Fox Threatens to Shut Down 'Simpsons'

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21177.html

Fox is threatening to shut down production on The Simpsons if the voice actors do not agree to a 45% pay cut, according to Daily Beast. The show, which will complete its 23rd season next spring, is a cash cow, with syndication bringing in billions of dollars. The pay cuts would take voice actors Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer down from their current $8 million per season to around half that. A Fox statement said, “We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model.”

The cast reportedly offered to take a 30% cut in exchange for a tiny piece of the back end of the show (they are currently paid union-mandated residuals), an offer that was turned down by Fox.

This is not the first high-stakes negotiation with the voice cast for The Simpsons, and with this much money at stake, we’re betting that the dispute will eventually be resolved.

So this could be the end of the Simpsons again. I doubt it tho. Fox obviously wants a bigger cut of the money off the voice actors tho. greedy greedy fox.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

I love Fox so much (sarcasm implied), I mean lets make these actors work for less even though the show they voice act for makes us billions of dollars just so we can pocket the excess.

And people wonder why I hate Fox (besides the whole lets cancel Firefly after one season and cancelling Lie to Me after three)

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Just like Firefly, I wouldn't be surprised if they cancel Terra Nova after the first season because it won't be profitable enough.. Even tho it will make profit, it won't be enough because fox is never pleased. Which would suck because I'm liking Terra Nova so far.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I'm glad Falling Skies was on TNT.

[Pchan 5,162]

45% pay cut ... DAYUM.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I'm glad Falling Skies was on TNT.

Damn! I just remembered for the second time I need to watch Falling Skies! x_x

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21192.html

Producers of The Simpsons (which include James L. Brooks and creator Matt Groening) have agreed to pay cuts in order to keep the show on the air, according to Variety. 20th Century Fox Television is asking the voice talent to take 45% cuts, a request the actors have refused (see "Fox Threatens to Shut Down 'Simpsons'').

Fox has reportedly given the actors until Friday to accept their offer so that a script for a series finale can be prepared for the last episode of the current season if they refuse.

The producers bit the bullet for fox, but will the voice actors? I guess we'll find out tomorrow or saturday morning if there will be a series finale at the end of this season.

[Eli 474]

Hello, Comedy Central? Cartoon Network? To hell with Fox.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

CN saved and revived Futurama and Family Guy... but I doubt they would be able to do the same for the Simpsons.... Being on the air for so long, its roots are deep in Fox, and it would take A LOT of money to buy the rights off of them. If it does shut down I see them just sitting on the property forever. They'll make loads off streaming deals with Netflix and Hulu on the reruns, and of course DVDs.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Yeah. You would think Simpsons would follow the same path as futurama and move to comedy central.

*edit*

yes.. i could see fox sitting on simpsons for a long time now that you say it like that.

[Eli 474]

Yeah, I can see that too. Fuck Fox. Seriously.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/story/2011-10-07/fox-renews-simpsons/50693328/1

Fans of "The Simpsons" can breathe a "d'oh!" of relief: The animated series was renewed Friday for two more seasons.

A contract dispute with the show's voice cast had threatened to end the series, but Fox announced it will air through seasons 24 and 25.

The animated series about the Simpson family, including dad Homer and his familiar "D'oh!" is TV's longest-running scripted nighttime series.

BLOG: Shearer: Cut my 'Simpsons' salary by 70%

STORY: Is the end near for 'The Simpsons' ?

Negotiations over the future of "The Simpsons," which began its 23rd season last month, spilled out into the public. Twentieth Century Fox Television, which makes the show, said it couldn't continue without cutting costs and targeted the salaries of voice actors Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria.

Each actor makes a reported $8 million a year for their work on "The Simpsons," and Fox said the show could not continue without pay cuts. Earlier Friday, Shearer said producers demanded a 45 percent reduction.

The terms of the cast's new deal were not announced. The Hollywood Reporter, citing unidentified sources, said the actors accepted a 30 percent pay cut in the $440,000 they'd received for each of 22 episodes per season.

Shearer said he'd told producers he'd be willing to accept a 70 percent pay cut, but in return the actors wanted "a tiny share" of the billions of dollars in profits the show has earned through syndication and marketing. The show's creators, Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, have profit participation but the actors have been rebuffed in efforts to join them.

Shearer said his representatives were told that there were "simply no circumstances under which the network would consider allowing me or any of the actors to share in the show's success."

A spokesman for Twentieth Century Fox Television, Chris Alexander, said Friday he had no comment on Shearer's statement.

"We've had a great run and no one should feel sorry for any of us," said Shearer, who conceded that his salary was "ridiculous by any normal standard." "But given how much joy the show has given so many people over the years — and given how many billions of dollars in profits News Corp. has earned and will earn from it — I find it hard to believe that this is Fox's final word on the subject."

News Corp. owns both the television studio and Fox network.

Questions were raised about whether Fox and the studio wanted the series to continue. The Daily Beast, which first reported the salary impasse, noted that the studio is locked into its current syndication deals while new episodes continue to be made. If the show were to be canceled, the studio could potentially make much more lucrative deals for use of the reruns.

Simpsons will stay on for another 2 seasons. Now that fox is saving money with the voice actors concessions, maybe they'll pay for better filler show than bob's burgers.

[Lurker 100]

Wow, that show is long-running. ^^;