Just the Funny Parts

The true account of a nerdy girl from New England who fought her way to the top of the highly-competitive, male-dominated entertainment field.

Foreword by Sheryl Sandberg

Just the Funny Parts is a juicy and scathingly funny insider look at how pop culture gets made. For more than thirty years, writer, producer and director Nell Scovell worked behind the scenes of iconic TV shows, including The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, which she created and executive produced.

In 2009, Scovell gave up her behind-the-scenes status when the David Letterman sex scandal broke. Only the second woman ever to write for his show, Scovell used the moment to publicly call out the lack of gender diversity in late-night TV writers’ rooms. Her criticisms fueled a cultural debate. Two years later, Scovell was collaborating with Sheryl Sandberg on speeches and later on Lean In, which resulted in a worldwide movement.

Now Scovell is opening up with this fun, honest, and often shocking account. She knows what it’s like to put words in the mouths of President Barack Obama, Mark Harmon, Candice Bergen, Bob Newhart, Conan O’Brien, Alyssa Milano, and Kermit the Frog, among many others. Through her eyes, you’ll sit in The Simpsons'' writers’ room . . . stand on the Oscar red carpet . . . pin a tail on Miss Piggy . . . bond with Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy . . . and experience a Stephen King-like encounter with Stephen King.

Just the Funny Parts delivers invaluable insights into the creative process and tricks for navigating a difficult workplace. It''s part memoir, part how-to, and part survival story. Or, as Scovell puts it, “It’s like Unbroken, but funnier and with slightly less torture.”