, ▁the ▁studio ▁and ▁the ▁actors ▁reached ▁a ▁deal , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁actors ▁would ▁take ▁a ▁pay ▁cut ▁of ▁ 3 0 %, ▁down ▁to ▁just ▁over ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁episode , ▁renew ing ▁the ▁show ▁to ▁its ▁ 2 5 th ▁season . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁voice ▁actors , ▁everybody ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁show ▁took ▁a ▁pay ▁cut . ▁This ▁included ▁the ▁anim ators , ▁writers , ▁post - production ▁crew ▁and ▁even ▁Jean ▁himself . ▁The ▁further ▁use ▁of ▁digital ▁animation ▁also ▁saved ▁money , ▁as ▁the ▁animation ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁became ▁more ▁efficient . ▁ ▁Rat ings ▁The ▁season ▁premi ere ▁episode ▁" The ▁Fal con ▁and ▁the ▁D ' oh man " ▁originally ▁a ired ▁on ▁the ▁Fox ▁network ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁approximately ▁ 8 . 0 8 ▁million ▁people ▁during ▁this ▁broadcast . ▁It ▁received ▁a ▁ 3 . 9 ▁N iel sen ▁rating ▁in ▁the ▁dem ographic ▁for ▁adult s ▁aged ▁ 1 8 – 4 9 , ▁and ▁a ▁ten ▁percent ▁share . ▁The ▁ratings ▁ ▁were ▁up ▁three ▁percent ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁last ▁season ' s ▁premi ere . ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁highest - r ated ▁program ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 – 4 9 ▁dem ographic ▁in ▁Fox ' s ▁An imation ▁Dom ination ▁line up ▁that ▁night , ▁finishing ▁before ▁The ▁Cleveland ▁Show ▁and