Yeah.

It's a bit of class, that whole "D'oh!" thing.



Genius.

>I love the way Homer "Homer out of the Simpsons" Simpson says "D'oh!" when he does something wrong. Brilliant!

Apparently it is always referred to in the script as 'annoyed grunt'.

And if I hear Dan Castellaneta tell that story about the annoyed grunt again I'll smash up my television.

Surely he has some more anecdotes from 12 years of what is possibly the world's most famous show?

What about the story of How he made up the D'oh - not bored of that yet?
He just sped it up a bit - hmmm

That's part of the anecdote I mean.

Fascinating, isn't it?

Yes
Please tell me it again

Do you know how Dan Castellaneta came to use the now famous 'D'oh!' catchphrase for Homer?

Well, he remembered seeing the old Laurel and Hardy films, and there was a character who used to say 'D'ooooooooooh!' whenever he was annoyed. Because The Simpsons is animation, though, and everything has to be quick, Dan decided to shorten it to 'D'oh!'.

Did you like that?

Again, Again.
Perhaps you could sendit to the Radio Times - Then Alison Graham could say "we all know Homer loves his D'oh-noughts", but were did the phrase D'oh come from?

I can tell you where the phrase 'D'oh!' comes from if you like, PJ!

Alison Graham said that he got the catchphrase from the time he was at Moe's Tavern and ate some play-doh while drunk.

Argument settled, I feel!

Now, next: where did Homer Simpson get that annoyed grunt noise from?

I'll field that one, Justin!

Dan recalls he remembered seeing the old Laurel and Hardy films, and there was a character who used to say 'D'ooooooooooh!' whenever he was annoyed. Because The Simpsons is animation, though, and everything has to be quick, Dan decided to shorten it to 'D'oh!'.

I hope that's of some help.

Me, me, over here....!

What is The Simpsons? Is it being shown on the most excellent BBC on Mondays and Fridays?

The Simpsons is an American cartoon for kids. The BBC loves it, can't get enough of it. They treat it with the utmost respect and schedule it accordingly.

There's actually an interesting anecdote behind the creation of the programme, but I forget what it is.

But you still haven't answered my question:















































Just where on earth did that D'oh catchphrase come from???

Funny thing you should ask that. I once heard the lovely Dan Castellaneta tell an hilarious story all about that.

Actually, now you mention it, i heard that story too... and you'll never guess who told it either!

Well the explanation I heard was that Dan recalls he remembered seeing the old Laurel and Hardy films, and there was a character who used to say 'D'ooooooooooh!' whenever he was annoyed. Because The Simpsons is animation, though, and everything has to be quick, Dan decided to shorten it to 'D'oh!'.

If I hear about the characters being named after Matt Groenings family, and 'Bart' being an anagram of 'brat' one more time, I'll shag Caroline Quentin.

John, how did M.G. come up with the names for the Simpson Family??

Actually another question:
I know that the fantastic BBC is a magical channel run by Jesus H Christ and all his holy minions, but how come the celebrated ten years of the Simspons recently - as if they had anything to do with?

Here's some more exciting, and certainly never heard before facts about Alison Grahams's favourite family, The Simpsons:

Julie Kavner sounds just like her character Marge Simpson! "If i wanted to remain anonymous, I'd have to keep my mouth shut!"

Yeardley Smith only does once voice! yes, that's right! Just one! One!

All the Simpsons are named after members of Matt Groening's family! Except Bart! Which! IS! Just! An! Incorrect! Spelling! Of! BRAT!!!

Fascinating.

It's a funny thing.

The BBC adores The Simpsons and will always treat it well. There's a special programme coming soon dedicated to an anecdote from Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer. It's on for three hours on Christmas Day, instead of the Queen's Speech. The Beeb is expecting record viewing figures, as families all over the nation cancel their dinners and sit in awe at this revelation.

Three hours doesn't sound long enough. What could he possibly say that would only take three hours.

Well, I could be wrong, but I believe it's a pilot.

There's a series planned for the new year, which will run for 36 months, and is to take the place of the BBC News at Nine. Five days a week, 52 weeks a year. ITV is apparently very frightened at the prospect of a sure fire hit being put on in their peak drama time.

But wher did Alsion Graham get her habit of writing columns for the Radio Times?

She'd seen Jimmy Finlayson writing novelettes in a couple of Laurel and Hardy films, but as this is the Radio Times it had to be shortened to a column. And she only has one voice.

Alison Graham is the Grand Dame of TV magazine columnists.

No, she really, really is.

Matt Groening was interviewed in the Guardian today, but I think it must be an edited version. He didn't mention D'oh! at all.

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/friday_review/story/0,3605,362100,00.html

By the way, I heard that the Simpsons started out on the Tracey Ulman show. Is this true?

There's a funny story behind that, Stuart.

Dan Castellaneta used to do Homer's voice in the style of Walter Matthau for the short segments in The Tracey Ullman Show. But when they moved to full episodes of The Simpsons, that voice was too difficult to keep going for 22 minutes. So he changed it!!

Here's another one for the panel:

I gather that Bart Simpson is not, in fact, voiced by a ten year old boy. Fancy that! Who else could be providing his voice?

Also, where did Homer get that noise from that he makes when he gets annoyed? I've been looking for an answer to this one for, literally, days now!

I'll get back to you on that one, Justin. I'll need to do extensive research for such a tricky question, I fear.

Also, The Simpsons is, quite literally, on in a minute.

I wish youd leave AG alone

she used to be a fantastic writer before going to the RaT.

and sometimes, yeh, her writings are edited!!!!!!!

She has a tendency to repeat herself every week.

Talking endlessly about Steve McDonald's eyebrows doesn't make good journalism.

>I wish youd leave AG alone
>
>she used to be a fantastic writer before going to the RaT.
>
>and sometimes, yeh, her writings are edited!!!!!!!

Who did she used to write for, then? And is there a cupboard full of lost examples of her insightful, provocative opinions somewhere at BBC Worldwide? Because she gets quite enough opportunities to write her bland, ill-considered ramblings down as it is.

In particular she does not understand comedy, and should be terminally discouraged from trying to write sneery little comments about every British sitcom that airs (apart from The League Of Gentlemen, which is getting rave reviews everywhere anyway, so she's on safe ground). She tried to review Kiss Me Kate in one RT column last year by listing three or four lines of dialogue in isolation and saying "is that funny? not likely...". Does she not realise that context is everything? And as for her Woody Allen: Scene By Scene review a couple of months back, it was so dumb I had to rush a piss-take on as quickly as possible.

I know perhaps our AG sniping has been seemingly perpetual in recent months (I'm probably the worst offender), but if she bothered to write anything which wasn't squarely aimed at the 'with-it' end of Middle England, I might be a little more forgiving.

Strange too, how earlier this year in what I think were 10 lines, she completely dismissed Frasier as having turned crap (despite it being a very strong season). One of her ever so sophisticated reasons was that 'Frasier is now just a big baby'.

Give this woman a prize for her outstanding contribution to journalism!

"I know perhaps our AG sniping has been seemingly perpetual in recent months"

That's because she presents her ridiculous, copied views to us every week - Thunderbirds for fucks sake! She needs more holidays but, perversly, she appears to take too many already.

It's predictable, unchallenging writing. I suppose her and Sue Robinson have to stick together.

>'Frasier is now just a big baby'.
>
The point of the show, surely? Next week: 'The characters in Seinfeld are getting terribly superficial these days.'

"Pauline Fowler wears a horrible old cardigan! I wish she'd take it off occasionally!"

"I wish they'd learn to smile in Eastenders"

"Bet Gilroy's hair is really big"

Bet it isn't!