‘Friends’ Actors Push Pay Issue to Last Minute

Negotiations between NBC and the cast of “Friends” are going down to the wire, with no agreement in place as the network prepares to announce next season’s prime-time lineup to advertisers Monday morning.

NBC and Time Warner division Warner Bros. Television, the studio that produces the hit comedy, have gone so far as to set a 9 a.m. Sunday deadline for the six actors, who are seeking raises to about $1 million per episode.

Losing the 6-year-old series--still TV’s top-rated sitcom--could be critical for the General Electric-owned network, which has slipped behind Walt Disney Co.’s ABC this season thanks to the success of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

Even with ratings down, the program remains a cornerstone of NBC’s Thursday lineup. Still, the network said it is preparing two prime-time schedules, one with “Friends” and another without.

Insiders still say an agreement is likely, though for the first time apprehension has crept into the process. The assumption has been the show was too valuable for NBC to let go. In fact, sources close to the negotiations say NBC hopes to lock up the actors for two more seasons.

But NBC has been burned before overpaying for a series in its later seasons, shelling out a reported $1 million per episode each to the stars of “Mad About You,” Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser, only to see ratings for that program slump badly in its final year.

Even if the cast were to sign for $800,000 an episode, their combined weekly fees would make “Friends” one of the most expensive series in television history. That would also translate into more than $19 million for each of the actors, who have consistently chosen to negotiate as a group.

The networks are about to enter the so-called upfront market, selling an expected $8 billion in commercials for the new season. Thanks to “Millionaire,” ABC is expected to take the lion’s share of the pot, ending years of domination by NBC.