Wow. I heard Friday afternoon that the voice cast of Futurama had grouped their negotiations together (a la “Friends”) and asked for a significant pay increase. The network responded by firing all of them! Sad and scary. I feel for the actors because it is hard to get the same financial respect that on-camera talent gets. And strange since production costs are usually much lower than a regular half-hour show. This qualifies as God closing a window…
Then she opens a door… So, today I get an audition to replace one of the voices (I won’t say which one). Great opportunity? Yes and no. On the one hand, if I audition for it and land the job, there will be many other VO actors who will think ill of me, not to mention helping another VO actor lose a job. If I don’t audition, I pass up another opportunity and, as the axiom goes, opportunity is the beacon of success.
Of course, this is all a negotiating tactic on the part of Fox. Yes, an industry that eats its own. Not sure if I should get in the buffet line…
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Update 7-21-09:
So, in digging around it appears this may actually be a publicity stunt. Supposedly the whole cast, creator and a Fox executive will be at ComicCon in San Diego this week. The executive will then announce whether the show will return or be gone forever… Negotiating tactic or PR stunt? I don’t know which one is more unappetizing. I step out of the buffet line.
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Update 8-7-09:
Deal has been reached. Cast is back. Why all the drama? Makes my mascara run.
Don’t do it, D.C.! Don’t want the bad karma when your hit series goes into its 8th year and they pull the same thing on you…
Before I even finished reading your initial post I didn't believe it and figured they were 'playing' in some way… Turns out it was exactly that. The only people abused in this process are the poor folks going through the auditioning process, from casting to agent to talent to engineers… Ugh. Sometimes I hate PR stunts.