That show is still on? I thought the last episode was the one with (insert your favorite episode) in it! Ha ha!
So now that that joke’s out of the way…
Fox wants one more season, but only if people are willing to take a 30% pay cut. If not, then hey, maybe this will be the last season!
The deadline’s today, so I guess we’ll find out if we’re going to get another season of classics like The Fool Monty and Flaming Moe.
Love the show still - I want it to go on forever!
I do hope they don’t take the 30 percent cut - that would just be giving in to Fox unless there’s something I don’t know about. In my book, they earned it.
At one time, the Simpsons had a ton of bargaining power with Fox, as they were one of the cornerstones of their Sunday lineup (and network in general). I think that MacFarlane’s block of shows has that distinction now, and the Simpsons is commensurately weaker.
While it hasn’t been terrible, the Simpsons hasn’t been at the top of its form since seasons 3-8. Time to let it go.
I realized it was over for me for the Simpsons when I saw the first episode of the new season on my DVR, went, “Ehhh,” and deleted it without watching.
True, it is no longer “must watch” TV. But then what is.
I have not watched in a decade, but I hope they have another season. That way they can really plan how to end the whole thin gthe right way. Spend an episode killing of each major supporting character, and/or visit all best places (i,e. Knoxville World’s fair). I suppose they could do it this season, but it would be nice for them to go out in style with no regrets, and no bad blood.
Different genres, I understand, but I, for example, would not presently delete an episode of Boardwalk Empire, Modern Family, and other shows I really am interested in.
The Simpsons has moved from no longer being much watch for me to being in the category where generally speaking, though I would not be annoyed if forced to watch it, I have other things I would prefer to do with my time.
It’s gotten very decent in the past three years or so, from the valleys of seasons 11-13. I’d say we’re back up to season 9 or 10 territory at this point. Still, I doubt anyone will be sorry to see it go.
The absolute pits were seasons 17-20. The show has been in a bit of a recovery since then, but it’s lost a lot of the cultural snark that made it great and replaced it with lazy fan service and preachy, unsubtle self-righteousness.
I saw Shearer offering to take a 70% pay cut in exchange for a share of the back-end participation that will enrich Fox and the show’s producers in the years to come. I think think he has a point about making the cash while it’s available to be made, since the voice actors are being treated like work-for-hire hacks rather than character creators and being shut out of profit participation.
I think I read that the main voice actors are making something like $8 million per year?
I have a hard time associating that with “work for hire hacks,” regardless of whether they receive a back end or not.
As one poster I saw somewhere put it, it’s really a battle between the rich and the very-rich, and if the money has to go to one of the two, I’d rather see it in the pockets of the merely rich.
I hope they pull a Little House on the Prairie and blow up the entire town.
Oh, I understand that. I was just specifically making the point that I don’t exactly put them in the “work for hire rent a hack” category. At this point, as you said, it’s purely an income allocation question.
I think they should do a grimly realistic, “shit just got real” final episode. You know, incorrigible Bart becomes a drug addict after trying them several times with the trademark Bart voice “Cooooooool,” actual robs Moe for money to buy some more crank, puts a bullet through his head. Lisa gets to the college of her choice, realizes that with her intelligence, money is obtainable, and takes the high powered investment banking job, becomes an insufferable NPR type moneyed-liberal with an icy, loveless marriage because of her insufferable, holier than thou attitude. Marge dies as a passenger in a Homer DWI incident.
$440,000 per episode according to this story. That would be about $9.6mil a year, assuming a 22-episode year. A bargain considering the lifetime syndication income this show is likely to have.
Really? Did they actually do that?
Somewhere between season 11-20 was where it lost me. It has been quite better recently but still not as good as that first decade. While I still enjoy it if it’s on it’s time to let it go and move on. Just the same as much as I loved King of the Hill, that show had been on for much too long too and had to finally be cancel. King of the Hill had 13 glorious seasons, way more than I ever thought it would. The Simpsons has been on over two decades and it’s time to say goodbye. Let the writers write an actual finish to the show like Fox allowed for King of the Hill and I’ll be happy.
Ok so why the hell did they do that?