up at David Letterman’s office and, while smoking and drinking from a flask, proceeded to criticize modern television to one of the biggest names in the industry.

He didn’t hold back, even criticizing Letterman’s show. Unsurprisingly, Swartzwelder didn’t get the job, but Robert Downey Jr. liked him enough to offer him a position at Saturday Night Live instead.

SNL Fired Swartzwelder After 18 Months

Many former Saturday Night Live writers have become well-known after their time writing jokes for the show, but John Swartzwelder stands out. He was already 36 when he joined the SNL writing team, making him significantly older than most of his colleagues, as he’s pointed out.

In a 2021 interview with The New Yorker, writer Al Swartzwelder shared a story about surprising Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels with his age. He described his time writing for SNL as a leisurely experience, working only about 18 weeks each year, almost like a continuous vacation. He left the show after the 1985–86 season.

Swartzwelder probably lost his job at SNL because his humor was seen as too unusual and risky for the show. Other writers confirmed this in an interview with Mike Sacks for his book. Lorne Michaels was reportedly trying to bring in new talent, and Swartzwelder didn’t fit the direction the show was heading.

However, the type of humor that caused conflict with Saturday Night Live was actually perfect for The Simpsons. After John Swartzwelder joined the show as a writer for the Tracey Ullman shorts in 1988, he quickly became a vital part of the writing team and stayed there throughout the show’s incredibly successful run.

John Swartzwelder Is The Ultimate Symbol Of The Simpsons’ Golden Age

Similar to how Conan O’Brien has often discussed the writing process on The Simpsons, John Swartzwelder recently addressed several rumors about his time working on the show in an interview with The New Yorker. Swartzwelder is famously private, and over the years, fans have created a legendary image of him, which only adds to the mystery surrounding his writing.

In a rare interview about The Simpsons, Swartzwelder clarified that he didn’t create the characters Itchy and Scratchy, though he enjoyed writing their adventures. He did manage to get a unique arrangement in his contract: he was allowed to work from home and submit scripts by mail. However, this wasn’t due to a smoking habit, despite what some people believed.

John Swartzwelder, one of the most productive writers for The Simpsons during its most celebrated years, always preferred writing in his usual booth at a local diner. His work had a huge and lasting impact on television, and his influence extends even beyond that successful period of the show.

Read More

2025-11-09 04:30