The Big Bang Theory is the top rated comedy on television and it is also a huge money maker in syndication. Now the cast wants what they feel is a fair share of the deal. Not unlike what the successful sitcom Friends did when they were on top.
The contract negotiations have been developing for some time. The three central leads, actors Kaley Cuoco Sweeting, Johnny Galecki, and Jim Parsons, are reportedly negotiating for a significant salary increase – from $300,000 per episode to an even $1 million. Kunal Nayar and Simon Helberg are also aiming for an estimated $1 million per episode.
Production on a new season of “The Big Bang Theory” is being delayed because of a contract dispute with its top actors.
The Warner Brothers Television studio, which makes television’s most popular comedy, said that Wednesday’s scheduled first day of work after the summer hiatus was postponed.
There’s no word on when “The Big Bang Theory” team will be back at work.
The CBS series is heading into its eighth season, and the studio is trying to hammer out new deals with actors Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar.
The contract standoff has been underway for about eight weeks, but CBS executives have been confident that the situation will resolve itself.
“We’re feeling very confident that everything will work out,” President Nina Tessler said on Entertainment Tonight. “These deals manage to get done miraculously somehow year after year.”
None of the actors were at last week’s big Comic-Con Convention in San Diego promoting the show as they have been in the past.
Jim Parson’s show up did Comic-Con to promote his new animated film The Penguins of Madagascar at a panel with Dreamworks.
The current contract negotiations are particularly significant, as CBS renewed The Big Bang Theory for an unusual three seasons in March.
The Big Bang Theory season 8 will initially air on Monday nights due to the network’s acquisition of Thursday Night Football. If production resumes without much delay, the comedy will return on Monday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m. If there is a production delay on the Big Bang, CBS does have eight weeks of NFL Thursday Night Football to help buy some time if there any hang up’s along the way.
