Simpsons May Be Cancelled.

[Technician]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/the-simpsons-next-season-last_n_998418.html

Fox has been threatening to cancel the Simpsons if the voice talent weren't willing to take a pay cut (they each recieved 400, 000 an episode). Well, the Simpsons may finally be coming to a close.

[eargosedown]

I thought this already happened?

Show hasn't really been entertaining for... a very long while now. It's been time.

[Clonehunter]

Well that's... something. Can't say it's been really that good recently though. So... eh.

[Gez]

Can't say I care much either way. It's been running for so long...

[geo]

After 21 years they better cancel it before someone dies. I remember hearing the budget for the Simpsons and 6 voice actors get paid $1 million dollar each as of 7 years ago (maybe the 400,000 is right).

There was a pay cut issue with Futurama too. Instead they cut out the writers and wow the show sucks now. It feels like the Simpsons.

btw Huffington Post tends to have little credibility.

[cbronson]

It's amazing how bad this show has turned to. I recently watched one of the "Treehouse of Horrors" episode from the early nineties (from the second or third season, don't remember exactly) and man, I was laughing hard throughout the whole episode.

[geo]

Back when it had Connan O'Brian. Another thing look how many "producers" the show has now. Its a joke on all the DVD commentaries.

[darknation]

they will not kill this sacred cash cow. this is just the murdochian overlords way of milking it harder.

[kristus]

Fox probably want Simpsons to remain on air more than the people actually making the show.

[geo]

Their writers only last 3-4 years now. Which I suppose could be comperable everywhere.

When one of their voice cast dies they should just make a spinoff. Still in Springfield but a different family with new voices. That way they could pay the Simpsons voice talent less and have them on every other episode. Slashing the budget in half.

It could be called Shelbyville...

[Bank]

Every episode for the last couple years has had a celebrity guest, they could probably just remove the Simpson family from the show all together so that America can buckle over laughing at a yellow Snooki.

[Marnetmar]

I wish they could just hire some of the old writers but sadly that's not gonna happen.

[Technician]

kristus said:

Fox probably want Simpsons to remain on air more than the people actually making the show.

Still, if the show is becoming too pricey to make, I can see them canceling it. They have twenty-odd years of reruns and they'll still own the franchise for other licensed products.

The Simpsons is really just a platform to see what celebrity guest stars they can buy, and the stories and gags have become so stock, I find it actually insulting to watch at times.

[Nasesrtyhcfhk]

This is good news.

[Creaphis]

kristus said:

Fox probably want Simpsons to remain on air more than the people actually making the show.

I think this is true. Fox obviously takes a lot of pride in all the records that Simpsons has broken for most episodes, most seasons, etc., but they've only earned those records because they let Simpsons turn into one of those tired institutions like Saturday Night Live. Will anyone who makes or watches the show care when it's gone?

I haven't watched many recent episodes but my impression from what I've seen is that every line is written without any thought for what will follow it. A scene is set. A writer wracks his brain for the funniest thing he can think of for a character to say. He settles on something as fresh and natural as a lolcats caption. With that line immortalized in graphite, he strains to think of something another character could say in response. He settles on a line that's even more groan-inducing. This process is repeated until the episode is padded to twenty-two minutes long and then our intrepid writer goes home and drinks himself to sleep.

In old (read: good) Simpsons episodes, funny moments were perfectly orchestrated - everything in each scene builds to the next gag, yet you never know what or when the joke will be. Sometimes things are just funny and you don't know why. It helps that the characters actually do things, rather than stand stock still in the center of their living room. Some episodes even had wholesome messages that tied the whole episode together and left you feeling connected to the characters. Everything else on TV is tedious moralizing or anarchic hedonism, but Simpsons got the balance right. Hell, I would play it in Sunday school.

[Aliotroph?]

While this is all true, I find it's usually still better than most of what's on TV. TV always has and always will mostly suck.

[yellowmadness54]

Good, take Family Guy, American Dad, Cleveland Show, and some of Adult Swim's stuff while you're at it!

Aside from those crappy, unfunny animations, I really miss shows such as Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, and Mission Hill. Why cartoons of this quality can't be produced anymore is vexing me, and irritates me.

[Doom_Dude]

yellowmadness54 said:

Good, take Family Guy, American Dad, Cleveland Show, and some of Adult Swim's stuff while you're at it!

Take those damned reality shows first...

[Technician]

Take the Law and Order franchise with you. I'm getting real tired of Wolf's lame conservative drooling.

[AndrewB]

It's a tragedy they didn't cancel the show about 13 years ago. Now almost all of the reruns are relatively recent and basically unwatchable. I get the chance to see a decent episode on TV about once every few months.

The show followed a quality timeline that was almost identical to Seinfeld. They quit just when the show was showing signs of weakness. We ended up with about 99% of episodes being great, compared to about 30% for The Simpsons.

[vinnie245]

Doom Dude said:

Take those damned reality shows first...

Take 90% of TV while your at it :P
About fucking time Simpsons got canned, hasn't been funny in over 10 years.
If it does get canned then it'll be just like the movie, 10 years too late.
I miss my 90's cartoons too, Ren & Stimpy, Beavis and Butthead, Cow and Chicken, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Earthworm Jim.... ahh good times

[Shaikoten]

Bring back Arrested Development!

Oh wait!

[stewboy]

Actually I thought the most recent season or two were okay.

[Reisal]

So they can't take a pay cut and live with less money like 95% of the world? How sad.

[Technician]

Mr. Chris said:

So they can't take a pay cut and live with less money like 95% of the world? How sad.

Considering they are making close to half a million an episode.

If only I could make that a decade.

[Fletcher`]

Technician said:

Take the Law and Order franchise with you. I'm getting real tired of Wolf's lame conservative drooling.

Law and Order : UK seems to have a bit more character.

[ReFracture]

This show is long overdue for the chopping block.

I find it funny how out of touch the voice actors are with reality if they think the money they will make after the pay cut isn't enough for them to get by.

Actors and athletes make way more money than they deserve for what they are actually doing.

[40oz]

I don't really watch much TV but from the few episodes I've seen, the Simpsons have been kinda lame since the movie came out.

[Shaviro]

Would be about time!
It's gone on for so long that the crappy and superflous seasons far outweigh the good seasons.

[Khorus]

I wouldn't miss it.

A bit sad considering my handle used to be Homer. :/