The Simpsons' voice actor Harry Shearer – the man behind popular characters such as C. Montgomery Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner – will remain with the show. The breakthrough comes after a protracted contract negotiation with Shearer in which the 71-year-old actor walked away from the series. Shearer's deal is reportedly the same as his co-stars: a two-year contract, covering a 27th and 28th season of the show, at a pay rate of around $US300,000 per half-hour episode. It is understood the contract includes an option for a 29th and 30th season.
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Stockholm to host Eurovision
Stockholm has been named as the host city for the 61st annual Eurovision Song Contest. In keeping with the competition's long-standing tradition, the winning country hosts the event the following year. At this stage, Australia will not compete next year, as this year's entry was based on a single wild card. Australia's entrant, Guy Sebastian, came fifth overall; the winner was Sweden's Måns Zelmerlöw. SBS is expected to send a full Australian delegation to the event, including commentators Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang. The 2016 competition will be held on May 10, 12 and 14.
Maria leaves Sesame Street
Sesame Street is to farewell the iconic Sonia Manzano who has appeared in the series as Maria Rodriguez since 1971. Manzano, 65, confirmed she would leave the series during a speech to the American Library Association. On Sesame Street, Maria was introduced as a teenage girl who landed a job at Sesame Street's local library; she has remained a major fixture of the series for more than four decades. Manzano later joined the writing staff of Sesame Street and won 15 Emmy Awards.
Netflix, Amazon pass on Hannibal
Hopes that the cancelled US drama series Hannibal might be rescued by a streaming service appear to have come to nothing. The show's producer Bryan Fuller has confirmed that both Netflix and Amazon have passed on commissioning a new series of the show after the network NBC decided to spike it. Complicating hopes of an eleventh hour save was the fact that the show's leads, Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, were released from their contracts. Fuller said he was still "investigating possibilities".
'Welcome to Sweden' welcomes Priestley
Former Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley will play himself in the second season premiere of the US comedy Welcome to Sweden. The series, which is written by and stars Greg Poehler, follows the adventures of a man who gives up his life and moves to Sweden to marry the love of his life. The series recently won best comedy at the prestigious Monte Carlo Television Festival. Welcome to Sweden has become a popular spot for celebrity cameos, including Will Ferrell and Poehler's sister, comedian Amy Poehler.
South Park secures three-season deal
Comedy Central has commissioned an additional three seasons of the iconic South Park. The deal means the series will sail past the 300-episode mark and remain on the network's schedule until 2019. Comedy Central's Doug Herzog said the series was "one of the most recognisable brands to ever come out of television; [it] remains as important and influential as any series on any platform." The series, which was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, launches its 19th season later this year.
