Can The Simpsons Stay Alive?
The Simpsons cartoon may not last much longer, due to issues concerning a salary disagreement and possible bankruptcy.
Chris Alexander, spokesman for 20th Century Fox Television, expressed his regret with the current turn of events.
“We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model," Alexander said, according to Fox.
The show’s producer has said the actors who create the voices of Homer, Marge, Lisa and Bart Simpson among others may be forced to take pay cuts, according to Fox News. However, Alexander said he hoped a deal could be reached to avoid impacting the show in any way.
The studio that produces the cartoon released a statement, speaking about the aim to positively resolve the dispute with the actors on the show.
"We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows 'The Simpsons' to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come," the studio said, according to The Los Angeles Times.
"Fox is taking the position that unless they can cut the production costs really drastically, they'll pull the plug on new shows," a source has told The Daily Beast. “The show has made billions in profits over the years and will continue to do so as far as the eye can see down the road. The actors are willing to take a pay cut of roughly a third, but that's not good enough for FOX."
Ratings for the latest season are down, according to Nielson. There are 7.1 million viewers tuning into the new episodes this season, which is down 14 percent from last fall.
