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Apparently George and Jorja met with producers yesterday and should be back at work next week.
I have no idea who this Mike Evans is, but please let it be true.
I was thinking about this last night, and I don't see how CSI can take Jorja back without George, given George's public apology. If he hadn't said anything, then they may have been able to, but they can't take one back without the other without a) looking like arseholes and b) opening themselves up to some sort of breach of contract dispute, given that it doesn't sound as though George has a history of tardiness.
And I was also thinking that from CBS' perspective, and Les Moonves in particular, rehiring them is actually a smarter move than not. They wanted to send that message about not asking for more, and they've sent it. And it actually is a more emphatic message than not hiring them back, because if they don't rehire they look like petty, and unreasonable bullies. If they do rehire, they look like strong, reasonable but will take no crap employers. And the message stays the same - these guys were lucky. You may not be.
No one is going to renegotiate now.
And the thing about renegotiating, you know what? Why is it so bad? I mean, people keep talking about contracts etc, but as someone pointed out, 7 years is the absolute maximum length of contract for this type of thing, without it being illegal (something about indentured servitude).
So they hire young actors for very little. Either the show tanks, and they're all dismissed, (because you think, seriously, that the contract for seven years works in the actors favour if a show is cancelled? If so, I'll have some of what you're smoking, please) or the show is a hit, in which case they get these guys for cheap while they make a mint.
If it comes to renegotiating, you've got two choices if you're CBS or similar:
i) renegotiate for something reasonable
ii) don't negotiate, and/or fire the actors - which is a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face
iii) cancel the show - ditto.
The only reason to do the last one, in the case of CSI or the like, is because you don't think that the salaries are worth it and the show isn't making you enough money to cover it. Salaries would cut into your profits. So you're probably thinking cancellation anyway, and, hey, you don't pay the actors for what's left of the contract. But you can do that anyway.
The only reason to do the middle one (well, apart from being a moron) is that you don't think that the actors are worth it. But if it's a show that you know is successful because of the actors, well, you're back to number three - cancel the show because without the actors you've got nothing.
Most reasonable people would look at the first one, and settle on that as being the best way forward for everyone concerned.
And did anyone notice the details about how Eric appears to have negotiated himself a nice little raise, which reading between the lines seems to be more than the $10k per ep offered to the others? No offence to Eric, but if I were George and Jorja, and I had contributed to the success of the show originally whereas Eric had not (remembering that Eric's role was very much a bit part until after the show hit number one) I'd hold out for more in that case. Because they're not all in the same boat.
Gary is different, because the rumours have been around for months that he's been on very shaky footing, and given that his music career doesn't seem to be taking off the way he hoped, he's probably being understandably cautious because by all accounts he's lucky to still have his job given the way he's been badmouthing TPTB - something Billy can get away with, but that he can't. Again, these are rumours posted on various boards and may not be accurate, but his bitching about it is not rumour because he's done it in public. Well, he did it in public. He's been remarkably quiet recently - wonder why? Because he was already on shaky footing?
Paul has been around the block for a while, and given his 'and starring' status, then he's probably got more clout and has since the beginning anyway. Plus, he's actually getting paid the same, for being in it less and therefore for less time input. He's not got the long hours that the other, younger actors have.
But I don't think George and Jorja were being at all unreasonable. I'd also like to point out that they haven't had a payrise since the beginning of season 2 (that's 3 years, people), and were offered $10k or 10% of their current salaries. 10% over three years?
10% in three years is pretty damned close to inflation (3% a year, excluding the compound effect). And people are claiming that these people are greedy? If you were working for, say, a very successful firm that had made billions on the back of your hard work, and they offered you a payrise of about inflation, while paying themselves considerably more than that? Wouldn't you want a bigger slice of the pie?
Puts it in perspective, doesn't it?
I have no idea who this Mike Evans is, but please let it be true.
I was thinking about this last night, and I don't see how CSI can take Jorja back without George, given George's public apology. If he hadn't said anything, then they may have been able to, but they can't take one back without the other without a) looking like arseholes and b) opening themselves up to some sort of breach of contract dispute, given that it doesn't sound as though George has a history of tardiness.
And I was also thinking that from CBS' perspective, and Les Moonves in particular, rehiring them is actually a smarter move than not. They wanted to send that message about not asking for more, and they've sent it. And it actually is a more emphatic message than not hiring them back, because if they don't rehire they look like petty, and unreasonable bullies. If they do rehire, they look like strong, reasonable but will take no crap employers. And the message stays the same - these guys were lucky. You may not be.
No one is going to renegotiate now.
And the thing about renegotiating, you know what? Why is it so bad? I mean, people keep talking about contracts etc, but as someone pointed out, 7 years is the absolute maximum length of contract for this type of thing, without it being illegal (something about indentured servitude).
So they hire young actors for very little. Either the show tanks, and they're all dismissed, (because you think, seriously, that the contract for seven years works in the actors favour if a show is cancelled? If so, I'll have some of what you're smoking, please) or the show is a hit, in which case they get these guys for cheap while they make a mint.
If it comes to renegotiating, you've got two choices if you're CBS or similar:
i) renegotiate for something reasonable
ii) don't negotiate, and/or fire the actors - which is a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face
iii) cancel the show - ditto.
The only reason to do the last one, in the case of CSI or the like, is because you don't think that the salaries are worth it and the show isn't making you enough money to cover it. Salaries would cut into your profits. So you're probably thinking cancellation anyway, and, hey, you don't pay the actors for what's left of the contract. But you can do that anyway.
The only reason to do the middle one (well, apart from being a moron) is that you don't think that the actors are worth it. But if it's a show that you know is successful because of the actors, well, you're back to number three - cancel the show because without the actors you've got nothing.
Most reasonable people would look at the first one, and settle on that as being the best way forward for everyone concerned.
And did anyone notice the details about how Eric appears to have negotiated himself a nice little raise, which reading between the lines seems to be more than the $10k per ep offered to the others? No offence to Eric, but if I were George and Jorja, and I had contributed to the success of the show originally whereas Eric had not (remembering that Eric's role was very much a bit part until after the show hit number one) I'd hold out for more in that case. Because they're not all in the same boat.
Gary is different, because the rumours have been around for months that he's been on very shaky footing, and given that his music career doesn't seem to be taking off the way he hoped, he's probably being understandably cautious because by all accounts he's lucky to still have his job given the way he's been badmouthing TPTB - something Billy can get away with, but that he can't. Again, these are rumours posted on various boards and may not be accurate, but his bitching about it is not rumour because he's done it in public. Well, he did it in public. He's been remarkably quiet recently - wonder why? Because he was already on shaky footing?
Paul has been around the block for a while, and given his 'and starring' status, then he's probably got more clout and has since the beginning anyway. Plus, he's actually getting paid the same, for being in it less and therefore for less time input. He's not got the long hours that the other, younger actors have.
But I don't think George and Jorja were being at all unreasonable. I'd also like to point out that they haven't had a payrise since the beginning of season 2 (that's 3 years, people), and were offered $10k or 10% of their current salaries. 10% over three years?
10% in three years is pretty damned close to inflation (3% a year, excluding the compound effect). And people are claiming that these people are greedy? If you were working for, say, a very successful firm that had made billions on the back of your hard work, and they offered you a payrise of about inflation, while paying themselves considerably more than that? Wouldn't you want a bigger slice of the pie?
Puts it in perspective, doesn't it?
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I don't know. I can see logically that they ought to get them both back, and that Moonves has achieved his aim of putting the fear of God into all actors (and if you have to rule by fear, you're doing something wrong). But it's also perfectly obvious that Moonves is still smarting about the whole Everyone Loves Raymond deal and the resultant harm to his own ego, and he doesn't seem to be acting very rationally or logically.
Personally, I think we'll hear nothing official until the weekend from CBS, if only to leave George and Jorja twisting in the wind and really hammer the message home.
Which is very petty, but also, as I said, if you have to rule by fear...