The last two holdouts in "The Big Bang Theory" contract negotiations, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg, have reached a deal with Warner Bros. TV for $70 million over the next three seasons, according to Deadline.
The signed deals, including those by stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, allow for the CBS show to start production after a week delay. The production delay should not push back the premiere set for Monday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.
"Production on Season 8 of 'The Big Bang Theory' will begin Wednesday, August 6, with contract negotiations now having been concluded," WBTV said.
Nayyar and Helberg negotiated together and wanted to "close the salary gap" with their co-stars, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The two actors' new contract grants them 80 percent of the salary given to Parsons, Galecki and Cuoco which will make them close to $1 million per episode by Season 10.
The starring trio secured their deals on Aug. 4 and significantly raised their pay from $325,000 per episode to $1 million that brought them into the "Friends" territory of big TV contracts. The NBC comedy's cast netted $1 million per episode when the six actors negotiated their contracts together with WBTV before their show's ninth season.
"The Big Bang Theory" co-stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch nearly doubled their per-episode salary from $30,000 to $60,000 per episode when they renegotiated their contracts last September. They stand to make $100,000 per episode by the end of that contract, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The CBS show makes a temporary return to the Monday night comedy line-up to make room for Thursday Night Fooball. It will return to Thursday nights after five or six weeks and "2 Broke Girls" will take its place on Mondays starting Oct. 27 at 8 p.m.
