No-raise offer irks "Criminal Intent" stars

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" producers' intent to bring back the cast of the series with no raises next season is not sitting well with the show's stars, sources said.

It is understood that Wolf Films and NBC Universal TV Studio have set a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday (June 8) for stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Chris Noth and Kathryn Erbe to accept the offer.

Series cast members normally receive a 5 percent salary bump every year, with higher figures sometimes on offer for stars on established shows. Studios have been pushing to tie such standard raises to the show's license fee increase, which generally is lower than 5 percent.

In the case of "CI," producers face the economic realities of producing a high-production-value drama with marquee stars on a cable budget. The series has been moved from NBC -- where it aired for six seasons -- to USA Network, with a second window on NBC. (The repeats on NBC should alleviate some of the financial strain.)

Representatives for Wolf Films and NBC Universal TV declined comment on any actor negotiations.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter