“The Simpsons are so iconic, anyone will see a picture of Bart and know who he is”: Brian Volk-Weiss on Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons

Director Brian Volk-Weiss has a knack for digging into aspects of our culture that become so ubiquitous as to be part and parcel of our cultural consciousness, from the toys we grew up with in the 80s and 90s in The Toys That Made Us to the films we watched in The Movies That Made Us – from Dirty Dancing to Jurassic Park.

In new series Icons Unearthed Volk-Weiss is tackling a different icon in each six-part instalment, previously Star Wars, and now The Simpsons. After extensive research and interviews with those involved with the animated show, he delves into how the cartoon was first created, rose to success and travelled around the globe, then kept being renewed decade after decade, even until today. As he points out, you don’t need to be a fan or even have watched an episode of the programme to recognise its distinctive yellow characters. His documentary series aims to find out why.

The Upcoming spoke to Volk-Weiss about why he chose The Simpsons for the second round of Icons Unearthed, the work and research that went into it, and what he thinks the secret is to its longevity and success. We also discussed his next topic, the Fast & Furious franchise, which, while rarely taken seriously, has grown to be one of the biggest box office hits and long-running film series of recent times.

Sarah Bradbury

Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons is released on 13^th January 2023.

Watch the trailer for Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons here: