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Simpsons face axe under rising costs

20th Century Fox Television has told The Simpsons cast they have to take a pay cut due to rising costs.

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Aye Carumba….

A salary dispute is threatening to end The Simpsons, with 20th Century Fox Television seeking to dramatically cut the salaries of key actors who voice the show including Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe the bartender, Chief Wiggum and Apu) and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders).

In a statement, 20th Century Fox Television said it “cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model.”

The Simpsons has generated billions of dollars in rerun and DVD sales, as well as merchandise, video games and a feature film but its ratings have tumbled over the last few years.

In the US this season has averaged 7.1 million viewers, a drop of nearly 19% from five years ago, when the show averaged 8.7 million viewers. In the 18 to 49 demo, ratings have fallen 17%. Meanwhile in Australia, its numbers are a far cry from its glory days since it has shifted to ELEVEN.

Each episode is said to cost around $5 million with its cast on mid-six-figure pay per episode.

“We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows The Simpsons to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come,” the studio said.

The show is in its 23rd season and is the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American primetime, scripted television series.

Source: LA Times

37 Responses

  2. The show basically started being made for the money from season 10 onwards, which is when it should’ve finished. It wouldn’t be impossible to get new, much cheaper voice actors who could mimic the same voices.

  3. This is all spin, spin, spin. So FOX will spend almost $100 million for 13 crappy episodes of Terra Nova but not give the cast that has made them billions & billions of dollars over the years what it deserves? This way they can blame the “Greedy” actors & not be attacked for killing off a “National Institution”.

  4. I’m a huge Simpsons fan – but really, it’s glory days are long gone. I do think, however, the way that ELEVEN manages the programing of The Simpsons really is pitiful. Days and times of broadcasting of this and Futurama seem to change weekly, shows don’t run to times set out in guides and they seem to play the same 20 episodes over and over. They seem to advertise “new” episodes” but I don’t think whole new seasons are shown – they seem doll them out like special, rare treats (maybe it’s just me – I miss them because ELEVEN moves the airdate). The sad thing is – once a program like The Simpsons gets the axe by Fox it will just be replaced with a cheap-to-make reality program that will make us want to wish we were the ones that had been axed – not The Simpsons.

  5. i herad somewhere when they (the cast) had a pay dispute around early 2000s .fox was going to change the cast if the cast did not agree to the pay so will this happen again ?

    and from what i ment by ‘i herad one makes 8 mill from the simpsons’ i ment per season i read an atical on one of the remaning trusted newspapers the canberra times

    heres the artical

    canberratimes.com.au/news/lifestyle/entertainment/tv/doh-simpsons-too-expensive-to-go-on/2313762.aspx

  7. I know that one day this show will end, but I don’t want that to be any time soon. Whatever happens, I hope the Simpsons get the chance to go out on top.

  8. I’m with Andy (comment at 1.01pm) I also still revere this show, and am amazed at its great quality after 23 years! Culture has changed considerably, and although it is an obscene amount of money the actors earn, it is still an iconic program, and without peer, and should be given more respect than the studio seems to be giving it, at this point. Make 16 new eps instead of 24, the show needs that ensemble group – especially Harry Shearer. I will be very sad if it ends under these circumstances.

  9. i hope the cast can take one for the world , i herad one makes 8 mill from the simpsons alone.that plus any other cash they make from anything else

    in this ecomeny they should take the cut

  13. As long as they keep the Halloween episodes… they are the only ones I generally get excited over and consider classic. It’s gotten to the point now where there is a whole new generation of 8-12 yr olds who are probably seeing decade old episodes for the first time so it could continue into re run heaven with no difficulty.

    I guess it just depends on the voice actors contracts.. do they get royalties from re runs and dvd sales?? I think if your show has decreased in ratings therefore bringing in less revenue then they should accept the pay cut. After 22 years I doubt any of them ‘need’ the money anymore.

  16. A day in a recording studio for a six-figure payment? Where do I sign?

    The Simpsons stopped being funny over a decade ago and is now just another symptom of the “more of the same” attitude that’s killed TV in the US.

  18. I think most people agree after about season 9 or 10 something changed and The Simpsons became … stupid to say the least. Either way I’d be sad to see a show like this gone since it’s such a product of our pop culture but I can’t say I would be devestated exactly. I haven’t watched that show in years, and everytime I see it on I get turned off by it’s quality.

  19. See I think this is probably a problem with the growth model of business. They surely are making money, but just want to make more money and probably see each new season at this length actually not adding as much money to the yearly pile than if they didn’t have to pay for it.

    My prediction.

    Harry Shearer will walk, the rest will stay. He was the one that was behind the actors getting decent wages in the first place.

  20. After seeing the first 2 episodes of season 23 they should end it after this season or cut the seasons down to 12-13 episodes.They’re struggling for storylines.

  21. It makes me angry when I hear crap like this from Fox. The show has earned Billions of dollars for the network. Grow up, pay your actors what they deserve (which is nothing in comparison to what the show has earned for your corporation), and continue making this show.

    For those that whine that it’s no longer as good as it was in it’s glory days — point taken — but it’s loads better than most of the rubbish that you see on TV these days.

    I still love The Simpsons even after 22 years on the air!

  23. Its a terrific show and the cast should take a salary cut. Look at Tim Allen who was earning something like $1.2 million an episode for Home Improvement in the 90’s and is now back in another sitcom (can’t think of it’s name) for $250,000 an episode. No voice should be earning more then that as that is the current avg. for sitcom stars in this economy (with the largest being Ashton Kutcher on Two and a Half Men which is $600,000+ an episode).

  24. I have to say thats alot of money per episode and great pay if your a voice actor,but to me the shows long past its glory days.I think after season 10 it been a shadow of its former self , or maybe even earlier.

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