Michael C. Scully (born October 2, 1956) is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school and dropped out of college, going on to work in a series of jobs. Eventually, in 1986, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a stand-up comic and wrote for Yakov Smirnoff. Scully went on to write for several television sitcoms before 1993, when he was hired to write for The Simpsons. There, he wrote twelve episodes, including "Lisa on Ice" and "Team Homer", and served as showrunner from seasons 9 to 12. Scully won three Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the series, with many publications praising his episodes, but others criticizing his tenure as a period of decline in the show's quality. Scully still works on the show and also co-wrote and co-produced 2007's The Simpsons Movie. More recently, Scully co-created The Pitts, The Boy Who Lost His Schoolbag and Complete Savages as well as working on Everybody Loves Raymond and Parks and Recreation. He co-developed the short-lived animated television version of Napoleon Dynamite, as well as co-creating Duncanville with his wife, Julie Thacker, and comedian Amy Poehler.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 2, 1956 (70)
- West Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
- Writer and producer, also director
- 12 on MovieCove · 19 credits in all
What are Mike Scully's films like?
Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet2
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Mike Scully's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Mike Scully's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
19 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The New Simpsons Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)
Shifting Gears(2025)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
A Man on the Inside(2024)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Duncanville(2020)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows
Rel(2018)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
The Carmichael Show(2015)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Napoleon Dynamite(2012)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows
Parks and Recreation(2009)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The Simpsons Movie(2007)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Complete Savages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
The Pitts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
X-Men: Evolution(2000)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Everybody Loves Raymond(1996)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows
Top of the Heap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Grand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
The Simpsons(1989)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Out of This World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Career shape
A full career of 18 titles, 17 of them dated from 1987 to 2025.
Film career
- 2009Screen debut· Parks and Recreation
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
6 Primetime Emmys and 1 other major award from 15 major nominations, 1995–2013.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
- Writers Guild Award, won
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)
Show 6 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
Is Mike Scully's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Mike Scully work with?
People who share at least 2 of Mike Scully's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Julie Thacker-Scully shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Frank MarinoShared titles: Duncanville (2020), Napoleon Dynamite (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Marino
- Gerry CohenShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Gerry Cohen
Writers
- Julie Thacker-ScullyShared titles: Shifting Gears (2025), Duncanville (2020), Napoleon Dynamite (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Julie Thacker-Scully
- Andy LeeShared titles: Duncanville (2020), Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 3 shared titles with Andy Lee
- James Heller ChapmanShared titles: Duncanville (2020), Rel (2018)See all 2 shared titles with James Heller Chapman
- Aeysha CarrShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Aeysha Carr
Actors
- Lil Rel HoweryShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Lil Rel Howery
Cinematographers and editors
- George MooradianShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with George Mooradian
- Kirk BensonShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Kirk Benson
Producers
- Reid NakamuraShared titles: Shifting Gears (2025), Rel (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Reid Nakamura
- Barbara StollShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Barbara Stoll
- Danielle Sanchez-WitzelShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Danielle Sanchez-Witzel
- Frank M. GarritanoShared titles: Rel (2018), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Frank M. Garritano
Mixed roles
- Yassir LesterShared titles: Duncanville (2020), The Carmichael Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Yassir Lester
