KEY POINTS:
Where would The Simpsons be without the distinctive voices of Homer, Bart, Marge and Lisa?
The importance of the actors behind the world's most famous dysfunctional cartoon family was recognised yesterday with a new pay deal that will see cast members taking home around US$400,000 (NZ$512,000) per episode.
Negotiations over pay have dominated Hollywood over the past 12 months and The Simpsons is no exception.
It has taken several months for 20th Century Fox to reach a deal with the voice actors behind its flagship cartoon series, delaying the start of production on the 20th series.
Now the cast have finally secured a salary boost - they previously received around US$360,000 per episode - work can get under way on the new series, which has already been announced in Fox's autumn schedule in the US. Because of the late start, there will only be 20 episodes instead of the usual 22.
The US entertainment industry bible Daily Variety reported that the key cast members of The Simpsons were due to turn up yesterday for the first read-through of the season.
They include Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer, Julie Kavner, who plays his long-suffering wife Marge, Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart, Yeardley Smith, who plays Lisa, and Hank Azaria - better known as bartender Moe.
Harry Shearer, the voice of Mr Burns, the richest man in the Simpsons' hometown of Springfield, was reported to be finalising the details of his contract.
Castellaneta's role in the production has also been enhanced with a consulting producer credit. As well as playing Homer, he will now also contribute to the series as a writer.
It is not the first time that the cast of The Simpsons have been at loggerheads with 20th Century Fox, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
In 2004 the actors refused to show up for two "table reads", demanding an improvement to their pay packets, which at the time were worth US$125,000 per episode.
The actors have argued all along that they deserve a decent slice of The Simpsons global franchise, which is worth several billion dollars.
But studio bosses have countered that the cult cartoon no longer commands the audiences it once did.
The latest US audience ratings published by Entertainment Weekly showed that in 2007/08, viewing figures fell eight per cent to eight million compared to the previous season.
The voice actors are now committed to the cartoon for the next four years but there is no guarantee The Simpsons will continue to be shown on Fox after the forthcoming 20th season.
Fox's deal with Gracie Films, the production company that makes The Simpsons, expires at the end of the next series and has not yet been renewed.
Created by Matt Groening, who named the characters after his own family, The Simpsons debuted on Fox on 17 December 1989 and is America's longest running animated programme.
A feature film The Simpsons Movie, released last summer, has grossed US$526m.
- INDEPENDENT
