The Simpsons loses Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, and Principal Skinner as Harry Shearer quits

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: theverge

Harry Shearer, the voice of Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Otto, Smithers, and many more on The Simpsons, has apparently left the show. Shearer used Twitter to indicate that he wouldn't be returning in upcoming seasons of the long, long-running cartoon, suggesting that his desire to work on other projects was the reason for the decision. The actor quoted Simpsons writer and producer James L. Brooks' lawyer, who reportedly said that while the "show will go on, Harry will not be part of it."

Seasons 27 and 28 of The Simpsons are due to enter production soon, but earlier this week, it was reported that Shearer was delaying the process by holding out on signing his contract. It's not yet clear exactly why the show has parted ways with the actor — while Shearer says he wanted "the freedom to do other work," Simpsons voices have always appeared in other shows, movies, and projects. TMZ claims the move may have something to do with merchandising payments, but one thing's for sure: with his departure The Simpsons loses some of its biggest, best, and most memorable characters. After a 26-year run, and stripped of one of its greatest voices, maybe it's time to put the poor thing down

Read more: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/14/8604495/harry-shearer-leaves-the-simpsons-no-mr-burns-flanders

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[AZ Progressive]

1. Other characters lost are Reverand Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert, Rainier Wolfcastle, and Kang

[AZ Progressive]

2. BTW it seems that Harry Shearer is the oldest of the voice cast

at 71 years old, followed by Julie Kavner at 64. It actually seems that the show can go on for some longer, though it has long run its course.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. 'Simpsons' stalwart Harry Shearer hasn't left the show ... yet

http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/14/media/simpsons-harry-shearer/index.html

[patricia92243]

4. I would assume someone else can imitate the voices and most people won't know the

difference.

[Rebubula]

10. Ehhh...

....I still cannot listen to Kermit the Frog after Jim Henson died.....close but not the same

[Action_Patrol]

11. No way. recasting would be wrong

Like a new Fonzie, it would just be wrong.

[Xithras]

14. There are voices that can be replaced, and voices that can't. He's a can't.

Nobody but Dan Castellaneta can do Homer.
Nobody but Nancy Cartwright can do Bart.
Nobody but Yeardley Smith can do Lisa.
Nobody but Julie Kavner can do Marge.
Nobody but Harry Shearer can do Mr. Burns and Principal Skinner.

These are the cornerstone characters of the show, and their voice IS their personality. Many people watch the Simpsons because they've been familiar with the characters for decades. We know their personalities and quirks, and most of those quirks come from the actors who voice them. If you change the actors, you unavoidably change the characters, and that costs you viewers. At this point in its run, the Simpsons can't afford to shed viewers.

My guess? We'll see a meltdown at the nuke plant that kills off part of the town. Smithers and Burns will be killed in the blast, and Flanders will die a hero saving Springfield from certain doom ("I have to climb into the reactor to save the town? Okely Dokely!" Expect an homage to Spock/Kirk as he dies behind a glass window.) Skinners hair will fall out and he'll be killed by a radiation-confused giant chicken who thinks he's Homer. Mrs. Krabappel becomes the new principal.

Or not.

[TeamPooka]

5. Okayly doakaly. nt

[Owl]

6. Nooooooooooooooo!!

[KittyWampus]

7. On its worst day, The Simpsons is still better than most of what is on network tv.

And Shearer is entitled to do whatever the heck he wants at this point.

[CanSocDem]

9. Indeed!! (eom)

[jeff47]

12. There was a time when that was true.

It stopped being true many seasons ago. About when they decided to not bother having in-house writers. Instead, scripts are written by random, desperate-to-get-the-writing-credit people submitting their stories. Resulting in massively inconsistent shows that really aren't that good anymore.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

26. Used to be the case, but no longer

but they've really pissed away their legacy by going to long and diluting the rerun pool with subpar seasons and bad writing.

They were untouchable until 1999 and, had they ended then, they would have been, hands-down, the greatest show in TV history.

Saw a recent Rolling Stone poll, asking to name the best show of the 90s. And the Simpsons, which defined TV in that decade rated fairly low. They've really lowered their brand and lessened their impact with the bad years of the post 1999 shows.

Losing Shearer is unthinkable. Without him, now we don't even get the full cast for a proper sendoff. And it will be awkward hearing those characters voiced by someone else. it will be like the off-sounding Muppets without Jim Henson or the Looney Tunes without Mel Blanc.

[Bjorn Against]

8. I don't know how the show can survive without him

The names mentioned in the OP are just a few of the characters he voiced, he was the voice for dozens of characters on the show. Half the town of Springfield will be lost without him, he is essential to the show.

[olddots]

13. last year NPR dropped Harry's Le Show

which was the only reason alot of people listened to NPR ....Maybe Spinal Tap will open for the Stone's life support tour .

[AngryOldDem]

15. New Orleans public radio offers it.

It's also available through podcast.

I stumbled upon Le Show while looking for new podcasts to download through iTunes, and I love it. He doesn't hold back with his observations and commentary, and most of the time he's spot on -- especially about drilling in the Gulf and fracking.

I've also come across a lot of excellent musicians through Le Show who I never would have heard of otherwise, including his wife, Judith Owen.

(One more thing: Marc Maron has a really excellent interview with Shearer on Maron's podcast, which I think is still archived. Shearer has had the most interesting life and career.)

[IcyPeas]

18. It was picked up here in L.A. too

by another station that is run by CSU at Northridge. KCSN 88.5.

[chapdrum]

16. Huge loss

Show won't be able to sustain losing so many characters. Different voice actor(s) won't cut it, and the producers surely know that.
To me, "The Simpsons" is by far the best sitcom, before or since its debut. Clever social satire, great sight gags, brilliant editing.
And no manipulative laugh tracks. Hard to imagine that doing this work is so time-consuming that Shearer feels it's cutting into his other work, but who knows?

Harry: If somehow you're reading this thread, PLEASE don't leave the show.

(A fan from the days of "The Credibility Gap.&quot

[C Moon]

17. Off topic a bit...Speaking of Flanders: I hadn't watched the Simpson's in years...

I turned it on last week, and it was an old Halloween episode: "I Know What You Diddily Did."
I laughed out loud just reading the title!

[MADem]

19. TMZ says they're still negotiating....

http://www.tmz.com/2015/05/14/the-simpsons-harry-shearer-james-l-brooks-contract-negotiations-broke-down/

'The Simpsons'
It's NOT Over
Producers and Harry Want to Make it Work
5/14/2015 10:10 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

[AZ Progressive]

20. This may just be a negotiating tactic

[MADem]

23. I think you are right. They're dancing right now.

We'll see where they land when the music stops!

[Codeine]

21. That show's been awful for nearly a full decade now.

Unwatchable dreck. They should have gone out years ago and left a legacy. Now it's just limping along, less than a shadow of it's old self.

[awoke_in_2003]

22. I have to agree...

like South Park, its best days are far behind them

[MADem]

24. I like it. It's not a Sunday favorite, because there's better stuff on, but

I enjoy seeing it on FX every so often.

I guess familiarity breeds contempt, and I wait a while between slices....

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

25. Only one thing to say to that:

and add Shearer's Rev. Lovejoy to the list of characters they're losing to hackneyed recasting.