More Buck For The Bang
Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory, are attempting to renegotiate their contracts. (It just hit me--"renegotiate" almost has "renege" in it.) No surprise. There's a long history of TV actors finding themselves in a hit and asking for more. And BBT is the biggest sitcom out there right now, still at its peak, while the leads are far from the best paid. Furthermore, their series was recently sold into syndication, making hundreds of millions in pure profit.
I have no doubt both sides will come to an agreement. There's too much at stake. But I wonder if management will play hardball. It seems to me only Jim Parsons as Sheldon is absolutely necessary. The other two are fine but, as romantic leads, barely have chemistry. Could one, or even both of them, be replaced (like Diane on Cheers)?
On the other hand, I understand why these three want to make out. Not only might they feel they should be paid like major TV stars, they also may realize this is it. None of them seem headed for movie stardom. They may continue to work in TV, but they'll probably never be in a hit like this again. Why not finish it with enough for the rest of their lives?
Let me add if I had to rank the five regulars in order of importance to my enjoyment of the show, it'd be:
1. Sheldon (Parsons)
2. Howard
3. Raj
4. Penny (Cuoco)
5. Leonard (Galecki)
Poor Leonard, the "normal" one whom everyone else bounces off. Those characters are never fully appreciated.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:06 AM
2 Comments:
Did Shelley Long leave Cheers due to salary disagreements? It is true that the show continued a number of years after her departure, but I think the loss of Diane Chambers was a big blow. Kirstie Alley as Rebecca was not even close to a sufficient replacement.
The show survived (imho) due to the enhaced role given Frasier and Lilith (who were snooty and set up to be knocked down the way Diane had been). To some extent, it was lucky, otherwise I think the show would have folded after a year without Long.
MASH is an example where the replacement worked (BJ replacing Trapper - by the way, did Trapper leave over money issues?). But look at Three's Company when Don Knotts replaced Mr. Roper, or Golden Girls after Bea Arthur left, or 8 Simple Rules (Kaley Cuoco's first sitcom) when John Ritter was gone.
Of course 8 Simple Rules was a sadly forced situation (with David Spade trying to replace the deceased John Ritter), but I think it is dangerous to mess with a successful ensemble cast's chemistry.
Cheers lasted 11 seasons, and was still a hit when it left the air. It only became a hit in its third season because Bill Cosby's sitcom helped the NBC schedule, but it had always been respected (or it would have been canceled). Long left after five seasons. I consider her years the better years, but the show was still good after she left and maintained its ratings.
It's not clear why she left, though it seems that (as is so often the case) she wanted a film career. She claims there are other reasons. It does seem to be true that the rest of the cast was not especially fond of her, and I think her character was getting more tiresome and brittle by the end, perhaps reflecting a certain feeling among the writers. Furthermore, they'd wrung about every variation out of the Sam/Diana relationship so maybe it's just as well she left. (Compare Ross/Rachel in Friends, which just went on and on and on.)
While new characters like Frasier and Lilith helped, I don't think they made the difference. That Kirstie Alley lasted longer than Long is a sign that she worked out.
M*A*S*H was another show that lasted 11 seasons, and as you'd expect there were cast changes along the way. But the show, starting with its second season, was always a hit, never out of the top ten.
Wayne Rogers left after three seasons because he'd been told he was a co-star but it was clear he was a sidekick. In fact, if you watch those shows, it's amazing how they give all the gags to Alda. When he was replaced, they made sure to give Mike Farrell a lot more.
McLean Stevenson left after three seasons, too, presumably to pursue starring opportunities in other shows, none of which matched M*A*S*H in popularity.
Larry Linville left after five seasons and Gary Burghoff left after seven. (Creator Larry Gelbart also left, and that may have been the biggest change of all.)
By the last few years, I think M*A*S*H got a lot more serious, which was unfortunate. Worse, the comedy started getting tired, which is likely to happen to any show that lasts long enough.
My point is fans may get used to certain characters, but very few of them are essential to the success of a show. Look at Coach on Cheers--he was maybe the most beloved character, but now people remember Woody better. I don't think there's anyone on Big Bang who can't be replaced except Sheldon.
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