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D'oh! Contract Disputes Cut Simpsons' Episode Count
The Simpsons TM & (c) TCFFC All Rights Reserved/(c)2005 Fox
An ongoing contract dispute between the voice talent behind The Simpsons and 20th Century Fox TV has caused production delays on the show's upcoming 20th season and will most likely force the studio to produce fewer episodes this season.
Although Fox announced a fall schedule last week with its animated crown jewel in the normal timeslot, Variety reports that unresolved negotiations with key cast members Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe) and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns) — who are hoping to increase their salaries from $360,000 an episode to around the $500,000 mark — have forced the studio to drop this season's episode count to 20.
Production halted in 2004 after the cast members didn't show up for two table reads in an effort to increase their salaries. Although the most recent negotiations haven't caused the same kind of "anger or frustration" as those four years ago, if a deal isn't reached soon, more episodes could be cut. — Adam Bryant
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May 20, 2008 11:23 AM
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I love the Simpsons, but maybe a shortened season wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe they won't have to do a clip show like Fox makes them do every season. The voices make the show and The Simpsons is a cash cow for Fox - so give 'em what they want. The show will be in syndication forever, giving Fox that much more for years to come.
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May 20, 2008 11:30 AM
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Why are they paying so much for the voice people? They should spend a good chunk of that money to hire good writers to make the show funny again. The writers are always the most under-appreciated part of a show. How funny the show is depends on the story and the jokes, not the voices.
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May 20, 2008 11:53 AM
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I know voices are the heart of the show, and they aren't really replaceable, but $500K really? That is just disgusting. They don't have to look nice, they don't have to do any stunts, they don't have to overexert themselves, they don't even have to memorize their lines. They have to show up and read their part in a funny voice. I do NOT think that merits $500k, let alone the $360K they are making now.
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May 20, 2008 11:57 AM
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I don't exactly feel bad for them for "only" making 360k an episode, BUT this show brings in millions and millions of dollars. It's all over syndication, the DVDs are big sellers, and there are still the new episodes. It only seems right that the voice actors should receive a good amount of that cash.
The amount they make should be looked at in comparison to what the show brings in overall, not how it compares to what people make on other shows and jobs.
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May 20, 2008 12:09 PM
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Maybe it's time to end it. 20 seasons is a nice round number to end it, and It's not the same show it once was. Maybe they could focus on making a bunch of theatrical movies instead. Even without new episodes Fox will still make hundreds of millions a year with merchandising, DVD's and syndication both in the US and outside.
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May 20, 2008 3:01 PM
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I'll gladly voice a character for only $25,000 per episode!!!! Greedy SOBs.
This show is no longer funny, anyway. It could be canceled any time.
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May 20, 2008 3:21 PM
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As a teacher who only makes 20 something thousand for an entire year (and with a sister who is a firefighter who only makes 30 something thousand for an entire year), I find it really, really, really hard to sympathize with people who make $360,000 for just reading lines off of a paper for a half an hour episode. (I have more sympathy for the people who work intense dramas and who are pulling 16 hour days 6 days a week; however, even then, that kind of money seems a little excessive.)
With that being said, though, I do agree that they deserve a piece of the very lucrative pie that the Simpsons generates. (Don't they get residuals on things like DVD sales in addition to their salaries, though?)
It's really hard when looking at numbers like this (and some of the numbers that were bandied about during the writers' strike and which I am sure will be brought up if the actors go on strike) to separate out the emotional (wow, that's a lot of money!) from the intellectual (they deserve a good portion of the proceeds that this property is generating). In a way, I almost wish I didn't hear facts like this because they make me a little resentful. *sigh*
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May 20, 2008 7:10 PM
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Meredith44 summed it up perfectly. If you're helping to generate massive revenues, you should be allowed to reap the rewards. But since we're talking millions, it gets lost in translation.
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May 20, 2008 8:40 PM
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