Ray Romano - inks $50 million/season deal (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/0...eut/index.html

I guess someone does loves Raymond!

 

[MickeS]

Well, it's not me. With a cost of almost $8 million for just the licensing fees plus salary for one person PER EPISODE, I would assume the advertisers will have to pay more money for ads, if not for this show, they'll spread it out over other shows. That means the products will cost even more soon, or they'll reduce the packages and let the price stay the same (have you noticed that many products cost the same now that they did a few years ago, but you get less?).

But at least Ray gets to build a couple more homes with golden doorknobs, or whatever he likes to spend all that excess money on.

 

[Joel Mack]

I'll never begrudge anyone for getting every penny of what someone's willing to pay them. I know I'd do the same damn thing...

 

[Craig S]

As Joel says, more power to Romano - nice work if you can get it.

However, who IS watching this show? The couple of times I've seen it I've found it extremely mediocre. I honestly don't know anyone who watches it (and that includes folks here).

 

[EricW]

well, it's certainly a top ten staple. if not for Friends, it'd be the number one sitcom on tv every week. personally i like the show; i watch it more on syndication late night then current eps. it's a treat when they show one i haven't seen before.

i've no problem with his salary - he's paid his dues in this business, and he should get all he can get, which is pretty much in line with movie stars and pro athletes.

 

[MickeS]

I'm not saying Romano should turn it down - I'm saying it's obscene that this is even offered to him.

I know at least one person who watches it. Personally I don't like it, but it usually gets good reviews and is doing pretty well in the ratings. Of course, sitcom stars seem to get paid the most when their shows are declining in ratings and quality, so I expect the show to take a dive soon.

 

[Don Black]

I'm curious. Does his $1.7/$1.8 million per episode also include syndication rights? Or will he make even more money off of syndication?

 

[Ricardo C]

I'm saying it's obscene that this is even offered to him.

Why? If the show, crappy though it might be, generates enormous revenue, shouldn't the star and originator get a big share of the profits?

As long as people watch, the money will roll in.

 

[Scott DeToffol]

I love the show. And if they're willing to pay him, more power to him.

 

[Michael*K]

$50 million to star in the most overrated show since Seinfeld...unfreakinbelievable.

 

[MatthewA]

And I thought $1,000,000 per cast member per episode on "Friends," which I absolutely despise, was obscene. I don't like this show but nor do I have the same level of hatred for it as the aforementioned NBC atrocity, but that amount of money?

And to think Suzanne Somers got booted from 3's Company for wanting $100,000 a show.

 

[Brian Perry]

Does his $1.7/$1.8 million per episode...

Doesn't it come out to $2.27 million ($50 million divided by 22 episodes)?

I wonder how much the rest of the cast will get. I think Ray's brother Robert gets more laughs than Ray (at least from me).

 

[Malcolm R]

I think Ray's brother Robert gets more laughs than Ray (at least from me).

I think every cast member gets more laughs than Ray Romano (similar to other sitcoms where the supporting cast is funnier and more likeable than the star(s)). I like the show, but hate him.

I think they should have let him go, if he wanted to leave, and just continued with the rest of the cast. It would definitely have been less annoying without having to listen to his nasal whine all the time.

They actually reached a 2-year deal on the series, but only 1-year with RR. So perhaps we'll find out what it is like without him if he doesn't re-up next year.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I've never sat through an entire episode of this show, should I start?

 

[Don Black]

Brian: That 1.7/1.8 figure is pulled directly from Hollywood Reporter. The figure was "close to" $50M.

 

[MickeS]

Yes, of course he should. I'm just starting to REALLY get annoyed with all the commercials and ads that bombard us everywhere, and this will undoubtedly contribute to even more ads, even less time for actual content, and rising consumer prices. It's a small part of it, but it nevertheless contributes. On every can of soda, every pack of dishwasher detergent, every car that we buy, we pay a celebrity tax so overpaid TV-stars can continue to live in enormous wealth. How much is enough?

I'm sorry if I'm ranting, but have you guys not noticed the ever increasing number of advertisements on TV? Why do you think that is?

 

[Patrick Sun]

For time-shifted shows, I do a lot of 3 minute skips on my ReplayTV, and see very little in ads nowadays.

I do feel that I'm missing out a little bit on pop culture by skipping so many comercials. Oh well, I'll get by.

For real-time viewing, I tend to watch my ReplayTV for other shows during the commercials for the real-time show I'm watching (I get in around 58 minutes of viewing shows, not commercials this way).

 

[MickeS]

Patrick, I watch TV the same way you do (normally manage to squeeze in almost a whole episode of "Seinfeld" during the commercial breaks on a full hour of live TV ), but that doesn't mean the ads don't bother me. And since more and more people watch TV like we do, I fear we'll se a new "skip proof" business model soon (but that's been discused a lot elsewhere already).

I just can not see these ridiculously large salaries as something positive in the long run.

 

[Jordan_E]

Nothing worse than some of the pro sports contracts.

 

[John_VI]

I really like the show and agree that he should get as much as he can fro as long as he can. And no, I don't have a problem with sports contracts either.