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A salary dispute is threatening to end one of television's most beloved comedies.
The actors who provide the voices for the long-running cartoon hit "The Simpsons" are at odds over a new contract with 20th Century Fox Television, the production company that makes the series for its sister broadcast network.
The studio is seeking to dramatically cut the mid-six-figure pay per episode of the key actors who voice the show including Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe the bartender, Chief Wiggum and Apu) and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders).
In a statement, 20th Century Fox Television said it "cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model."
A staple of the Fox lineup for more than two decades, "The Simpsons" has been a cash cow for Fox parent News Corp., generating billions of dollars in rerun and DVD sales, as well as merchandise, video games and a feature film. But its ratings have tumbled over the last few years.
This season, "The Simpsons" has averaged 7.1 million viewers. That is a drop of nearly 19% from five years ago, when the show averaged 8.7 million viewers. In the coveted category of viewers ages 18 to 49, ratings for "The Simpsons" have fallen 17%.
Originally posted by THEDUDE86
being from Springfield that sucks
The longest running TV show in history may be done.
The cast members earn a reported $8 million each per year for 22 weeks’ worth of work. Their salary would be reduced to around $4 million after the proposed cuts.