Bill Oakley

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Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley in 2008
Born	1966 United States
Occupation	Television writer
Nationality	American

Bill Oakley (born in 1966) is an American television writer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. Along with his writing partner Josh Weinstein, Oakley was the executive producer and showrunner during the seventh and eighth seasons. Before serving as the show's executive producers, the pair were hired onto the writing staff during the fourth season. After leaving The Simpsons, Oakley and Weinstein created Mission Hill, The Mullets, and served as consulting producers on Futurama.

Along with Weinstein, Oakley was to serve as an executive producer on the upcoming Fox television series Sit Down, Shut Up, which debuted in Spring of 2009.^[1] In May 2008 he left the show over a contract dispute with Sony Pictures with producers.^[2]

Early life

He was born and raised in Union Bridge, Maryland, and attended St. Albans School, where he and Weinstein created cartoons for the school newspaper. He later attended Harvard University, where he was vice-president and editor of the Harvard Lampoon. His Lampoon classmates included Futurama co-creator David X. Cohen, Newsradio creator Paul Simms, as well as Richard Appel, Greg Daniels, Dan Greaney, Dan McGrath, Steve Young, Steve Tompkins, and his future wife Rachel Pulido, all of whom wrote for The Simpsons under the supervision of Oakley and Weinstein.

Career

Along with his writing partner Josh Weinstein, Oakley was the executive producer and showrunner during the seventh and eighth seasons of the animated series, The Simpsons. Before serving as the show's executive producers, the pair were hired onto the writing staff during the fourth season. Together, the two wrote episodes such as "Who Shot Mr. Burns?". After leaving The Simpsons, Oakley and Weinstein created Mission Hill, The Mullets, and served as consulting producers on Futurama. Along with Weinstein, Oakley was to serve as an executive producer on the upcoming Fox television series Sit Down, Shut Up, slated for debut in Spring of 2009.^[1] In May 2008 he left the show over a contract dispute with Sony Pictures with producers.^[2]

Oakley and Weinstein have written and produced several television pilots (both comedies and dramas). They have also written several feature films, including The Optimist for New Line Cinema, which is slated to star Seann William Scott.

Personal life

Oakley and his wife Rachel Pulido (who also wrote for Mission Hill) have two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and a son named James, who participated in two The Simpsons DVD commentaries while still an infant. Oakley is an avid surfer and snowboarder who frequents Southern California's Snow Summit during winter months.^{[citation needed]} He remains active in Harvard Lampoon affairs and currently serves on the five-member Board of Graduate Trustees, along with James Murdoch.

Writing credits

The Simpsons episodes

Oakley has written the following episodes of The Simpsons with Josh Weinstein:

• "Marge Gets a Job"
• "Marge in Chains"
• "Treehouse of Horror IV" ("Terror at 5½ Feet" segment)
• "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)"
• "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy"
• "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
• "Lady Bouvier's Lover"
• "Sideshow Bob Roberts"
• "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy"
• "Bart vs. Australia"
• "Who Shot Mr. Burns" (parts 1 & 2)
• "22 Short Films About Springfield"-Contributor

Mission Hill episodes

Oakley co-wrote the following episode with Josh Weinstein:

• "Pilot"

Television Pilots

• 22 Birthdays with Doug Liman
• Business Class with Mark Valley

Feature Films

• Ruprecht
• The Optimist

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bill Oakley

• Bill Oakley at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with Bill and Josh at TVDads.com
• Interview with Bill and Josh at Morphizm.com
• Interview with Bill and Josh on NPR's On the Media