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After surviving aliens, skateboarding hooligans, and living in the shadow of a very poorly regulated nuclear facility for decades, will Springfield be ruined by money troubles?

The studio that produces "The Simpsons" says it needs to cut its budget or abruptly stop producing new episodes after its current, twenty-third season.

The show's lead voice actors may walk over a demand that they agree to have their roughly $8 million-per-season salaries cut almost in half. The dispute was first reported by The Daily Beast.

"Twenty-three seasons in, 'The Simpsons' is as creatively vibrant as ever and beloved by millions around the world. We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model," 20th Century Fox Television said in a statement. "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."

Harry Shearer (the voice of Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, and Ned Flanders, among others) suggested the fate of the show is up to the studio Tuesday, when a fan tweeted, "Simpsons facing cancellation? Say it ain't so, Harry!"

Shearer responded: "Don't tell me, tell Fox."

source

haven't watched it in years.

kimrachell said:

haven't watched it in years.

Me either.

Eight million dollars per season for voice acting?

Ridiculous.

connorhawke said:

Eight million dollars per season for voice acting?

Ridiculous.

That is just crazy, no wonder the show is having financial trouble lol...

This from your signature:

a life size Purple Fabric Cloud Guitar that I made from a vintage bedspread that I used as a Christmas Tree Skirt

I gotta see that, it sounds awesome

It's had a good run.

itsnotallover said:

connorhawke said:

Eight million dollars per season for voice acting?

Ridiculous.

That is just crazy, no wonder the show is having financial trouble lol...

This from your signature:

a life size Purple Fabric Cloud Guitar that I made from a vintage bedspread that I used as a Christmas Tree Skirt

I gotta see that, it sounds awesome

Unfortunately she never posted a picture of the guitar.

But just so I don't let you down here's a picture of the person who made it. Note: Artist's rendition ONLY>

But, unless the ratings and ad revenues are down, I have trouble believing Fox. They are paying the actors now, and they would not have agreed to it if it was not lucrative.

So if the ratings are down, then it's because the show is not very funny anymore, and if the ratings are not down, then Fox is full of shit and just trying to get more money into it's exec's pockets

connorhawke said:

itsnotallover said:

I gotta see that, it sounds awesome

Unfortunately she never posted a picture of the guitar.

But just so I don't let you down here's a picture of the person who made it. Note: Artist's rendition ONLY>

Classic !!

NDRU said:

But, unless the ratings and ad revenues are down, I have trouble believing Fox. They are paying the actors now, and they would not have agreed to it if it was not lucrative.

So if the ratings are down, then it's because the show is not very funny anymore, and if the ratings are not down, then Fox is full of shit and just trying to get more money into it's exec's pockets

I believe that the cast has agreed to a 30% cut-but the network wants 40%.

Add revenue is down do to competition. More channels, more options, mean less people watch individual shows.

On the one hand, the actors should be over the moon happy and grateful with 4 million/year.

On the other hand, how much are the network execs getting and are THEY willing to take a 50% cut too?

If they are, then the actors should suck it up. If not, then fair call by the actors.

Even though it's gotten better over the last 2 or 3 years, the show is way past it's prime. The first 10 seasons were the best. After that, the writing went way down hill for a long time.

kitbradley said:

Even though it's gotten better over the last 2 or 3 years, the show is way past it's prime. The first 10 seasons were the best. After that, the writing went way down hill for a long time.

Thank you. It has recycling storylines for over a decade. What was once the smartest show on TV is insulting the collective intelligence of its audience. For its own sake I hope it's cancelled.

namepeace said:

kitbradley said:

Even though it's gotten better over the last 2 or 3 years, the show is way past it's prime. The first 10 seasons were the best. After that, the writing went way down hill for a long time.

Thank you. It has recycling storylines for over a decade. What was once the smartest show on TV is insulting the collective intelligence of its audience. For its own sake I hope it's cancelled.

Yeah it just tries too hard now. It's still clever, it just isn't funny.

It makes the whole series look worse when more than half of it is as weak as the Simpsons has been for the past decade.

8 mil is way too much. still, this would make me

XxAxX said:

I cant believe they're asking for Moe money get it?...Moe?...the bartender?....Moe?........

if you have to explain it, it's probably too vague.

Most likely this is simply posturing by Fox as it goes into negotiations with the cast.

I haven't seen it in many, many years. Did they ever get beyond that phase where they'd start with one fairly decent plot, then veer off into some other lame plot, before wrapping up with something wholly unrelated and contrived?

I will be happy to imitate some of those voices for no more than $500k a year!

It hasn't been funny for over 10 years now. Some of the new episodes are painfully unfunny and bring down the whole reputation The Simpsons have had as one of the greatest shows ever.

For it's own good, it needs to get cancelled. I haven't watched it in years too, but I do occasionally watch an old episode.

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

I cant believe they're asking for Moe money get it?...Moe?...the bartender?....Moe?........

oh, Xx, you are THE funniest ORGer of all time! it is beyond humorous the way you make such a clever pun on the character moe, from the simpsons, and the word 'more' as in 'more money'. brava, Xx! you totally make my pants tight

i realize now i should have had them dry cleaned

[Edited 10/6/11 9:00am]

XxAxX said:

BlackAdder7 said:

oh, Xx, you are THE funniest ORGer of all time! it is beyond humorous the way you make such a clever pun on the character moe, from the simpsons, and the word 'more' as in 'more money'. brava, Xx! you totally make my pants tight

i realize now i should have had them dry cleaned

[Edited 10/6/11 9:00am]

thank you dear. and thank you for being comfortable with me addressing you by your first name, Xx

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

i realize now i should have had them dry cleaned

[Edited 10/6/11 9:00am]

thank you dear. and thank you for being comfortable with me addressing you by your first name, Xx

it's okay, BlAdder i like the way the internet brings us closer

XxAxX said:

BlackAdder7 said:

thank you dear. and thank you for being comfortable with me addressing you by your first name, Xx

it's okay, BlAdder i like the way the internet brings us closer

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

it's okay, BlAdder i like the way the internet brings us closer

Ladder? a rose by any other name...

They should bring back Conan to write the final episode.

I've actually been watching this show constantly for the past week or so. I agree it's gone somewhat downhill over the years, but so has Prince. You still don't want him to just stop making music, though.

[Edited 10/6/11 21:18pm]

The Simpsons should have went off the air ten years ago. They could have been making movies this whole time, instead of keeping the show going...

The1592 said:

I've actually been watching this show constantly for the past week or so. I agree it's gone somewhat downhill over the years, but so has Prince. You still don't want him to just stop making music, though.

[Edited 10/6/11 21:18pm]

The difference is the world can just ignore Planet Earth or 20Ten and listen to 1999, but the new Simpsons episodes will get mixed in with the old ones on reruns, and the more new ones there are the worse the whole series seems!

And because they Homer doesn't wear a purple trenchcoat one season, and buttless pants the next it's harder to tell which episodes to ignore as "later years"

[Edited 10/6/11 22:59pm]