Fox could cancel the Simpsons | Key4Communications |

Fox TV has announced that The Simpsons could be cancelled after the twenty-third season that has begun airing in the United States. The company has explained that current costs are excessive.

The network proposed a cut of 45% in the salary of the six main actors who voice the characters and that currently earn around eight million dollars per season. The actors offered a 30% cut, but also a percentage of revenue from merchandising, of DVD sales and of broadcast rights sales to other TV chains.

In addition, Fox could make $750 million after the cancellation of the series and thanks to syndication deals with some 70 local stations affiliated with the company.

500 episodes
The Simpsons will reach 500 episodes during this seaseon. To celebrate the event, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products planned the launching of a new campaign of licensed products, including Duff beer, a Ladies of Springfield clothing line inspired by Marge Simpson and her sisters, a program of sports and Olympic gear, and the I Heart Maggie line, aimed at teens and tweens. Most of these products will be sold through an overall direct-to-retail agreement with H&M.

The Simpsons are present in over 100 countries and 50 languages. In 1997 the show became the American animated series with more years of presence in prime time, surpassing The Flintstones, and in 2004 it became the longest running comedy series in America.