CBS has announced a $240 million, three-season renewal of it’s biggest hit, “The Big Bang Theory.”
The deal is historic, as networks rarely renew series for more than one season at a time. While it’s common practice to strike multi-year pacts with creators and actors to insure continued involvement, deals such as this have little precedent. Two years ago, Fox struck a two-year renewal for “Bones,” a deal that ends this season.
The $240 million deal is for 66 episodes, approximately a $3.5 million license per episode, one of the richest deals on television.
CBS was recently in negotiations to raise the payment of the principle cast’s salary. Prior to the fourth season, the cast earned approximately $65,000 per episode; they currently make $200,000 per episode.
The three year renewal will take the sitcom through its seventh season, and the 2013-2014 television season.
The flagship Hollywood motion picture film studios have in the past produced many entertaining movies based on nerd and geek characters. I had no problem with that, in fact I support good comedy. However, my gripe with The Big Bang Theory(CBS) was “Paris Hilton” impersonator Kaley Cuoco’s attitude and behaviour at the 2009 Comic Con. The stunt she pulled “Flirting with the fan” This was an attempt to give reassurance to her hardcore male fan base, that she had no interest in nerds or geeks. Kaley Cuoco cannot have her cake and eat it. It is obvious that she will feel more in her comfort zone working with the likes of Nick Carter, Al Santos or Russell Brand. I had been the shows biggest supporter up to that point. I was naive to have believed Bill Prady’s press statements that the premise of Big Bang Theory (CBS) was to celebrate nerds and not to mock them. It became apparent to me, that Prady’s statements were based on studio spin. It is common knowledge that when launching or promoting a brand, most public relation experts will advise you to be cautious not to contradict your brand, as you will leave yourself wide open to public scrutiny and ridicule. Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady the grand old dukes of spin. It will sooner or later become apparent to CBS, Warner Bros, and Chuck Lorre Productions that spin is only effective up to a certain point depending on who your target audiences are. Sophisticated audiences can smell a rotten egg from a far distance
Chaim Paddaman