BIG BANG THEORY renewed for another three years

Quote: Nareed

I would think if the show has been renewed, the salaries have been negotiated as well.

They may have already negotiated the cash salary, but the big question today is how much of the back end to give away. The shows that started before 1998 have earned far more over the long haul than most people could have predicted.

So far, the 30 live action sitcoms (ABC, NBC, CBS) of the last 16 years that look like they generated enough episodes to go into syndication, don't look like they will have the staying power of Seinfeld, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond.

Net	Pilot	Weeks	Sitcom
NBC	1998-09-21	400	Will & Grace
CBS	1998-09-21	452	King of Queens
ABC	1998-09-22	192	The Hughleys
CBS	1998-11-02	274	Becker
CBS	2000-10-02	281	Yes Dear
ABC	2001-03-28	217	My Wife and Kids
ABC	2001-10-01	401	According to Jim
CBS	2001-10-02	442	Scrubs
ABC	2002-03-27	268	George Lopez
CBS	2002-09-30	180	Still Standing
CBS	2003-09-22	548	Two and a Half Men
ABC -WE	2003-09-23	137	Hope and Faith
NBC	2005-03-24	426	The Office
CBS	2005-09-19	444	How I Met Your Mother
NBC	2005-09-20	191	My Name Is Earl
CBS	2006-03-13	218	The New Adventures of Old Christine
NBC	2006-10-11	330	30 Rock
CBS	2007-02-05	329	Rules of Engagement
CBS	2007-09-24	339	The Big Bang Theory
NBC	2009-04-09	256	Parks and Recreation
NBC	2009-09-17	237	Community
ABC -TBS	2009-09-23	141	Cougar Town
ABC	2009-09-23	235	Modern Family
ABC	2009-09-30	234	The Middle
CBS	2010-09-20	183	Mike & Molly
CBS	2011-09-19	131	2 Broke Girls
ABC -???	2011-10-11	128	Last Man Standing
CBS	2013-09-23	26	Mom
ABC -???	2013-09-24	26	The Goldbergs
CBS	2013-10-03	25	The Millers

Raymond is an excellent series but after watching it once, I was done. Man, it was too close to my particular family's circumstances for my liking. Friends is watchable for a while for selected episodes.

But almost every episode in Seinfeld is rewatchable especially those after Season 2.

I think last night's episode of Seinfeld was a great example. The story lines in place is Jerry droping his girlfriend's toothbrush in the toilet bowl and his inability to get over it, George's search for his unique key chain, Kramer's adopt-a-road, and Elaine becoming a janitor in order to get chinese food. When Newman comes along in the postal truck and it catches fire because Elaine drops a sewing machine (on the way to the dump) while Kramer is using paint thinner to restore the lane markers on the road that he destroyed, I had the biggest laugh I've had in months. This from a episode I've seen at least half a dozen times.

On the list above, I've seen all of 2.5 Men, the Office, 30 Rock, Parks, and BBT. I just finished getting caught up on Modern Family, and my next series to tackle is How I Met your Mother, which starts its DVR run for me tomorrow. Nothing else on the list above appeals.

Quote: boymimbo

Nothing else on the list above appeals.

The list was no meant to imply that the series was "good". Just that it lasted long enough for syndication. Hope and Faith made 73 episodes which is on the low side, but it was aired on Woman's Entertainment. Cougar Town made 61 episodes for ABC, but TBS has agreed to fund it up until 89 episodes. Netflix is providing the ability to view shows that had an even more limited number of episodes.

I picked the newer shows based on the fact that they are renewed for a second season, and may survive to four seasons.

The spring of 1998 is when Seinfeld ended, and the last time that a sitcom was the number #1 ranked series on TV, but The Big Bang Theory trailed only Sunday Football and NCIS last year.

Quote: boymimbo

Raymond is an excellent series but after watching it once, I was done.

I suppose it varies between people. I never liked "Raymond," not even as background noise.

Quote:

But almost every episode in Seinfeld is rewatchable especially those after Season 2.

It depends on how much of it you get. At one time it was rerun aruodn the time I arrived home. At first it was a treat, but then it became tedious, even when there were good episodes.

IMO, the funniest line ever in that show was said by an incidental character, who may as well have stood in for the audience. It's said to George by a fireman "How do you live with yourself?"

The Big Bang Theory is rather enjoyable to watch in reruns, though if I see too many repeats I begin to lose interest quickly.

Quote: Nareed

The Big Bang Theory is rather enjoyable to watch in reruns, though if I see too many repeats I begin to lose interest quickly.

It isn't nearly as complex as Seinfeld, and all jokes are pretty straightforward.

But TBS paid $1.5 million to air TBBT reruns in 2010, and $1 million to air Seinfeld reruns in 1998. That may be inflation, but also by 1998 there were a full 9 years of Seinfeld episodes. They may have been showing reruns on broadcast stations for up to 4 years.
In 2010 there were only 4 years of TBBT, so they would be fresh.

For FXX, a fledgling channel that arrived in about 72 million households in September, "The Simpsons" is a way to establish itself. If "The Simpsons" helps bring FXX into another 20 million or so homes, the deal becomes profitable even before advertising on "The Simpsons" itself is factored in.

Half-hour Shows syndication deals.
Show Cable Net $ per episode Year
2 Broke Girls TBS $1,700,000 2012
The Big Bang Theory TBS $1,500,000 2010
Modern Family USA $1,400,000 2010
Two and a Half Men FX $850,000 2006
30 Rock Comedy Central $800,000 2009
Mike and Molly FX $750,000 2012
How I Met Your Mother Lifetime $750,000 2008
Sex and the City TBS $750,000 2003
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Comedy Central $700,000 2009
The Office TBS $650,000 2007
My Name is Earl TBS $600,000 2007
Entourage Spike $600,000 2009
Curb Your Enthusiasm TV Guide/TV Land $600,000 2009
The Cleveland Show TBS/Adult Swim $500,000 2010
Old Christine Lifetime $350,000 2009
According to Jim TBS $300,000 2005
"Friends," TBS, $300,000 per episode (1996) -series didn't actually appear on the channel until 2001.

Hour-longs:
Show Cable Net $ per episode Year
The Sopranos A&E 2,500,000 2007
Hawaii Five-0 TNT 2,500,000 2011
NCIS: Los Angeles USA 2,200,000 2009
The Mentalist TNT 2,200,000 2009
Law & Order: CI USA Network/Bravo 1,900,000 2004
CSI: NY Spike 1,900,000 2004
CSI Spike 1,600,000 2001
Castle TNT 1,500,000 2011
Cold Case TNT 1,400,000 2005
Without a Trace TNT 1,400,000 2003
House USA 1,400,000 2005
Medium Lifetime 1,350,000 2005
Law & Order: SVU USA 1,300,000 2001
Grey's Anatomy Lifetime 1,200,000 2006
The West Wing Bravo 1,200,000 2001
CSI: Miami A&E 1,000,000 2003
Law & Order TNT 800,000 2002
NCIS USA 750,000 2006
Criminal Minds A&E 650,000 2008
Glee Oxygen 500,000 2010
Desperate Housewives Lifetime 500,000 2006
Bones TNT 450,000 2008
Smallville ABC Family 400,000 2004
Heroes G4 300,000 2007
Lost Sci-Fi/G4 200,000 2008
Ugly Betty TV Guide 200,000 2009

These are just cable deals and don't (or at least shouldn't) include broadcast syndication money. They're all estimates

When TBS picked up "Friends" and "Seinfeld" in the 90s, the shows could only be watched on local affiliates, but now "Seinfeld" reruns can be found on platforms like Crackle and Hulu as well. TBS' particular success with "The Big Bang Theory" has breathed a new life into cable's desire for broadcast repeats. The sitcom currently averages 2.4 million total viewers and 1.2 million viewers in the all-important 18-to-49 demo, according to Nielsen.
In November 2013, "The Big Bang Theory" on TBS accounted for 19 of basic cable's top 20 sitcom telecasts.

I've seen about 5 eps of this show and I don't
get what all the fuss is about. Every character
is severely stereotyped, where is the humor.
You know how they will react before they
open their mouth.

Most of the cast secured a deal for 1 million an episode individually

Direct quote:

Quote:

The Big Bang Theory is worth too much to Warner Bros, and its clients, not to secure the cast at any cost.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/big-bang-theory-stars-sign-new-deals-worth-1m-per-episode-20140805-100fqa.html#ixzz39TnCuGUW

Quote: rxwine

Most of the cast secured a deal for 1 million an episode individually

When all six principals for FRIENDS got paid $1 million an episode for seasons 9&10 in 2002, there was no doubt that the the three principals for TBBT would get paid $1 million an episodes for seasons 8&9&10. I think the fuss was over the back end. Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar will probably be paid a hefty sum as well.

Still if they are paid $24m apiece for the show, consider that Ellen Degeneres probably makes more money than all three of them put together.

Maybe Leonerd can get hit by a bus and become a quadrapalegic blowing into the tube to move his chair. Then maybe have him get hit by another bus.

Quote: Nareed

I suppose it varies between people. I never liked "Raymond," not even as background noise.



It depends on how much of it you get. At one time it was rerun aruodn the time I arrived home. At first it was a treat, but then it became tedious, even when there were good episodes.

IMO, the funniest line ever in that show was said by an incidental character, who may as well have stood in for the audience. It's said to George by a fireman "How do you live with yourself?"

The Big Bang Theory is rather enjoyable to watch in reruns, though if I see too many repeats I begin to lose interest quickly.

Funniest inadvertent line on Seinfeld was after Kramer was cleared as the strangler, he says, "but how did you know about the pervert in the park though?"