LOS ANGELES - D'oh! Homer Simpson and the rest of the mustard-colored citizens of Springfield are on strike.

The actors who do the talking for Homer, Bart and the rest of the cartoon stars of the long-running Fox television show "The Simpsons" are keeping their mouths shut until producers pay them more money, a source familiar with the situation said Thursday.

The show's six principal voice actors, whose contracts expired several months ago, have refused to show up for script readings during the past few weeks, delaying production on the upcoming 16th season of the animated series, the source said.

The show centers on the antics of a beer-guzzling, doughnut-chomping family man named Homer Simpson, his spiky-haired misfit son, Bart, and all their friends and relations in the fictional town of Springfield.

There was no public comment on the salary dispute from the Fox network or the producers at sister studio 20th Century Fox Television, both units of Fox Entertainment Group Inc., which is controlled by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Ltd. .

But the source confirmed a report in Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety that each of the six cast members was demanding a a salary of $360,000 per episode, or nearly $8 million for a 22-episode season. Each actor currently is paid $125,000 per episode, the source said.

While that might seem like a modest sum for a program that has been a signature show for Fox and a linchpin of its Sunday schedule for years, the source said the voice actors essentially work the equivalent of one day per episode.

On the other hand, producers have to wonder whether they could ever replace the familiar voices who utter such popular catch phrases as Homer's anguished exclamation "D'oh!" or Bart's "Ay, caramba."

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Gazz

How greedy can you get... How is 125,000 per episode not good enough, when all they do is talk... give me a break.

And the world grows even more corrupted...

But really they know they'll get it. I mean, the show won't be the same at all without the same person for Bart or Homer. Fox knows that, too. If they want to keep the show running, they'll have to pay them more money.

I grew up with this show. I hope this doesnt spell the end for them.


I love watchin' the new ones!

IMO yes that may seem (and is) a lot of $$ for one days work. But How much does this show bring in? I'll bet if you do the math and add it up they are only asking for thier fair share or LESS. Fox is making $$ hand over fist with that show.


Oh and for all you UK folks $125,000.00 is a lot smaller of a number when made into pounds sterling. What is it like $1- 1.85 or something along those lines?


CMMS

EDIT: oh and when you do that kind of work you might only GET to work 8 days a week. So it's better to look at it like they would make 8 million a year and that isnt so much if you look at what we pay other actors and voice overs. These people have to be some of the most important voice actors in the world. I can't think of another show off the top of my head that has been around as long or has the following that the simpsons have. Let alone one with voice actors.

RANT OVER LMAO!!!!