It’s high noon for The Simpsons and it appears the voice cast has blinked.

The group of lead actors is close to agreeing to a new deal to keep TV’s longest running entertainment show on the air, according to a source.

That includes Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and others), Julie Kavner (Marge and others), Nancy Cartwright (Bart and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, and Ned Flanders, among others).

While the cast is ready to agree to a pay cut from the $400,000 per episode they have been making since 2008, the source said that is not as deep as the 45% reduction in salary that Fox has demanded, which would have meant they get about $250,000 an episode.

The show’s top producers, according to reports, have already agreed to reduce their current compensation, but the big difference from the cast is that several of them have “back end” deals that pay them additional amounts based on profits from all the revenue sources related to the show – such as licensing, merchandising and syndication of reruns to local TV stations.

The cast has not been paid a cut of the back end profits, and is not expected to get any in this new contract. Harry Shearer put out a statement early Friday saying he would take a cut of as much as 70% in salary if the network provided a share of back end profits, but his statement adds that Fox has remained steadfast in its refusal to do so.

Clearly the cast wants the show to continue. It isn’t a tremendous amount of work (most of them do other jobs as well), and it has been a great professional calling card for the 23 years the show has been on the air.


On Friday, Nancy Cartwright said in a statement about her desire to see the show continue: “Absolutely! "The Simpsons is a remarkable chronicle of our times. I've wanted to do this since I was 16! And I want to keep doing it until I am 86! Long live the Simpsons!"

This is the latest in a long history of salary squabbles between the network and the voice cast. The series went on in 1989, with the cast making about $30,000 per episode, and the first big battle took place in 1998 when Fox threatened to replace the cast. There were other tough negotiations in 2004 and 2008, when the actors got up to their current salary.

The difference now is that the show’s ratings have continued to erode, along with those of most primetime shows. While it is still pulling enough viewers to deserve to remain on the air, the studio insists the deficit to make the animated shows has now risen to a point where it is unacceptable to them. That is why Fox has threatened to end the show if they can’t make a deal.

Of course Fox could also re-cast the voice actors with talent at a lower salary, but that would bring them a lot of bad public relations.

What we do know is that the Friday noon deadline set by the studio has now passed and neither Fox or the actors is saying anything. The actors and their representatives were in a long conference call Friday morning; but the answer to what it all means continues to be “D’oh?”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-cast-fox-pay-cut-245648

I am glad that the voice and the FOX network have managed to reach an agreement on the paycut. It's not 45% percent but at least they were able to find a number that both parties could be comfortable with and that the show will continue as a result.

And for the people who HOPE for cancellation, this is all we can say...

D'OH!

"The Simpsons" Renewed for Seasons 24 & 25
by Chris Harnick
posted Oct 7th 2011


"The Simpsons", American's longest-running scripted series, is coming back for not only a Season 24, but Season 25 as well.

The decision to continue the series came after 20th Century Fox TV and the voice actors -- Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer -- squabbled over pay cuts for days.

Season 24 and 25 will bring "The Simpsons" to an astonishing 559 episodes.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/10/07/the-simpsons-renewed-for-seasons-24-and-25/

As I mentioned before I am glad that the FOX network and the voice cast have sorted out their differences. I am especially glad that they have renewed the show for two more seasons. Hopefully after Season 25 the show will still continue to go on for many years to come.

This will place The Simpsons third among scripted TV Series with the most episodes produced. Only Gunsmoke and Lassie rank higher. (Bear in mind during the 1950s and 60s FAR MORE Episodes were made during a season than there are now). In the 1950s a Show could have as many as 40 Episodes a Season, these days some are lucky to have 20! :confused:

Although Gunsmoke and Lassie produced more Episodes, The Simpsons will have a first, as they will be the ONLY scripted prime-time series to last 25 years, and all I can say for that is Congratulations! :cheers: :yourock: :bluesbros :jig: party:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to say, I was pretty shocked to hear this news.

559 episodes would indeed be quite an achievement but it is still 29 short of Lassie's 588 episodes and 76 short of Gunsmoke's 635, but who's to say that the 25th season will be the last?

That is true. though it is uncertain right now, no one really knows for sure when the show will end. Personally, I think the Simpsons still has a lot of life left in it and we will be seeing on for quite sometime. :D

The beauty with The Simpsons is that it is animated, it can go on as long as Matt Groenig wants it too.

I don't care if it is animated. I still will not see this show continuing past season 25. The longer it runs, the more people will grow tired of the show. Can't let it run longer than it already has out of respect for all the long-running live action series out there. Wait till the series gets a proper final season, then the show can retire from the air.

I don't care if it is animated. I still will not see this show continuing past season 25. The longer it runs, the more people will grow tired of the show.


A lot of longtime Simpson fans already have grown tired of it, but where longtime fans flock to leave the show, new ones seemingly pop up.

Bull. They need to stop renewing this show, for real. After Season 25, just give it a series finale and take it off the air for good. No season 26.

Bull. They need to stop renewing this show, for real. After Season 25, just give it a series finale and take it off the air for good. No season 26.
i don't understand what your problem is - if you don't like it go watch something else.

^^You do not need to be rude to other users. I insist on what I said in my last post here.

It's not like an ultimatum is proposed saying that the next time a special guest star passes away, then the run of The Simpsons is over, right?

If the series runs longer than 25 seasons, something bad will happen. One of the main cast or crew dies, there's gonna be protests calling for the forcible end of the series, costs are going to be cut even more, a potential ratings decline.

The three Simpson children would have all been grownups and married and had children themselves by now, if not for the stupid floating timeline.

^^You do not need to be rude to other users. I insist on what I said in my last post here.

It's not like an ultimatum is proposed saying that the next time a special guest star passes away, then the run of The Simpsons is over, right?

If the series runs longer than 25 seasons, something bad will happen. One of the main cast or crew dies, there's gonna be protests calling for the forcible end of the series, costs are going to be cut even more, a potential ratings decline.

The three Simpson children would have all been grownups and married and had children themselves by now, if not for the stupid floating timeline.
i wasn't being rude (certainly nowhere near as rude as you have been) just direct.

the ultimatum you are declaring for this show is completely irrational, arbitrary and illogical. You are entitled to your opinion; I'm just confused as to why you are so adamant that this particular show has to end just because you have a bad feeling about it.

Like I said, if you don't like the show don't watch it. If enough people stop watching the show, the network will cancel it (although they will probably cancel the show before that happens, judging by what FOX is claiming about the economics of the show) - I just don't see the problem here.

The three Simpson children would have all been grownups and married and had children themselves by now, if not for the stupid floating timeline.

Very True. The Photo I decided to use as my Avatar was taken the same year The Simpsons premiered. Today he is married and has four kids.

i wasn't being rude (certainly nowhere near as rude as you have been) just direct.

the ultimatum you are declaring for this show is completely irrational, arbitrary and illogical. You are entitled to your opinion; I'm just confused as to why you are so adamant that this particular show has to end just because you have a bad feeling about it.

Like I said, if you don't like the show don't watch it. If enough people stop watching the show, the network will cancel it (although they will probably cancel the show before that happens, judging by what FOX is claiming about the economics of the show) - I just don't see the problem here.

That's what I did.

I now watch Seth McFarlane Shows, which has that formula of "The Simpsons". (More like rip-off, but "The Simpsons" have that formula from Hanna-Barbera Shows such as "The Flinstones" and "The Jetsons").

i wasn't being rude (certainly nowhere near as rude as you have been) just direct.

the ultimatum you are declaring for this show is completely irrational, arbitrary and illogical. You are entitled to your opinion; I'm just confused as to why you are so adamant that this particular show has to end just because you have a bad feeling about it.

Like I said, if you don't like the show don't watch it. If enough people stop watching the show, the network will cancel it (although they will probably cancel the show before that happens, judging by what FOX is claiming about the economics of the show) - I just don't see the problem here.

If I was a FOX executive, I wouldn't even think about renewing an animated show for a 26th season. I do know that long running shows can be (or probably are) trouble. This shouldn't be a Logan's Run society. Look at King of the Hill, it ran for 13 seasons and that ended its long run (in 2009).

If I was a FOX executive, I wouldn't even think about renewing an animated show for a 26th season. I do know that long running shows can be (or probably are) trouble. This shouldn't be a Logan's Run society. Look at King of the Hill, it ran for 13 seasons and that ended its long run (in 2009).

You really should go back and reread what you just wrote, seriously!

In Logan's Run people were killed at the age of 30 while they were still young and had a lot of life left in them, simply because they were about to turn 30.

You say that:
This shouldn't be a Logan's Run society.
and yet, that is exactly what you are advocating! You want to kill a show that still has life left in it for no reason except that it has gone on for 25 years. King of the Hill ended because its time had come, let The Simpsons do likewise!

^^Its time will probably come in the mid-2010s, then the show can't be renewed further. Shouldn't have let it surpass Ozzie and Harriet.

^^Its time will probably come in the mid-2010s, then the show can't be renewed further. Shouldn't have let it surpass Ozzie and Harriet.


We shall see about that!

^^You may want Simpsons to continue indefinitely, but I do not. Primetime TV series are not supposed to be indefinite (unless you're a newsmagazine like 60 Minutes or Dateline or 20/20). How about make it an even 26 seasons, then you can end? Otherwise, pressure will be put on the cable channels that may like to have reruns of it in their lineup, but are unable to do so until it ends.

i'd rather a show's fate be decided by the quality of the writing and the ratings (in that order) rather than just by some arbitrary deadline

- and there are too many crappy new shows that they seem to put on the air just to fill the spots of better older shows that they canceled, just to make more room for more crappy new shows.

it is unfortunate for FOX that they made a bad deal about Simpsons cable syndication, but to be honest it has been run to death in local syndication anyways so I doubt it would have that much of an audience on cable

What bugs me that all to often a show get's cancelled while it is still viable just because someone just decides it is time. I think a show a show should be cancelled for a reason, and right now there is no reason to cancel The Simpsons.

^^But it'll all depend on the success of Allen Gregory, Napoleon Dynamite, or the Flintstones reboot, or any other proposed new animated series.