It's False
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|  #1 Posted on 4.10.11 2121.52
Reposted on: 4.10.18 2122.00 | Stop me if you've heard this one before, but there's a major dispute between management and The Simpsons voice cast.
'The Simpsons': Money Dispute May Shut Down Fox TV's Long-Running Hit
It looks like The Simpsons—20th Century Fox Television’s multibillion-dollar cash cow, the anchor of the Fox network’s Sunday primetime schedule, and the longest-running sitcom in the history of broadcasting—might stop production after the current 23rd season ends next spring.
The reason is a negotiating impasse between the studio and the six principal actors who voice the beloved characters on the animated series that hilariously satirizes middle-class Midwestern angst.
Difficult bargaining is nothing new for the show, which was created by James L. Brooks and Matt Groening. Fox studio execs have occasionally threatened to replace uncooperative cast members with sound-alike actors. But for the first time in nearly a quarter century of haggling, the executives have insisted that if the cast doesn’t accept a draconian 45 percent pay cut, The Simpsons will die an abrupt death as a first-run series.
The different between now and the dispute in '04 is that Fox is in a much better position to carry on without them today than they were back then. If they have to pull the plug on The Simpsons, they could just as easily have the three Seth MacFarlane shows and Bob's Burgers carry the Sunday night lineup. Hell, even the Jonah Hill animated sitcom might take off. You never know.
Having said all that, I really hate to think that this could potentially be how it all ends. This show deserves a lot better than a hastily-thrown together finale over money problems. | Promote this thread! |             | Big Bad
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|  #2 Posted on 5.10.11 0009.59
Reposted on: 5.10.18 0014.06 | | All talk. There is no way that FOX would cancel arguably its signature program, especially one that still pulls in hundreds of millions every single year for the company. | Amos Cochran
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|  #3 Posted on 5.10.11 0334.39
Reposted on: 5.10.18 0334.50 | You don't need fresh episodes to pull in millions in Simpsons product sales, though. It's self-sustaining at this point.
Honestly, the show should've been allowed to die years ago. | lotjx
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| #4 Posted on 5.10.11 0629.04
Reposted on: 5.10.18 0631.20 | | Matt will either allow Fox to fire the cast and keep peddling a horse that should have been shot in 2002 or show some balls and make this the final season. I am thinking firing the cast and moving on is the option that will be taken. All good things must end. | Big Bad
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| #5 Posted on 5.10.11 1027.19
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1028.03 | | Firing the cast would kill the show. You'd turn off the longtime fans that make up a huge chunk of the fanbase and who have sustained The Simpsons this long in the first place. Also, you'd be FIRING THE CAST. This is the most iconic voice cast in animation history. I don't care if a 'new Homer' can do a 98.4% impersonation of Castellaneta, he's still not the real deal. | Amos Cochran
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| #6 Posted on 5.10.11 1041.57
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1042.34 | | I think Groening would kill the show before firing the cast. As well he should. | CRZ
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| #7 Posted on 5.10.11 1046.20
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1046.29 | Originally posted by Amos Cochran
Honestly, the show should've been allowed to die years ago.
Honestly, no.Originally posted by lotjx
should have been shot in 2002
Hey, look, you two actually agree on something - you're both completely *wrong*, but at least you agree.Originally posted by lotjx
All good things must end.
And why is that, exactly? | lotjx
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| #8 Posted on 5.10.11 1051.48
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1054.15 | | It is the way of things. Nothing can last forever. | Amos Cochran
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| #9 Posted on 5.10.11 1116.06
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1116.08 | You seriously think the newer shows are anywhere near as good as the first ten to twelve years? Or in most cases funny at all? It's gone from being an incisive, sharp near-parody of the family sitcom to wacky-situation-of-the-week. And at 488 episodes or however many it's running at it's pretty much exhausted the narratives it can run with its characters and has been recycling stuff for a good four or five years.
The Simpsons - and a lot of the supporting cast - used to be bona fide characters. Now they're just written to suit whatever ridiculous plot the writers come up with. And I don't think the two of us on this messageboard are the only people to fall out of love with the show. | CRZ
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| #10 Posted on 5.10.11 1123.04
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1123.10 | | It's still good enough. | Cerebus
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| #11 Posted on 5.10.11 1126.40
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1129.01 | This news is a little suspicious with there being talk from News Corp about a possible Simpsons Channel (sliceofscifi.com) it the works.
Also, how the hell can you ask the cast of a show to 'accept' almost a 50% pay cut while also saying that the show makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year through DVD sales, syndication, and merchandising? They only make about 4 Million each for the whole season. Shit, some shows see the actors making that for just a couple episodes.
How greedy can Fox be to want to give the cast of one of it's main shows a pay cut? | Amos Cochran
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| #12 Posted on 5.10.11 1127.00
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1129.02 | I think 22 episodes each year has drained them. If they'd cut it to twelve or so and focused on getting stuff punchier and funnier it could have maintained some semblance of greatness. But, speaking for myself, "good enough" - and for me it hits that mark only 40-50% of the time - is a massive comedown from the all-time greatness that made the show so special in its heyday. The Simpsons ain't Two & A Half Men - it should be better than that, ya know?
| SchippeWreck
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| #13 Posted on 5.10.11 1150.50
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1153.44 | While the show isn't "must-watch" for me anymore, I would say there's definitely been a gradual uptick in overall quality since around the time of the movie. The problem is, the seasons from the early 2000s were so bad, no one wants to give the show a chance anymore.
I've always felt the episodes get better on repeat viewings. I watch a lot more syndicated episodes than first run. I suppose I'm just helping FOX's case though, aren't I? | wannaberockstar
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| #14 Posted on 5.10.11 1151.46
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1154.48 | Doesn't Fox threaten this EVERY year?
Honestly, they're not going to cancel The Simpsons - it's far too lucrative for them. | kentish
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| #15 Posted on 5.10.11 1548.00
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1548.02 | | I haven't watched it in years, but for some reason I hate the thought of it ending. It was my favorite show for about 10 years. Those first 5-6 seasons are STILL better than most TV comedies these days. | AWArulz
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| #16 Posted on 5.10.11 1712.34
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1717.57 | I have to admit, I wasn't aware they were still making new ones. I was surprised to find out the shows they had on were current.
I hadn't watched the simpsons in, oh, 15 years or so until Sunday. My main thought was something along the lines of - "I used to think this was funny?"
Guess I am getting old or something. | kentish
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| #17 Posted on 5.10.11 1837.53
Reposted on: 5.10.18 1838.04 | Originally posted by AWArulz
I have to admit, I wasn't aware they were still making new ones. I was surprised to find out the shows they had on were current.
I hadn't watched the simpsons in, oh, 15 years or so until Sunday. My main thought was something along the lines of - "I used to think this was funny?"
Guess I am getting old or something.
Bust out (or go buy) those old DVDs, man. You'll remember. | spf
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| #18 Posted on 6.10.11 1435.40
Reposted on: 6.10.18 1436.07 | http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/idUS242893159420111005
According to this The Simpsons will be ending either at the end of this season or after one more season. | StingArmy
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| #19 Posted on 7.10.11 0338.42
Reposted on: 7.10.18 0340.15 | Originally posted by CRZ
It's still good enough.
You have Simpsons stock you're trying to protect or something?
- StingArmy | BigDaddyLoco
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|  #20 Posted on 7.10.11 0530.07
Reposted on: 7.10.18 0531.09 | I'm not sure why so many people are so eager to see this show end. The Simpsons is still the most consistent show in the Sunday lineup and a solid leadoff hitter for the MacFarland supershow.
Can Groening take the show somewhere else if he wants to? They should feel somewhat insulted since the show still makes money and it was the backbone of the network when Fox had no credibiity what so ever. |
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