Todd Marinovich
05-10-2005, 06:44 AM
There's no doubt anymore. They will be back for season 8.
"The return of CBS' veteran comedy "The King of Queens" next season is all but sealed now that the show's star, Kevin James, has inked a rich deal to continue on the show for one more season.
James' pact with "King of Queens" producers CBS Prods. and Sony Pictures TV also includes a substantial commitment on the feature side for James at Sony Pictures. The new pact calls for a big salary hike for James to north of $500,000 an episode, sources said. The details on the non-exclusive feature pact were murky late Monday but were said to be highly lucrative for the former stand-up comic.
The deal came after months of negotiations following James' breakout performance in the winter feature blockbuster "Hitch," which was produced by Sony Pictures TV's sister company, Columbia Pictures.
Reps for CBS and Sony Pictures TV declined comment on the deal late Monday.
With the departure of CBS' marquee comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond" this month, "King of Queens," in its seventh season, becomes the network's longest-running sitcom.
The blue-collar family comedy, which also stars Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller, and sophomore "Two and a Half Men" are expected to serve as cornerstones of CBS' comedy schedule next season to ensure a smooth transition to life without "Raymond."
James is repped by Endeavor, manager Jeff Sussman and attorney Ira Schreck."
Source: Hollywood Reporter (http://hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000913246)
"The return of CBS' veteran comedy "The King of Queens" next season is all but sealed now that the show's star, Kevin James, has inked a rich deal to continue on the show for one more season.
James' pact with "King of Queens" producers CBS Prods. and Sony Pictures TV also includes a substantial commitment on the feature side for James at Sony Pictures. The new pact calls for a big salary hike for James to north of $500,000 an episode, sources said. The details on the non-exclusive feature pact were murky late Monday but were said to be highly lucrative for the former stand-up comic.
The deal came after months of negotiations following James' breakout performance in the winter feature blockbuster "Hitch," which was produced by Sony Pictures TV's sister company, Columbia Pictures.
Reps for CBS and Sony Pictures TV declined comment on the deal late Monday.
With the departure of CBS' marquee comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond" this month, "King of Queens," in its seventh season, becomes the network's longest-running sitcom.
The blue-collar family comedy, which also stars Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller, and sophomore "Two and a Half Men" are expected to serve as cornerstones of CBS' comedy schedule next season to ensure a smooth transition to life without "Raymond."
James is repped by Endeavor, manager Jeff Sussman and attorney Ira Schreck."
Source: Hollywood Reporter (http://hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000913246)