Fans of CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” can sleep a little better tonight.
Warner Bros. TV has confirmed that the sitcom will resume production now that contract negotiations for Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar have been finalized.
“Production on season eight of ‘The Big Bang’ Theory will begin Wednesday, August 6, with contract negotiations now having been concluded,” Warners said in a statement.
The deals with Helberg and Nayyar bring an end to the behind-the-scenes contract drama that enveloped the nation’s top-rated sitcom. With key cast members coming up for contract negotiations, the stars held out for megabucks paydays in light of the windfall profits the show has generated in syndication.
On Monday, stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco sealed new three-season deals that will pay them about $1 million per episode, plus increased backend points and other perks. Helberg and Nayyar will see their paydays jump to the mid six-figure range, from around $100,000 per episode in recent years.
Sources said Helberg and Nayyar negotiated jointly through a lawyer who pushed hard for salary parity with the other trio. But during the past 48 hours the studio made a take-it-or-leave-it offer and a deadline of 3 p.m. PT today. The actors’ rep was advised that their characters would be written out of the series if a deal could not be reached.
Sources said it was not just the studio playing hardball. Exec producers Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro were so frustrated by the prolonged negotiations that they were in the process of preparing a script that did not involve Helberg or Nayyar’s characters in order to move forward with the first table read of the season.
The contract strife forced the studio to delay the start of production, which had been set for July 30. “Big Bang” is expected to complete its 24-episode order for its eighth season, despite the lost week.
The whole payment system is stupid. I think an actor should get paid based on how funny he is in the show. i.e. – Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco should get paid the least amount of money.
Let the audience vote who is the funniest cast member, and pay accordingly. OK, Kaley Cuoco is a beautiful blond, i get that. People what the show becuase of ther, but who the hell watches the show because of Johnny Galecki??
based on how funny they are??? that is so impractical. firstly some characters are written to be funnier than others, you can’t just have funny, funny, funny, all of the time they need to have depth and more than one dimension. secondly, who gets to decide how funny an actor is? the people who both watch the show and know how to vote online on shitty websites and are bothered to? wow you think someone like you is important enough to decide on an actors future? that’s not how it works, and actors will all begin to become the same typecast people because it will become the sort of acting which is in demand at a particular time again leading a lack of diversity in what is available to watch. finally i watch the show because of Johnny Galecki so obviously your flimsy point is invalid because your whole argument was based upon this one imbecile misconception.
Read my blog on TBBT;
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/21090/9-reasons-you-should-watch-the-big-bang-theory/
Considering that the exec producer Lorre is himself Jewish like the multi-talented Simon, I highly doubt that it involves cultural diversity. More likely, it’s simply that they are co-stars, and not stars….: )
These two men and their heritage is the main reason I enjoyed watching this show and it’s reruns. Keep up the good work everybody.
I don’t see why Helberg and Nayyar are not being paid as much as the other three; they are just as much a part of the original “gang” as Parsons, Galecki, and Cuoco. In fact, I find it odd that the two characters who bring any sort of cultural diversity to the show are not being paid as much as the other three. It might just be a coincidence but it’s a shame all the same.
They are clearly secondary characters. Makes perfect sense to me.
the show jumped the shark and lost all it’s heat last season, lets see if it gets it back this season…
hoffman said the audience the less it knows of you, the better they can see you thru your performance, last season all I saw was a married women trying to act like she was single and thats kaley’s fault…
Glad they are staying. Their characters carry the show. Once BBT fizzles out, maybe they could have their own spinoff. Howard is Da Man.
Someone give Chrissy (Suzanne Somers) the 150k per episode salary retroactively that she asked for – and got fired for – years ago on Three’s Company! Now, it seems like a bargain :)
Is it possible to write GREED without using all caps? Let’s see. GREED. GREED. Hmm. GREED. Guess it isn’t.
So glad the show is clean and entertaining. I have all seasons on dvd along with criminal minds and supernatural
I say get all you can while you can, the whole cast of Friends got $1 M per episode years ago and I think The Big Bang Theory is funnier.
Whilst I am in the ‘1 million per ep is pure greed’ group. Another part of me thinks well y shouldn’t they. The studio will be making Much MUCH more than that so y shouldn’t a bigger chunk of the profits go to the people that actually makes the words on paper come to life. However on the other hand. I don’t think it’s fair that only 3 of them are getting this rate. Raj and Howard are just as central characters as the Sheldon Leonard and penny are. It’s not very fair that these 2 are getting half the pay. Ovo this is just my own speculation/opinion here. But it will cause tension and friction between the actors. Not good.
Actually, it is fair. Actor salaries have a lot to do with seniority, as it were, or how long you’ve been successful in the business. Although Jim Parsons hasn’t been in a lot of popular shows, his character is essential to the show’s story. Kaley and Johnny have both been in highly-popular shows before (8 Simple Rules and Roseanne, respectively), so their salaries match the fan base they bring to the table.
To the people who are complaining about how much these stars make, remember just that: they are stars. They are banking the same amount ($24 million) what award-winning films stars make for just one film. And none of it directly costs you one thin dime.
Congrats on your long-awaited success, actors!
Lorre needs to be careful. Granting your stars an instant windfall didn’t serve him particularly well with Two and a Half Men.
Bernadette is my favorite character … if Howard goes she might also which is sad , shes the best and I like her sweet voice and how she gets angry xDD , and what about howards mom … they all need to get more money not just a part of them ugh
But Charlie Sheen is a drug addicted, drunk asshole.
I think Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar should also be paid a million as well. They are just as funny and have roughly the same amount of air time.
People should READ the story; NOT just the Headlines …. These two will receive MID six figure incomes or $500,000 -$750,000 each per episode …
As much as I like and enjoy this program ; NO ONE is worth $500,00 or a MILLION Bucks an episode for ANY TV Program … plain and simple …
Why do people need to be so GREEDY ?
Why not? The issue is how much money the show generates. The show is a money machine in syndication and probably will be for another decade. Why shouldn’t the on-screen talent benefit from this? They were a large part of creating endearing characters that people tune in daily to see.
More power to them! Way to go guys!
Soooo Raj and and Howard r only going to see 100k/episode while the rest tk 1mill???? That blows! They mk the show too!
No 100 grand/episode was their previous pay. Now it’s around 500 grand per episode. I totally agree those 2 are the show. Them and sheldon. Those 3 are the most interesting characters. The whole Leonard and Penny thing is way too played out and they’re boring. I legit don’t care what happens to them.
they were making 100k per episode. they are going up to the mid 6 figure range which means around 500k
IMO, Leonard is the key. It’s harder to find a funny straight man than a ‘comic’, which is Sheldon. Remember Abbot and Costello? Straight man Abbot got 60%, while Lou Costello got 40%.
To me, Leonard’s eyebrow and forehead action is priceless!
I love this program but talk about GREED!!!! $1m per episode???? That’s ridiculous!!!
It’s not money out of YOUR pocket. The show makes bank in syndication. You’d rather Warner Brothers executives got it all instead?
I like the show a lot, but really!
so glad they are coming back
Whew I’m relieved that they’ll be making so much. Good to know the rich’ll get richer. I’ve been unemployed since March… I’d love to be getting a paycheck. Although what they make per episode is more than I’ll see in my lifetime. They can stop whining now.
Well get a talent, sacrifice your time, and work a 16 hour work day like they do and maybe you will be something. Instead of a whiner.
Nicely put. I can only dream of earning a mansion in 44 minutes.
It takes way more than 44 minutes to produce a 44 minute show.