The Front Page: June 3, 2008

By Randee Dawn

Best news of the day: "The Simpsons" will be back again, full-voiced, for another four years. It just goes to prove that voice-over work can line your pockets, should you get a plum gig that happens to last 20 years and you fight for more-than-decent pay. Nellie Andreeva reports that "the top actors will be paid nearly $400,000 per episode" under a new deal with Fox. The only issue still outstanding: Whether Harry Shearer will also get the same deal; he wasn't included in the final sign-off "due to a last-minute snag." Nellie, do tell! What's the snag?

Best news for Mike Meyers all day: His good buddy Deepak Chopra, has given the spiritual nod to his "The Love Guru," which had been coming under some fire from Hindus, according to Sandy Cohen's article. Chopra wrote in an essay he posted online: "The premature outcry against the movie is itself religious propaganda. As viewers will find out when the movie is released this summer, no one is more thoroughly skewered in it than I am -- you could even say that I am made to seem preposterous." And it takes a certain kind of friendship to be happy when you get skewered in your friend's film.

Finally, call them the anti-Sharon Stones: The Black Eyed Peas are headed to Shanghai, to perform in a benefit for earthquake survivors. The show will be just a 700-guest gig, and was initially designed as a promotion for two beverage companies (Chivas Brothers and Pernod Ricard China), but it will now be used to raise funds. "This is the first time for us to stage a contemporary music concert," a spokeswoman with the Shanghai Concert Hall told Alex S. Dai. "We usually stage only classical music performances." A brilliant decision. Here's hoping, though, that Fergie doesn't have problems with her lady lumps in customs.

Comments

[bored2tears]

Let's do some fact-checking here. "The Simpsons"' cast signed four-year contracts ... the Fox renewal is only for one season.

I love the show, but after 420 episodes it's lost any ability to surprise. Hopefully, they'll end it sooner rather than later. Apathy is a sad reaction to a "new" episode of such a great series.