Currently in its 23rd season, “The Simpsons” will come to an end next spring if the six principal voice actors don’t get a new deal. Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders) have offered to take a 30% pay cut (presently $8M a year each) in exchange for a tiny percentage of the show’s back-end profits. Fox’s response? “F*ck you.” The Daily Beast says:
Difficult bargaining is nothing new for the show… Fox studio execs have occasionally threatened to replace uncooperative cast members with sound-alike actors. But for the first time in nearly a quarter century of haggling, the executives have insisted that if the cast doesn’t accept a draconian 45 percent pay cut, The Simpsons will die an abrupt death as a first-run series…
“Fox is taking the position that unless they can cut the production costs really drastically, they’ll pull the plug on new shows,” said a Simpsons insider with knowledge of the negotiations. “The show has made billions in profits over the years and will continue to do so as far as the eye can see down the road. The actors are willing to take a pay cut of roughly a third, but that’s not good enough for Fox.”
Seeing as how everyone in this discussion is untold millions of dollars wealthier than I’ll ever be, it’s hard to take a strong stance for either side. I think the actors deserve some back-end money for 23 years of work, but I’m also ready for the show to be over, so I’ll just have to issue a very strongly worded “meh” to both parties.
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This again?
I mean, fuck…
A 30% pay cut from $8 million would drop it to $5.6 million. How will they survive?
They should all leave and start a new animated show for Adult Swim and call it “the Impson Family.” Or maybe “The Thompsons.”
It would be easier if Fox paid the actors per laugh every episode gets now.
Eh, the contract negotiations were much better in the earlier seasons.
SO LONG, DENTAL PLAN!
Lisa needs braces.
So they would rather be paid no more money than be paid $5.6 million to do voice acting on a show that has been coasting by on nothing but reputation for the past 10 years? Those poor, poor people.
Unless Herman’s Head is making a comeback, this could be the end of Yeardley Smith’s entertainment career.
Fox’s demand would pay them $3 million each, which of course means no tacos in the lobsters.
They’re old. Gimme,gimme,gimme.
Finally, I’m gonna get my Mars Bar Quick-Energy Choc-O-Bot Hour.
I may get murdered for this, but it’s easy to dismiss this show as unfunny, or having run its course. But they can still bring it when they have a good premise. This past Sunday was a great episode. Not all-time, but funnier than 90% of the sitcoms on tv ( no epic achievement, sure, but that’s the measuring stick- every animated show on the nets should pay cash tribute to Groening and Brooks. Archer excepted). In all honesty, I don’t catch every episode any more- I have a family and can only burn so many hours in front of the tube. Familiarity breeds contempt, but I’m gonna be bummed if next fall I don’t have the option of a visit with a touchstone of my adulthood.
Sorry for all the impassioned defense- I’m a little gacked up.
I pretty much moved on from this show after season 13. I wonder if its possible this show will have more episodes in its post-jump the shark period than when it was worthwhile, has to be getting close.
How long does it take for those actors to do the sound recording? A couple weeks? Maybe a month at the most? Life is rough.
“The Simpsons” is still on television? Man, I’m out of touch.
STOP! STOP! It’s is already dead..
Keep the show on the air as long as possible, otherwise Harry Shearer is going to try doing that shitty radio show of his full time. Has anyone heard that piece of shit? It’s like someone combined all the worst things about NPR and added Principal Skinner.
So did they blame the economy? I love when things just get covered by a generic ” bad economy” blanket statement without any real explanation. I would think FOX doesn’t give a sh*t about the Simpsons and has passed the torch to “Family Guy”, even though that show is terrible.
The Simpsons have gone waaaaaaay past the point of dying with dignity.
Just pull the plug already.
If the Simpsons were an MMA fighter they’d be Sakuraba. A one time fighting god who is now 5+ extremely long years past his prime and won’t retire. He’s now reduced to literally getting his ear ripped off and a human punching bag for the lowest of low level fighters. It’s sad to watch.
If the people from the Simpsons weren’t making a buttload of money, I’d feel sorry for them.
I have a solution, take the Cleveland Show and American Dad taken off of the air and give them the salaries from those shows.
The family guy has had a serious drop in quality. Its downward spiral was much faster than the simpsons, but at least I still have American Dad to laugh at.
Simpsons just one day became way too self-aware and zany, and the characters have lost their heart and become caricatures. Just compare Marge’s evolution throughout the show’s run and you’ll see what I mean.
The Simpsons back end profit is going to make a killing for at least a decade after it’s gone. Just look at Seinfeld. If I were them, I’d reduce my salary to a million if it meant getting the back end profit percentage. You’d more than make your lost profit back.
45% pay cut! That’s their retirement grease! You thieving grease bandits! I’ll kill ya!
I’m ready for the show to be over, but on a good note. I’m okay with it ending if they just have a final season. An “Okay, that was it. Seeya!” ending like this kind of sucks for something that has meant so much to so many.
If they go to hell they better take McFarlane with them.
I wonder what the name of McFarlane’s show that replaces it will be.
@ Punch: I’m guessing “Call it what you want, I’m getting pegged by a $3000 an hour manwhore on a huge pile of cash!” Or something to that effect. I’m not good with brevity.
The song said they’ll never stop the Simpsons. Are you saying the song lied to me? Because I don’t want to live in such a world.