The Simpsons actor Harry Shearer to leave the show

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-32733873

by orin_hanner • 11 years ago

25 21 11 years ago

_tb• 11 years ago

the Simpsons died years ago

I've watched every single episode of the Simpsons. I thought the newer episodes were decent. However, the current season is a complete disaster story-wise. I don't know if they changed the lead writers, but there's a discernible quality gap.

"Let's Go Fly a Coot" is the worst episode ever. I'm shocked they thought it was ok to air such mess.

astrodust• 11 years ago

Ever since they lost Conan it's been suffering.

mrfusion• 11 years ago

http://deadhomersociety.com/zombiesimpsons/zs1/

snowwrestler• 11 years ago

For folks who haven't watch The Simpsons in a while, the recent episode about piracy is worth watching [1]--I found it to be quite funny and clever.

[1] But how? :-)

toxican• 11 years ago

The answer [1] is Hulu or re-runs on Fox ;) Which actually leads me to wonder why The Simpsons hasn't been toss around to any channel that will take it like Family Guy, American Dad, Cleveland Show, etc. did? I know FX has re-runs now, but man it would be neat to see some Simpsons on Adult Swim.

rhino369• 11 years ago

It's a big IP for Fox and they want to keep inside the family.

ebbv• 11 years ago

Ugh, recasting his roles is the absolute death knell of the show for me. Recent episodes have been good for one or two good laughs per episode, which was enough for me to keep watching. Even though some have been absolutely abysmal.

But having someone else voice so many of the characters? It's just not gonna work. So sad.

dave_sullivan• 11 years ago

Ah, but what if you could use machine learning to make the recording of the new actor sound exactly like the old one? They probably could. But yes, short of that, they have a problem on their hands...

lstamour• 11 years ago

Like Futurama acting bots?

sown• 11 years ago

I wonder if it's a negotiation tactic.

ffn• 11 years ago

The dude is 71 years old according to the article, it could be a negotiation tactic, but more likely it's just retirement.

drzaiusapelord• 11 years ago

I hope the rest join him. Its a sad show now, with the occasional funny episode that reminds you of how all the episodes were. If all the voice talent left tomorrow they'd have to fold. Heaven forbid, giving it a planned send-off with dignity instead of milking and producing a less quality product year after year until all of its goodwill is gone.

Television, you just don't know when to quit.

Or do something risky like move the show up 20 years to the future they sometimes show where Bart is a divorced dad with two boys and Lisa is married to Milhouse. There's some amusing territory there, especially the Futurama-esque absurdism like when Homer bought the first hover car, which predictably was full of bugs, loud, and just a terrible vehicle.

unwiredben2• 11 years ago

I wonder what the latency on this is... given that "The Simpsons" is an animated show with a long lead time, when's the last episode that will air with Harry Shearer's voice? The end of the 2015-2016 season?

ohitsdom• 11 years ago

How does The Simpsons have a long lead time, yet have episode content be so topical?

unwiredben2• 11 years ago

See the notes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimationLeadTime, there's a whole section on the Simpsons there. They use editing and rush animation to add in some topical items, but the majority of the content has to be voice-recorded months before the finished episodes are on TV.

wodenokoto• 11 years ago

It's worth noting that Sheare has spearheaded negotiations and threatened to leave before. A few years ago the cast agreed to lower their pay from $400k per episode to $300k.

He is also one of the only cast on an ongoing tv show I've ever heard of criticizing his own show publicly.

I don't blame him if he is tired of working on the show. It can't just be Internet pundits who are tired of the falling Simpsons quality.

More on Wikipedia http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Shearer#The_Simpsons

commentnull• 11 years ago

The Simpsons and HN have a lot in common - both still feasting on previous glories, both past their sale by date, both not even realising how tragic they have now become.

zaccus• 11 years ago

yet here you are

klenwell• 11 years ago

If you like some of Harry Shearer's more notable character roles (Derek Smalls, bassist of Spinal Tap, probably foremost among them), or the sharper edge of the Simpsons, I highly recommend his radio show/podcast Le Show. It's been going on for years now and offers some of the sharpest topical satire out there.

In the biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you manner that seems to drive his public Simpsons comments (and well, from what I've read of him, his career generally), public radio is one of his favorite targets.

brandon272• 11 years ago

I've seen every episode multiple times and I always find it intriguing when people complain about declining quality and get up in arms about it. One of the hallmarks of the show and the storylines has always been its irreverence and it's lack of desire to be taken seriously. The fact that it continues to go on with silly episodes is only part of that funny, irreverent quality, in my view.

The Simpsons actor Harry Shearer to leave the show

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