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Trouble brewing on The Simpsons
by Allison Waldman, posted May 22nd 2008 12:36PM
Say it ain't so, Ho. Homey, that's is. According to Variety, even though Fox has given The Simpsons a renewal for season number 20, the voice talent that make the show have not been re-signed. Julie Kavner, Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright and Harry Shearer -- the actors who are as integral to the success of The Simpsons as the writers and animators -- are looking for a new deal. The group make approximately $360,000 per episode. They want a raise to $500,000 per. While that sounds like a lot of money -- and it is! -- when you consider how much Fox and company are making off The Simpsons franchise, like the new ride at Universal Orlando, the talent have every right to expect their piece of the pie.Negotiations are stymied at this point, but the issue could be resolved by week's end. A compromise will likely be struck, perhaps with fewer shows being made. As it stands now, nothing has been produced as yet, meaning there are just 20 new shows planned for next season (instead of 22). Fox could give in to the actors and make 18 episodes, for example, to compensate for the raises. In that way, only the fans will lose out. Of course, there are 420 episodes of The Simpsons produced since it began in 1989, so we can stand a lesser amount for one year.
Up to 1998, they were paid just $30,000 per episode. They were given an increase to $125,000 per which lasted until 2004. That was when they sort of staged a strike, receiving the current amount of $360,000 per.
All things considered, I'm siding with the actors here. They more than deserve the money they make for the work they produce -- and all the ancillary products that are sold thanks to their characterizations. In this instance, you cannot replace their voices with any others. They are The Simpsons and if this were a live-action sitcom, they'd be making even more. Fox should take all the money they're saving since canceling Back to You -- and you know Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton were making more than $500,000 per episode -- and give it to The Simpsons actors. (I know, I know, business doesn't work like that...but it should!)
Remember, too, on the recent AOL Top 50 Sitcoms of All Time, The Simpsons was number one.
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