A million a show.

[Michelle]

Just read on SKY news that the Friends have been offered a million pounds an episode, if they sign up for a ninth show.

www.skynews.co.uk  

Its under showbiz friends in a million.

[Nabetse Green]

Friends In A Million

The cast of Friends are talking to TV executives about filming a ninth series of the hit comedy.

If a deal is struck, the stars are reportedly set to receive at least one million dollars an episode (£770,000).

It comes after the programme regained its position as America's most popular show.

Speculation

The cast has hired a Hollywood lawyer to negotiate with makers Warner Brothers after months of speculation about whether the actors wanted to work together again.

Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox-Arquette, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry are currently paid £530,000 for each episode of the show.

They have already turned down an offer of £564,000 per show.

Some cast members have raised speculation that the current series would be the last.

Quit

LeBlanc said last month he "honestly didn't know" if there would be a fresh series and Schwimmer has stated he wants to quit showbusiness to become a teacher.

Both Warner Brothers and NBC, which broadcasts it in America, want another series of the show, but Daily Variety reported that insiders still believe there is a "50-50 chance" it will not go ahead.

The stars get a cut of the profits from the show being re-sold and from the sale of videos and DVDs.

Friends took back its position as America's number one television show with weekly audiences of 26 million in the aftermath of September 11 as viewers looked for comforting programmes.

[Nabetse Green]

David Schwimmer a teacher...

[Breezy]

Will NBC Keep Its "Friends"?
by Bridget Byrne
Feb 4, 2002, 5:10 PM PT

Good friends are hard to find. Maybe that's why NBC is so reluctant to let its Friends leave so soon.

NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker has made it clear that Friends's return is high priority, but today the network had no comment on the negotiation reports. Neither did Warner Bros. The general feeling around Hollywood is that there is only a 50-50 chance Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry will agree to comeback for a ninth season. But obviously if there was no interest at all in continuing, it's unlikely the sextet would have given their management team, Brillstein-Gray, and assorted lawyers the go-ahead to start discussions.

Money is, of course, the prime issue, as it has been in the past. The now-famous cast, who were virtually unknown when the series first aired, have achieved their huge salaries by presenting a united front in bargaining talks. Each is now pulling in $750,000 per episode for a season of 22-24 shows. USA Today recently reported the six actors joined forces to turn down a raise to $800,000 per episode last month, which means their salaries will probably need to be bumped up to an even $1 million per show (or more) to get them to come back.

The negotiations are two-tiered, involving Warners' payment to the stars and then NBC's payment to the producer. Currently NBC pays Warners a per-episode license fee of $5.5 million. It will need to be hiked considerably if the salaries climb.

With NBC having no programs able to replace Friends' ratings-leading 23 million average viewers and the show enjoying renewed critical praise--and that baby arriving in May sweeps--the show's stars seem to be in a strong position to get what they want. If they really want it.

Any deals will need to be finalized by May, when the network must unveil its fall schedule to advertisers.

The future of Rachel and Ross, Monica and Chandler, Joey and Phoebe is not the only iffy matter at NBC right now.

(Edited by Breezy...
Complete article at: www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,9473,00.html