The first table read for season eight of The Big Bazinga Theory is next week, except oops, there’s a problem: none of the original cast members are under contract. Stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar want that Friends money, and they want it NOW, and until either they or CBS caves, the most popular show on TV might as well be Gone Drinkin’.
A week ago, there were some signs of movement but I hear the communication between the two sides over the past seven days did not result in significant progress to help bridge the gap between what the actors are seeking and have been offered — both on the episodic fee and back-end side. I hear there hasn’t been a face-to-face meeting between WBTV’s negotiating team and the cast’s agents yet, and that is usually how those big negotiations get settled. That has led to sources close to the talent pegging the odds for getting new deals done by July 30 to less than 50-50. Still, as one observer noted, anything is possible. (Via)
That’s some insightful prognosticating, “one observer.” I’ve also heard rumors that the cast will be made up of humans who need to water and food (and nerd jokes, apparently) to survive. MAYBE.
