Filming for well-known sitcom halted due to contract dispute

Louisiana residents who are fans of the sitcom “Big Bang Theory” will have to wait for fresh installments of the hit comedy series, because production has been tentatively halted by CBS due to ongoing contract negotiations with the actors.

The studio was ready to start filming the eighth season of the show when Warner Bros. Television announced that filming was not going to start on time; the studio did not announce a future date for filming to commence. The halt in production was a surprise, given that the network that airs the show, CBS, agreed in early 2014 to renew the show for at least three more seasons. This comes as no surprise, since the network counts the show as one of its prime time staples, given that it’s the viewers’ number one-rated comedy.

The hit show has garnered and maintained CBS’s number one spot for the last four years in a row and shows no signs of relinquishing that title any time soon. The main reason for the holdup seems to stem from the apparent inability of the studio and the stars to work out a new contract deal for the new season.

Three of the show’s stars have sought substantial increases in terms of pay. According to one source, they each are requesting to have their compensation increase from $325,000 per episode up to nearly one million dollars. They also have expressed interest in receiving a share of the profits from other revenue sources that the network receives from the show, such as syndication revenue.

Currently, no date has been set for production to start filming, although CBS already has announced the date that the new season will start airing in the fall; thus far, no changes to that date have been announced. Clearly, contract disputes can have major financial implications for all sides involved. During such contract disputes or negotiations, a law firm familiar with contract negotiation may be able to assist.

Source: CNN Entertainment, “‘Big Bang Theory’ contract talks stall production,” Breeanna Hare, July 31, 2014