Danielโข Anthony McGrath, a prolific writer and โproducer โfor iconic animated โseries the Simpsons โฃ and King of the Hill, died July 17, โ2024, in Brooklyn, New York. He was 61. McGrath’s โฃcontributions helpedโข shape theโข comedic landscape of television for over two decades, โคdelivering memorable episodes and earning โฃan Emmy Award for his work.
McGrath โbegan hisโ television career at Saturdayโข Night โฃLive in 1991, working for two seasons and sharing a โข1992โ Emmy nominationโค alongside โฃfrequent collaborators Adamโ Sandler and โChris Farley.โ He then transitionedโ toโฃ The Simpsons, where he received writing creditโค onโค 50 episodes from 1992-94โ and producing credit on โ24 episodes from 1996-98. His notable episodes included “The Devil and Homerโ Simpson,” “Time and Punishment,” “Bartโ ofโฃ Darkness,” โseveral “Treehouse of Horror” installments, “Boy-Scoutz ‘n โthe Hood” and “Homer’s Phobia,” for whichโ he won his Emmy in โข1997. He jokinglyโค referred to himself as a founder and co-chairman of the โขTamaribuchi Heavy โฃManufacturing Concern, โand reportedly was fired from the Simpsons twice.
Later in his career, McGrathโข lent his โtalents to King of the Hill, earning โwriting โcredit โฃon 11 episodes – including “Full Metal Dust Jacket” and “The โMinh Who Knew Tooโข Much” -โข and producing credit on 28 episodes from 2002-10. He also wrote for Muppets Tonight andโ the animated shows Gravity โFalls, Sammy, Mission Hill, and โ Theโค PJs.
Born in Brooklyn on July 20, โข1964, McGrath was the son of Gerard, โฃa machinist and electrician, and โEleanor, a homemaker.โ He attended Regis High School in Manhattan and Harvard University, graduating in 1987โ withโ a โdegree in Eastโ Asian Studies. While at โharvard, he directed unconventional plays and designed โคcomputer gamesโข for an educationalโ software โcompany based at MIT.
McGrath alsoโค taught classes atโ the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, โwhere he quipped heโฃ could “be appeased andโฃ safely approached with the offer of raw steaks and Popeye’s spicy chicken.”
He is survived byโ his mother,Eleanor;โ brothersโ Michael โand Peter; sister-in-law Caroline; nephew Dillon; and nieces โคKylie and Emma. Donationsโค in his โmemory can be โขmade to Regis โHigh. A visitation willโข be held at McLaughlin โฃ& Sons Funeral Home in Brooklyn startingโ at 5 p.m. on monday, followed โขby a service at St. Patrick’s โคChurch in Brooklyn at โ10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
