After months of tense negotiations, Law & Order: SVU headliners Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay have inked new deals to remain on the beat for not one but two more years, sources confirm to me exclusively.
The two-year part comes with an asterisk since, as you know, SVU has only been picked up for one more season (its 11th). Basically, if NBC renews the show beyond next season, Meloni and Hargitay are guaranteed to be a part of it.
As I reported in early April, talks hit a wall when the actors attempted to go after the show’s back-end profits, something that’s almost never granted in the L&O universe. A month later, NBC co-chair Marc Graboff told me that SVU would carry on with or without its two leads, adding that “there’s an offer on the table.”
So, who budged? Neither side is commenting, but indications are that a very happy compromise was forged that sweetens the duo’s $385K-per-episode salary. In exchange, both actors agreed to add a second year to their pacts.
Relieved that Chris and Mariska are staying put? Sound off in the comments!
More Law & Order: SVU scoop:
Christine Lahti is the new ADA!
Wow…hope they got what they wanted, they deserve it. Surprised they agreed to 2 years tho..I was thinking that IF they signed on, next year would for sure be the last…Hopefully they can get it together and start writing some good epi’s though…starting to go down hill…Time to wrap it up?
YAY!!!!!! Finally. I wouldn’t watch SVU without them. =D
thank god
So greedy. How much money do they need? This show is already making them incredibly rich.
Great news for the show, the fans, and especially NBC, who can’t afford to lose them
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/06/29/its-official-law-order-svu-keeping-both-of-their-stars/
And can we say…airbrushed?
Its not about greed or how much money they need; the point it that NBC is making a ton off of them and they deserve a large chunk of it.
I love he 2 of them on this show. I think most actors are overpaid, so I’m not going to single these 2 out and, besides, compared to a lot of others, theirs does not seem that high. And, I’d rather see them get it than Jay Leno.
No Mariska and Chris, no SVU. Good call.
While I like these two, I was hoping that each would return for fewer episodes and that we could have more episodes showcasing Finn & Munch.
I would love to see more episodes that featured this pair with the other two in a more supporting role.
Im so happy they agreed to a deal. These are my favorite L & O characters ever. I hope next season will be outstanding…The show needs a little lifter upper. The past couple seasons were not my favorites.
Chris and Mariska back — CHECK.
Step. March back —– Check.
Christine Lahti for a arc —- OK, I can buy it.
Now if Dickie Wolf can get some new writers that aren’t hacks like they have in the past two season. You feelin’ me Wolfie?
And to AK: You are worth whatever you bring to the network. Sure almost everyone on the cast is already rich. But for that they all should be endentured servants to NBC and Dick Wolf? Think about it.
Now the 2nd year worries me some. If SVU doesn’t survive past this coming season, does this mean that the duo is, as we say in radio, on the beach for a year, sitting out the second year? Or will NBC force them into new projects to keep them at NBC/Universal?
SVU is one of my faves on TV. I can’t imagine the show without Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay. So glad they’re coming back!
These two actors are great but give us more finn and munch next season. I think they deserve more screen time because they work great together.
Relieved? Huh?! How about ecstatic, elated, delighted, ecstatic, elevated, enchanted, exalted, excited, exhilarated, gleeful,jubilant, overjoyed, euphoric…well, you get the picture!