The SIMPSONS - After 23 Seasons it's The End ???

[quote name='BillyBob29']Why does that piss you off? New production is just not profitable at current prices. Ratings are down for the show while costs are up. What is wrong with Fox trying to bring costs back in line with reality?[/QUOTE]


He's probably referring more towards the syndication payout part. If none of the cast is getting paid for reruns that is pretty sleazy.
 
Although this is really shitty of Fox, it's interesting to note that as late as 2004 the voice actors were only getting $125,000 per episode. Through a series of strikes their salaries eventually got bumped up to between 250-300k in 2004, and 400k in 2008.

So, I mean, even if they take the $250,000 they're still getting a healthy amount above their old 2004 salary.

Regardless, though, not getting syndication money is fucked up.
 
[quote name='Javery']QFT. If Seasons 1 through 10 didn't exist The Simpsons would STILL be one of the best shows of all time. I don't watch it religiously like I used to but I always get a few laughs out of each episode. I also can't believe it has been 23 years - I remember watching them on the Tracey Ullman Show. Now there are college grads who have never lived in a world without The Simpsons. Damn I'm old.

They will come to an agreement - I think they are only a few million dollars apart and there's no way FOX will kill this cash cow. There is really no reason it can't go on forever or until the cast members start dying.[/QUOTE]

+1 and then some. It's still a good show even if not as great as it used to be.

Yeah I remember watching it back on the Tracey Ulman (Go home!) show as well. Back when Fox was just starting to be a channel.

Now; Family Guy, American Dad, and Cleveland Show, those I wish they'd cancel. Too crude for me (at least I can watch the Simpsosn when the kids are up) and just too filled with the idea that references to something else are funny.
 
Assuming they're getting syndication money from the rebroadcast of the episodes and from the DVD / BD releases, not getting syndication money could cost them more long-term than their current paychecks getting cut.

There's 14 seasons out on DVD or BD, 1-13 (13 on BD and DVD) and 20 (DVD and BD). 14 is just coming out this fall on DVD and BD, with 15-19 to follow, as well as 21 and 22. There's also numerous collections/specials, plus the movie, that are all out on DVD, plus the movie on BD.

If the voice actors give up their jobs and end it after this season, all they have to fall back on is their syndication/DVD/BD royalties. If they give up their syndications/BD/DVD royalties to keep it going for another season, that may be less money in the long run.

I'm sure they'll find some medium somewhere, most likely at $250K/episode + syndication/royalties rights.
 
I shall be sad to see it go but like many, I haven't actively watched in years. I still liked to catch pieces on friends DVDs and the like. If they streamed them on Netflix, I'd probably watch a couple episodes a day.

The show really hit its stride when they realized that Homer was funnier than Bart. I think that was around season six or seven. The Pulp Fiction episode had me in fucking tears.

American Dad/Family Guy/Cleveland Show are so fucking derivative that I was watching a "humorous" flashback on American Dad and I didn't know which of the three shows it came from. Seth whatisname needs to be loaded into a rocket and fired into the sun.
 
I think Fox is unwilling to give them any syndication money...

Personally, I haven't watched a single episode since the early 2000s.

I still watch Family Guy, but the Cleveland Show is pretty dull.
 
The Simpsons star Harry Shearer says he's willing to take a 70 percent pay cut in exchange for profits as a Friday deadline approaches for the cast to accept a 45 percent salary cut.



They make $440,000 an episode, to do VOICE OVERS...

would you really throw away the chance to keep making $1 million every 4 episodes, I sure as hell wouldn't.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']Assuming they're getting syndication money from the rebroadcast of the episodes and from the DVD / BD releases, not getting syndication money could cost them more long-term than their current paychecks getting cut.

There's 14 seasons out on DVD or BD, 1-13 (13 on BD and DVD) and 20 (DVD and BD). 14 is just coming out this fall on DVD and BD, with 15-19 to follow, as well as 21 and 22. There's also numerous collections/specials, plus the movie, that are all out on DVD, plus the movie on BD.

If the voice actors give up their jobs and end it after this season, all they have to fall back on is their syndication/DVD/BD royalties. If they give up their syndications/BD/DVD royalties to keep it going for another season, that may be less money in the long run.

I'm sure they'll find some medium somewhere, most likely at $250K/episode + syndication/royalties rights.[/QUOTE]


Right now they are getting standard union rate for royalties, which is basically nothing.
 
[quote name='DestroVega']The Simpsons star Harry Shearer says he's willing to take a 70 percent pay cut in exchange for profits as a Friday deadline approaches for the cast to accept a 45 percent salary cut.



They make $440,000 an episode, to do VOICE OVERS...

would you really throw away the chance to keep making $1 million every 4 episodes, I sure as hell wouldn't.[/QUOTE]
But you have to realize that they do have a strong bargaining chip. They are The Simpsons. Think of how many secondary characters you know and love in the universe of The Simpsons. The six principal voice actors voice almost 100% of Springfield. Maybe even four, really, because I think Yeardly Smith and Julie Kavner only voice their principal characters and very few others (Patty and Selma I know for Julie Kavner, not sure if she does any others).

Point is, this wouldn't be a change to one character, the entire cast would be altered, and that's a big deal. And the voice actors aren't asking for a raise, here. Clearly they are willing to take a cut.
 
I don't really enjoy the show much anymore when I happen to catch it. If the justification for it still going on is that it is a 1000x better than the garbage reality shows that pervade most networks, than I'm totally fine with that. I'd rather a formerly amazing but now mediocre show keep getting renewed than have to hear another 'You Think You Can Dance' advertisement.
 
[quote name='camoor']Pie man was a long-ass time ago. Most of those other ideas sound like rehashes.

Honestly at this point the Simpsons is suffering from "Simpsons did it"[/QUOTE]

So what? Turns out the episode was from Season 15 so I don't know what you're trying to say there. Even if they "rehash" an idea, they've usually joked about it within the episode anyway. Besides, it's WAY better than when Family Guy gets lazy and takes one joke and stretches it out for minutes on end ( ex: Conway Twitty).

I'm surprised Harry Shearer made that statement. I heard in the past that he wasn't enjoying the show so I figured he would want out.
 
FOX ORDERS DOUBLE D’OHS OF “THE Simpsons”​

Longest Running Scripted Series on Television is Renewed Through Season 25​
FOX has renewed THE Simpsons, the longest-running comedy in television history, for an incredible 24th and 25th season, bringing the series total to an astonishing 559 episodes. THE Simpsons airs Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

In the words of Homer Simpson, "Woo Hoo! I outlasted Andy Rooney!"

The longest-running scripted show in television history, THESimpsons exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Matt Groening created the iconic family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. In February 2012, THESimpsons will celebrate its historic 500th episode. The series has won 27 Emmy Awards, been the subject of a hit feature film, created “Krustyland” and a revolutionary virtual coaster – The Simpsons Ride – at Universal Studios, received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, been honored with five U.S. postal stamps personally designed by Matt Groening, and named the “Best Show of the 20th Century” by Time Magazine.

Following the MLB American League Championship Series and World Series games on FOX, THE Simpsons returns with all-new episodes beginning with “Treehouse of Horrors XXII,” on Sunday, Oct. 30 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT). In the spooky opener, Homer takes a dangerous dive into an isolated canyon on Candy Peak, but when a crashing boulder traps his arm, he channels Aron Ralston (guest voicing as himself) to save himself. In “The Diving Bell and Butterball,” the first of three hair-raising Halloween tales, a venomous spider bite leaves Homer paralyzed, but when Lisa discovers Homer’s ability to communicate through natural gases, he is able to express his love for Marge. The killer spells continue in “Dial D for Diddly,” when Ned Flanders, devout preacher by day, transforms into a cold-blooded vigilante by night. In the final terrifying tale, “In the Na’Vi,” Bart and Milhouse are assigned on a mission to access a sacred extract on a distant planet. They morph into the land’s indigenous one-eyed avatars, but when Bart finds love and an eternal mate abroad, he is caught in planet warfare.

THE Simpsons is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening and Al Jean are the executive producers. Film Roman, a Starz Media Company, is the animation house.

Visit THE Simpsons website at www.TheSimpsons.com. Become a fan of the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesimpsons and follow the series on Twitter @TheSimpsonsTV and Homer Simpson @HomerJSimpson.
 
[quote name='Cage017']So what? Turns out the episode was from Season 15 so I don't know what you're trying to say there. Even if they "rehash" an idea, they've usually joked about it within the episode anyway. Besides, it's WAY better than when Family Guy gets lazy and takes one joke and stretches it out for minutes on end ( ex: Conway Twitty).

I'm surprised Harry Shearer made that statement. I heard in the past that he wasn't enjoying the show so I figured he would want out.[/QUOTE]

Family Guy is pretty horrible. In almost every episode it's incredibly obvious they're having a hard time meeting the 22minutes or whatever they run for. You can always spot the "joke" they used as filler, just to get the episode to meet the required time.
 
Everyone mark your calendars for 2 years from now when the same debacle goes down, and they probably get renewed again.

Good for The Simpsons. I'm glad.
 
[quote name='crunchb3rry']
I kinda noticed the show was becoming a little too much like Family Guy (which I loathe) because of too many pop culture tie-ins and "cameos" from celebrities.

[/QUOTE]

I dont even see how you could compare what the two shows do. The Simpsons has them as guest stars and then bases their entire ads on that fact. Practically every episode has some celebrity guest star. Its pathetic. This was happening before FG also.
 
I am sort of indifferent to The Simpsons getting renewed. It's actually pretty watchable in the last couple of years-- I remember the dark ages that seemed to start around season 14, 15. The show sucked hard then, but at least recently it's gotten better.

But it's painfully obvious they will never have the magic that the first nine, ten seasons had, so that's why I wouldn't mind if it got canned either.
 
Woohoooooooooooo. I mean splendid.

Best news I've heard all day. This was the closest I came to thinking it really was the end but I'm very happy to know that things seem to be working out.

"The Best Is Yet To Come"
 
I think everyone knows that seasons 3-10 inclusively, maybe 11, are the prime Simpsons seasons. Yes, we know that the absolutely hands down the best content came from these seasons. But compared to today's animated primetime content, current Simpsons material is not bad. It is not bottom of the barrel. It is not garbage. I wish the general hipster attitude of "I only watched The Simpsons when it was good" would just die down, because the truth is current Simpsons, while not top notch or best the series has ever produced, is still quality primetime content.
 
[quote name='Rocko']I think everyone knows that seasons 3-10 inclusively, maybe 11, are the prime Simpsons seasons. Yes, we know that the absolutely hands down the best content came from these seasons. But compared to today's animated primetime content, current Simpsons material is not bad. It is not bottom of the barrel. It is not garbage. I wish the general hipster attitude of "I only watched The Simpsons when it was good" would just die down, because the truth is current Simpsons, while not top notch or best the series has ever produced, is still quality primetime content.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I agree with you. It'd be totally unexpected for any television to be in its prime still when you're talking about more than ten seasons. Historically it's been proven again and again it's near impossible for a long run television show to maintain its quality.

I hope I wasn't giving off the hipster attitude, I was just merely stating that given the quality of the show during the first decade and how long it's been on the air, I would not mind if it died. The Simpsons will always have its place in my heart because of those brilliant episodes it produced-- what an amazing accomplishment to create about 160 episodes of something that most people will always remember as being the epitome of genius. That's why it doesn't matter to me if this show continues 0 years, 2 years, 10 years.
 
Hipster attitude or not it's obvious that the shows quality has taken a nose dive. Is the show entertaining now? Yeah but it's not as funny and clever as it used to be.
 
[quote name='Lyricsborn']Hipster attitude or not it's obvious that the shows quality has taken a nose dive. Is the show entertaining now? Yeah but it's not as funny and clever as it used to be.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but I'd rather they fill Sunday's prime time slot with two hours of mediocre Simpsons over recent Family Guy or any Cleveland. American Dad, on the other hand, is the only MacFarlane show that I still enjoy and actually look forward to.
 
The Simpsons has been better lately, and the guest stars have been part of the show since the beginning. The Supernintendo Chalmers episode was the first new one I've liked in a while.
 
Looks like the actors "settled" for $300,000 per episode plus an extra cut for licensing, but no back-end payouts.
 
They should have ended The Simpsons on a high note, instead it seems they'll go out with little good and just scrapping the bottom of the barrel like the last few seasons.
 
[quote name='AvidWriter']They should have ended The Simpsons on a high note, instead it seems they'll go out with little good and just scrapping the bottom of the barrel like the last few seasons.[/QUOTE]

And what high note would that be? Because according to half this thread that high note would have been 13 years ago. Who cares if they do their thing and go out on a nice number like 25, with 559 episodes + 1 movie.
 
[quote name='keithp']Looks like the actors "settled" for $300,000 per episode plus an extra cut for licensing, but no back-end payouts.[/QUOTE]

Does FOX really think the "actors" would walk away from the job? It has to be the easiest money going. I guarantee they say all of their lines once in one 22 minute read-through and then go swimming Scrooge McDuck style in their money vaults. I don't blame them for trying for more but I don't want to hear them complain about it.
 
[quote name='Javery']Does FOX really think the "actors" would walk away from the job? It has to be the easiest money going. I guarantee they say all of their lines once in one 22 minute read-through and then go swimming Scrooge McDuck style in their money vaults. I don't blame them for trying for more but I don't want to hear them complain about it.[/QUOTE]

They don't. They take their jobs seriously. Just listen to the DVD commentary and watch any special features. Just because the writers aren't up to par doesn't mean the voice actors are just calling it in. You may think its absurd to get paid to do "voice acting" but once upon a time, that used to be a real profession before studios starting hiring celebrities to do voice work for movies just to make the films seem "cooler."
 
[quote name='kodave']They don't. They take their jobs seriously. Just listen to the DVD commentary and watch any special features. Just because the writers aren't up to par doesn't mean the voice actors are just calling it in. You may think its absurd to get paid to do "voice acting" but once upon a time, that used to be a real profession before studios starting hiring celebrities to do voice work for movies just to make the films seem "cooler."[/QUOTE]

I didn't mean to say that I don't think they take their jobs seriously - they are all fabulous and extremely talented. I just meant that at the end of the day it is still relatively easy work and no sane person would give up a payday like that - or even 1/2 of that.
 
[quote name='Javery']I didn't mean to say that I don't think they take their jobs seriously - they are all fabulous and extremely talented. I just meant that at the end of the day it is still relatively easy work and no sane person would give up a payday like that - or even 1/2 of that.[/QUOTE]

And the voice actors didn't seem like they wanted to walk away from their "easy money." FOX was the one threatening to pull the plug. In the end the two sides compromised because the situation wasn't anything more than a media stunt to put pressure on FOX to compromise.

But still, how do you know its extremely easy work? Yes its easier than say, doing manual labor but there is a high level of quality from the Simpsons voice actors you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Many of the voice actors have to be able to do voices for multiple characters and then do those voices with the appropriate tones and inflections the script calls for. Sure they probably don't take it to the degree the cast had to for the movie Rango when prepping for their voice work, but there is work that goes into it.

Yes they are being paid handsomely for doing it, but part of that comes from the talent they've brought to the show over the past 20+ years making very distinct sounding characters. It's no different than actors getting paid absurd sums per episodes for a job that could be done for less money. Look at Hargitay and Meloni on SVU and Sheen when he was on Two and a Half Men.

If you can even compare the two, I'd wager that doing voice acting at the quality level of The Simpsons is no easier than acting on whatever laugh track ridden sitcom CBS shits out for the evening. Voice actors aren't easily substituted. Just look at South Park. They couldn't ever get the voice of Wendy close to the original once the original voice actress killed herself. I'm pretty sure they just avoided giving Wendy speaking roles for a long time after. I'm sure a lot of people can do good Simpsons impressions but I highly doubt there are that many people who could substitute in seamlessly. Or watch the previews for Allen Gregory where Jonah Hill contributes nothing voice quality wise to his character. If anyone is doing it in one take then walking out with their paycheck to swim in their money vault like you said in your other post, its got to be him.
 
[quote name='Cage017']Besides, it's WAY better than when Family Guy gets lazy and takes one joke and stretches it out for minutes on end ( ex: Conway Twitty).[/QUOTE]
This. I'm a huge fan of Family Guy, probably seen every episode at least 3 times, but it's definitely fallen off in the last 2 or 3 seasons. They do that a lot and it's kind of annoying lol
 
[quote name='MillerTime2523']This. I'm a huge fan of Family Guy, probably seen every episode at least 3 times, but it's definitely fallen off in the last 2 or 3 seasons. They do that a lot and it's kind of annoying lol[/QUOTE]

I like Family Guy too, but yeah they need to stop doing that.

In fact, I was reminded of it while watching the season opener of The Simpsons. The end sequence leading through the closing credits has a song where the singers spelled out every letter of Kim Jong Il. It brought me bad memories of watching a sequence in a Family Guy opening with Robert Loggia practically doing the same thing.

At least The Simpsons know how far to go with a joke before moving on.
 
[quote name='Cage017']At least The Simpsons know how far to go with a joke before moving on.[/QUOTE]

Sadly, I have to admit the Family Guy Surfin' Bird gag still gets me every time.
 
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