NEWS & NOTES : SIX STARS TO REMAIN `FRIENDS' FOR AT LEAST THREE MORE SEASONS.Byline: Daily News Wire Services The deal has been in place for months, but it took until late last week for Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . TV and the cast of ``Friends'' to make it official that they'll remain friendly for at least another three seasons. While reps for show producer Warner Bros. TV aren't talking, the six cast members of the popular NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. sitcom are believed to be getting $75,000 per episode for this season, or $1.65 million for 22 episodes. That's an increase of about $43,000 per episode over their previous deal - with raises to $85,000 next season and $110,000 for the following year. In return, Courteney Cox Courteney Bass Cox Arquette (born Courteney Bass Cox on June 15, 1964) is an American actress and former fashion model, best known for her role as Monica Geller in the hugely popular television sitcom Friends. , David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 12, 1966) in Astoria, New York) is an Emmy-nominated American actor and director, who gained popularity when playing Dr. Ross Geller on the American sitcom Friends. , Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow Lisa Marie Diane Kudrow (born July 30, 1963) is an Emmy Award- and SAG-winning American actress best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the hugely popular sitcom Friends. and Matt LeBlanc Matthew Steven LeBlanc (born July 25, 1967) is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated American actor, best known for his role as Joey Tribbiani in the hugely popular sitcom Friends (1994-2004) and its less successful spin-off Joey (2004-2006). have agreed to an additional season, which will keep the show on through the 1999-2000 TV year. When the show started, each signed a standard five-year deal that would have expired after 1998-99. The salary bump, which is not uncommon after a show becomes a success, was triggered in this case by the public boast of a Warner Bros. TV executive that the company was earning $4 million an episode from syndication sales. In July, four weeks before production began on the current season, the cast members asked for their piece of the action - substantial raises from their original $32,000 per episode (or $704,000 a year). The request, which was never accompanied by the threat of a walkout, was unusual because cast members all made the same demand together. NBC wanted an ensemble; it got one. |
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