Simpsons cast gets a major salary bump - I cutn'dapasted the article, and will comment in bold. You should probably read my bits as that Comic Book Guy voice...The Simpsons cast has sealed a four-year deal that hands it more "D'oh" and solidifies the animated hit's 20th season. JESUS CHRISTMAS - can I read one article that doesn't do that? Hacks!
Production on the show has been delayed for several months as voice actors and 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox TV hammered out a deal (Daily Variety, May 20). New pact bumps the stars' salaries up to about $400,000 an episode; the thesps previously made somewhere in the mid-$300,000 range. Bottom line, they want 100k more PER episode.
Deal, firmed up over the weekend, means most of the key "Simpsons" cast members -- Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe) and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns) -- will be back to work and attending the show's first table read of the season this morning. They will arrive at the table read in brand new cars.... with full gas tanks! With Premium!
Shearer is still working out elements of his deal, but a firm pact is expected shortly. I read that as he thinks he's worth more. He does do a lot more voices than Yeardley... but so much for the show of Solidarity in the negotiations.
As part of his deal, Castellaneta has been named consulting producer on the series. He'll now serve as a writer in addition to continuing as a voice performer. More money for Homer.
Although the voice actors are now locked through the next four years, it doesn't necessarily mean "The Simpsons" will be back beyond season 20. Gracie Films' deal with 20th expires at the end of this season, and Fox hasn't renewed the show beyond this upcoming year. Kill it, kill it now!
Because of the late start, 20th will produce just 20 episodes of "The Simpsons" this season instead of the usual 22. Jesus Christmas! You've got to be kidding me?! Don't they have about 80 of these things in the pipeline in Korea?
Despite the lengthy negotiations, both sides said this go-round wasn't characterized by the rancor that marked past faceoffs. Production was delayed in 2004 when the cast didn't show up to table reads; in 1998, 20th hired casting directors to find potential replacements when the thesps asked for a pay raise. Which I remember well. They were ready to go into production with the scabs -- and then the original cast threw in the towel. They got their movie because of it. No word on what they made in that deal.
The Simpsons" has poured into News Corp.'s coffers. Studio execs, on the other hand, note that "The Simpsons" audience has eroded, making it less of a cash cow. And maybe they should be sliding that 100K blood money to find new writers? Or hire back the old ones. Or get a room full of monkeys (manatee's?) to belt out something worth watching?
Oh, and here's a NSFW picture for you loyal readers out there - Again, NSFW!
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