Me too. Except always lived inside the US. And I’m a fan of the Simpsons.
I’ve never heard of Al Jean. But I know Leonard Stern’s name very well from decades of watching Get Smart. I know Irving Szathmary, too! (he wrote the theme song)
My first thought was “Stern, OBVIOUSLY Stern.” But I was picturing Howard Stern. As for Leonard Stern and Al Jean, I have no idea who either of these men is. Did either of them ever vacation at a small lake in New Hampshire?
Al Jean, sure, from Simpsons credits.
Leonard Stern, I thought first of Sheldon Leonard. But now I recognize it.
You might want to wait a few months before you start a book about anybody.
Did you know that Bill Dana is Irvings brother?
I know of both of them, plus Sheldon Leonard. But hey, I was born in 1955 and grew up in front of a television set.
Do you know who Paul Henning was? (FYI, he had nothing to do with prestidigitation.)
I can name lots of other obscure TV legends, too.
Never heard of either.
Sure do. I used to watch The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres all the time when I was a kid. Still do, from time to time.
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“STERRRRRRNNNN!!!”
Of course. Did you know that Robert Karvelas (Larabee) was Don Adams’ cousin?
Roger Price was actually more interesting than Stern, and Mad Libs was one of his lesser creations.
Who else could have conceived of Cap’n Squish (the pirate with a plunger for a hand), or the F.S.S.T. (Flying Saucer Spotters of Terra)?
Thanks again for such an interesting variety of responses!
Played the boyfriend/husband of one of the three hot sisters on Petticoat Junction. IIRC, he was also married to the actress. And he was a producer on the show (possibly also Green Acres).
Well, you’re half right. Paul was the creator/producer of Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies. He was also a screenwriter for Bedtime Story (1964), which was later remade as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988).
The actor who played cropduster Steve Elliot on ***PJ *** was Mike Minor, the son of producer Don Fedderson (My Three Sons). Mike married Betty Jo, the redhead, both on the series and in real life. She (Linda Kaye Henning) was the daughter of Paul.
Here’s one for you. If you can identify him/her WITHOUT GOOGLING, I’ll buy you dinner at Scott’s in London sometime:
M. Leigh Hudec
Trust me: This is someone you would probably recognize instantly if you saw a photo.
Remember, you’re on your honor with this one! 
[spoiler]Majel Barrett Roddenberry
Wasn’t she credited under that name in “The Cage”? And no, I swear I didn’t Google it.[/spoiler]
See you in London. 
I travel to Europe twice a year. We’ll work something out. 
And yes, you are right about the credit. That’s where I knew the name from. If I had the time right now, I would look to see if it turns up anywhere else (like the credits for The Untouchables (1959), f’rinstance).
I didn’t know either of these names, but vaguely thought that Al Jean was one of the cartoonists for Mad Magazine. Looking at Wikipedia, I don’t see anyone of that name or even the same length of name listed for Mad. Can someone think of who I might be mistaking him for?
Al Jaffee. He did many, many features for MAD, including “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” “The Hate Book,” and (later on) “The Love Book.”
“Don’t you just hate/love it when [X] happens?”
That’s it! Thanks!