Speculation Corner: Simpsons Deathwatch Gains Traction
As The Simpsons grinds its way into its 20th season (tying it with Gunsmoke as the longest-running prime time show EVAR) New York Newsday's TV Zone blog notes a few cold facts that could spell the oft-discussed end of the franchise.
1) Today the show was re-upped for ONE more year.
2) Core cast salaries alone (Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer) add up to around $2.4 to $3 million per episode. The blog's analyst pegs total cost for a twenty episode season to hover around $100 million.
3) Viewership was around 7.7 million pairs of eyeballs last year, which is HALF of the audience in '98.
So with rising costs and dwindling viewership, this could very well be the year when Matt Groening stops giving his annual "the show's as good as it's ever been!" speech. You know, the one that Lorne Michaels digs out of storage every year like so many shopworn holiday decorations.
And now, I leave the comments section to those of you who want to bicker over whether the show is twelve or fourteen years past its creative prime. Release the hounds!
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There's a reason "The Simpson's" has been on for so long and that is brilliant writting. The writting staff has changed very little and therefore each new episode is something to look forward to, not just for the fans but for anyone watching.
I hope it goes another 20 years!
Yeah Simpson's!
Even if it's not as good as it was 10 years ago, it's still a hell of a lot better and funnier than 90% of what's on network TV. Which is why I hope it stays on as long for years to come. Also, I don't know if reason #3 is a valid excuse for it to end. Isn't all of network TV down in the ratings compared to 10 years ago? Both cable and internet can be blamed for that.
The quality of the show and its financial viability are two completely different balls of wax. You're missing a very elementary piece of the revenue pie: syndication dollars. This show will air in all parts of the known universe until the end of time. That $100 million is an investment. Whether it makes that money back in ad revenue within 12 months is irrelevant.
The Simpsons sucks so bad. It's been going downhill since 2000/2001 and it's too painful to watch.
Please just die already!!!!
I think The Simpsons will have a great upcoming season, and their demise will not occur for at least another 3 years.
The Simpsons.