“Big Bang Theory” hit comedy series gets two-season renewal

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sheldon isn't leaving his favorite couch at least until 2019. CBS has renewed "The Big Bang Theory" for two more seasons, bringing the show to its 11th and 12th seasons. The two-season renewal is no surprise considering the show is currently still the No. 1 comedy in primetime, but stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch are still without contracts, AceShowbiz said.

In late February, it was reported that the five original cast members of the show, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg, agreed to take pay cut to help Bialik and Rauch get raises. Parsons, Galecki and Cuoco have been paid $1 million per episode since 2014, while Nayyar and Helberg secured raises that brought their salaries to seven figures, like Parsons, Galecki and Cuoco, in their last contract renewal cycle.

Under the new deals, each of them will take a $100,000 cut in salary per episode. But Bialik and Rauch were reportedly holding out deals to seek salary parity with their co-stars. Bialik and Rauch, who joined the sitcom since the third season, make just $175,000 per episode from the contracts they signed three years ago.

"Big Bang Theory" joins another CBS staple, "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service", which was previously renewed for 2017-2018 season. The spin-off "Young Sheldon", which has cast Iain Armitage ("Big Little Lies") as the young version of Sheldon Cooper, has also been ordered to series.