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The future of the longest-running scripted series on television, Fox’s The Simpsons, is once again in doubt over voice cast renegotiations with 20th Century Fox TV, a torturous cycle they go through every couple of years. Like last time around, there’s an impasse over the size of the actors’ salaries.
“Twenty-three seasons in, The Simpsons is as creatively vibrant as ever and beloved by millions around the world,” 20th TV said in a statement. “We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. 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.”
While still wildly profitable, The Simpsons has seen its primetime ratings on Fox erode over the last few years. But the franchise continues to be extremely important to News Corp., with the company’s COO Chase Carey recently suggesting that a Simpsons cable channel may be in the offing. As first reported by The Daily Beast, talks between the cast and 20th TV broke down after 20th TV turned down the cast’s proposal to take a 30% pay cut to about $4 million per season each in exchange for a piece of the back-end and issued an ultimatum yesterday for a 45% salary reduction.
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Amazing that the voices of the show get the standard residuals and that’s it. I get that they are paid a fortune now, but their voices are hugely important to the personality of the show.
“While still wildly profitable”…. and in that wildly profitable mode the cast is told that a 30% pay cut is not enough. Take Fox to the cleaners voice cast!
poop. this is what it’s all about. i love poop. It’s my BFF!
It really should be over with. But they better come to a decision soon. If they decide to end the show it needs a proper finale.
With all the money this show makes around the world, and from merchandise, I’m shocked that they’re denying the offer the cast came up with. There’s definitely more to this story.
I’m bad at math so help me out. The Simpsons are sold to dozens, if not, hundreds of international territories. Fox has even forced them to add a forth commercial break to increase ad revenue. And how many millions of DVD box sets have they sold?
This is Fox’s billion dollar baby, the show that put them on the map, and they want to cancel them over a few million bucks?
Bring me their non-union, Mexican equivalents.
Schindler es muy bueno, Señor Burns es el diablo.
Bring me Steven Spielbergo!
Still raking it in and about to likely strike a potentially billion dollar network deal/creation and yet they want the cast to cut their salaries nearly in half. Corporate greed. Unbelievable. Getting worse every day. Smh.
I agree. The corporate greed is insane. The voice cast should join the anti-wall street marchers immediately!
“23 seasons in, The Simpsons is as creatively vibrant as ever…” I disagree.
Exactly. Brooks and Groenig have been phoning it in on this show for the last 20 years…
If “wildly profitable” isn’t enough, then I guess corporate America will have to learn to get by on NOTHING.
The Simpsons have lost the majority of their luster over the last 20 years. It’s ok to retire with your mountains of cash. Good episodes used to be the norm and now they are few and far between and the same thing goes for Family Guy. The couch slit by John K was fantastic as was the one by banksy but again those are one offs and not the average episode. Love them wish them well but all things must eventually end.
Fox statement makes it look as if cast salaries are only financial baggage show is carrying. Aren’t any monies paid to those folks whose names roll across the 1st 3 mins of each show, and are they being forced to take 50% haircuts, too?
FOX is unbelievable….what are they paying them?
this show is a worldwide hit still…so pay your actors…stop being so corrupt!
They should do a MASH-class finale and wrap it up before too many people notice how far past the peak it’s gone.
Um, the cast makes 4 MILLION DOLLARS a year each for an hour’s worth of work an episode. Puh-leez. There are over 20 writers who get paid gigantic salaries as well. It’s not just corporate greed – it’s greed on all parts.
Maybe the cast would have to work longer hours if they werent so good at their jobs?
And there is no way Matt Groening, Jim Brooks, Sam Simon and Richard Sakai are going to take a penny less as the original producers. Fox can demand this though because they still will make more than the cast because they own a major piece of the show. The actors are not the creators, so they have to question whether they can get 4 million plus somewhere else.
It’s not easy to get that kind of money for two hours worth a work per week.
“It’s not easy to get that kind of money for two hours worth a work per week.”
I think Howard Stern gets 5 x that kind of money for less of an effort.
YEP
If you read closely, they want to exchange the upfront money for back-end money. The back-end is where all the real money is. Fox will never give up too much of the back-end as it is their cash cow.
How many hours a week do “Idol” judges put in? In how many countries is their work syndicated?
Stealing a quote from the Dexter negotiation comments:
“Maybe they should just replace THEM with Ashton Kutcher?
Comment by Mike — Tuesday October 4, 2011 @ 12:20p
I can’t believe this show is still on the air. I mean it has not been “funny” in years. And it will never be like the classics.
It’s time to cut their losses and move on. Simpsons had a great run, but it’s just not the same as it used to be.
That;s the thing. There are no “losses.” Everyone is still raking in the cash.
The real story is the DIRECTORS of this show never have and never will get residuals for the backbreaking, carpel tunnel inducing, late nights and weekends worth of work they’ve done for 20 years.
This is a travesty in the prime time animation scene that no one in Hollywood really knows (or cares) about.
Like all long-runbning comedy series, there are ups and downs each season (I’m looking at you, SNL). But unlike SNL, The Simpsons are a worldwide product.
If 20th is earning record profits from this program, then the creative team deserves a piece of the action, both in salary and back-end deals. That includes voice actors, writers, directors, and producers.
Or maybe, News Corp can just hack the voice talents’ voice-mails to see what they would accept.
During the Fall, “The Simpsons” (and every other prime-time series airing at or after 8 P.M. Eastern time on Sunday nights) gets run over by the steamroller called “NFL Sunday Night Football” on NBC.
Given how hot the NFL is as a TV commodity, no wonder ratings for “The Simpsons” (and everything else on Sundays during the Fall) are down.
I would guess that once football ends, “The Simpsons” could end up doing much, much better in that timeslot.
But I don’t think it’s “taps” yet. Yes, the writers will have to look harder for things to spoof, but one positive “Simpsons” has has from the start is it’s ability to skew contemporary society in a situation-comedy (albeit animated) format.
The producers and writers just have to work a bit harder, but it can be done.
What makes the Simpsons wildly profitable for Fox is through all the licensing deals they make with Electronic Arts for video games, Bongo Comics for The Simpsons Comics and various other Simpsons based comics, Universal Studios for the Simpsons Ride, Hasbro for Simpsons branded Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Operation, The Game of Life, McFarlane Toys for the action figures, Hallmark Cards for all the greeting cards and Christmas ornaments, and don’t forget your Simpsons coffee mugs, t-shirts, plush toys, books, school supplies, etc. That is where the Simpsons makes the bulk of its money, which doesn’t have to do with the TV show itself.
The problem here is the profitability of the actual TV show. With the ratings going down for the Simpsons, it means that advertisers are not willing to pay as much to put commercials on air when the Simpsons are showing. And costs are pretty high to produce the TV show on account of the expensive voice cast. So Fox is making less money off the TV show. And they are right, they cannot produce future seasons under the current financial model. While the Simpsons franchise may be very profitable for Fox, they cannot allow the TV show to be a money loser for them. They are a business after all and when things lose money or when you see more and more diminishing returns, you have to can it.
Although I will certainly admit, the 45% pay cut that Fox wants does seem a bit drastic.
$8 million a year? These actors probably commit only a few hours an episode, and they don’t even have to appear on camera! I get that FOX is making a lot of money off of the Simpsons, but remember, this show is also forking out money for writers, animators, marketers, etc., not to mention distributors and insurance. It’s not like the animation style is overly detailed… and FOX is willing to, while cutting their regular salary, for them to get a back-deal based on profits. Would everyone rather the show just end?
Each new episode ist just ruining the instant classic The Simpsons was once.
Two points I agree with:
1. The directors have made this show. How come no residuals?
2. How much you think a staff writer makes a week there? $5K? How about a “writer/producer”? $15K a week? Seems to me the cast is really trying to present a viable alternative. As for your argument Jesse, you make some valid points, but I don’t think that you are taking into account a value of the broadcast production not seen on any spreadsheet: it serves as a beacon to all of the lucrative ancillary markets. If a Leonardo DiCaprio or any major start makes a guest voice appearance, it’s still newsworthy, is it not? And that in turn enhances overall value. Besides, who the hell trusts studio accounting anyway?
Guest star voices on the Simpsons used to be cool, but it really has lost a lot of its luster. It’s not treated as something special anymore.