"The Big Bang Theory" Season 8's production have been officially delayed by CBS because the main cast members of the hit sitcom - which was supposed to start filming for the new season this Wednesday, July 30 - do not have contracts yet and are demanding higher salaries that match "Friends" stars' pay of $1 million per episode during the show's finale run.
"Due to ongoing contract negotiations, production on 'The Big Bang Theory' has been postponed," said Warner Bros. TV, which produces the CBS comedy series.
According to Deadline, the first table read for the Primetime Emmy-winning show was supposed to take place on Wednesday, but the production company made a decision to postpone it.
Warner Bros. TV has remained tight-lipped about the specific details on why the production got delayed. The said company is also yet to announce how long this delay will last.
Series regulars who are yet to renew their contract are Jim Parson, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg. The contracts of the said actors have expired at the end of the previous run of the sitcom.
Melissa Raunch and Mayim Bialik are the only actors who are still under contract since they renegotiated their contracts last fall with significant salary increases.
An E! News source claimed that three of the series regulars have also been very demanding.
Parsons, Cuoco-Sweeting and Galecki are said to be asking for a salary increase that would match "Friends money" or the money the "Friends" actors were receiving during the final run of their show.
It can be noted that "Friends" stars Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc were paid $1 million for every episode they filmed in the final run of their sitcom.
In September, sources have come out that Parsons, Galecki and Cuoco-Sweeting were earning $325,000 for every episode last season.
Now the delay on the production of the show comes as a shocking surprise since show creator Chuck Lorre and CBS boss Nina Tassler assured everyone at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour that everything is working out just fine for the show.
"I just love being able to answer these questions year-after-year, primarily because we have successful shows," Tassler even quipped in front of the crowd.
"We're feeling very confident that everything will work out," she added. "These deals manage to get done miraculously somehow year after year."
"It will be fine," Lorre seconded. "Warner Brothers has done this before. Everybody should be very successful and happy and rich. They earned it. It's a great cast. Great cast. It's their time."
"The Big Bang Theory" Season 8 is slated for a Sept. 22 premiere, but with the delay in the show's production, it is possible that this will be moved as well, sources said.
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