14 Things Fox Wants You To Forget About The Simpsons

5. Almost Losing Harry Shearer

One of the ways The Simpsons could end - if it ever does - is losing one of the members of its voice cast. The core cast voice so many characters between them that each one is pretty much irreplaceable, and they were almost faced with having to move on from one of them back in 2015.

In May of that year, Harry Shearer - whose characters include Principal Skinner, Mr Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Kent Brockman, and many others - surprisingly quit the show, announcing on Twitter:

Just a couple of months later, however, Shearer did indeed end up signing a new contract with the show - the same two-year extension his fellow cast members had already signed, agreeing to equal terms - and he continues to be a key part of the show. Speaking to The Guardian, Shearer simply said: "All I can say is, it wasn't a stunt."

Fox have been involved in numerous disputes and lengthy negotiations with the cast over the years, preparing to recast the whole thing in 1998, and the cast demanding a pay rise in 2004, before having to take a cut in 2011. This was the first time one had completely walked away, though, and an instance Fox would surely rather forget all about.