Joseph DeMartino
Senior HTF Member
They are, but everybody knows going in that these things are conditional because the show is untested and nobody knows what's going to happen. If a show is a monster hit, the actors (and some other key figures) are going to want to share the wealth, and there is a limit to what the studios can do to keep them. Sue for breach of contract? There are only so many high-"Q" number actors and only a handful of studios. Chances are everybody is going to want to work together again someday, and lawsuits just piss people off. On the other hand if you force the actor to show up and he/she just walks through the part, you're so sucks and you can't sue. As somebody once said of the movie businesses, "This is the only industry where the major capital assets go home every night."
A couple of years ago Jorja Fox and George Eads decided they deserved to share in more of the success of CSI. They staged a hold-out, not showing up for the start of shooting. CBS/Paramount called their bluff because they played supporting characters without whom the series could certainly survive. (A message the studio reinforced over the next year by bringing in new characters, messing with the format and just generally making it clear that most of the CSI cast and characters were replaceable. At the same time they gave both Fox and Eads meaty and prominent storylines, a "reward" that didn't affect the bottom line.
But nobody tried to play hardball when William Peterson and Marg Helgenberger decided to renegotiate their contracts after the show was an established hit. TPTB had recognized that the show would not be the powerhouse that it is without those two, especially Peterson, which is why he's now an executive producer as well as the star of the show.
If Shark were doing middling ratings for CBS or were on the bubble Woods would not be in a position to ask for more. But since the show is doing very well and he is clearly the star (was it developed specifically for him?) I'd say he stands a pretty good chance of getting a substantial salary bump (and I doubt he came cheap in the first place.) There are limits, of course. If a show becomes too expensive, it makes more sense for the network to dump it and take a chance on something new and cheap. Or to re-invent a series. There are precedents for TV series surviving the loss of their star/title character, although they aren't numerous. (Ten Simple Rules, comes to mind, Valerie/Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family, Toma, which morphed into Baretta, I'm sure I'm missing a couple.)
I'm glad the show's coming back, but even with the Sunday night timeslot. Now that Rome is gone and The Sopranos is going, Sunday night works for me.
Regards,
Joe
