EXCLUSIVE: Max’s upcoming medical drama The pit is already making a lasting impression, months before its debut. And it’s not just about the headlines lawsuit of Michael Crichton’s property alleging links to his creation emergencies – something The pit sponsorships and studio Warner Bros TV vigorously deny.

The intrigue has to do with the unusual casting process of the series that resembled hiring practices in a general company, where people apply for a position with a fixed salary indicated in the job listing (in this case, $50,000 and $35,000 per episode). That technique is also employed by several current episodic crime anthology series, including CBS’s. Elsbethfox Accused and the peacock poker face for their guest star of the week, who will receive between $75,000 and $150,000. (More on the sizes of each of these flat rates in a moment.)

Although a flat fee per episode model is not a trend in the industry (at least not for now), “some shows lend themselves to it, with The pit a perfect example,” said a talent representative. “Shows with great casts that come and go.”

The method speeds up casting by eliminating back-and-forth salary negotiations. That saves time, which is a factor, particularly for anthology series that have a major new role in each episode that must be completed while remaining in continuous production.

It also allows for a show with a large series of ensembles such as The pit – which has 10 regular series – to stay on budget in the new post-Peak TV environment, where cutting production costs has become imperative. Industry-wide cuts have resulted in many new series opting for a handful of regular characters, converting the rest of the roles into recurring roles at a lower price.

The practice has become a major challenge for grassroots actors amid Hollywood’s current shrinkage.yes that’s watching regular jobs on major series dry up as television volume dwindles, a process that has accelerated since the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike a year ago today.

The ‘The Pitt’ paradigm

The pitof emergencies alumni John Wells, Noah Wyle and R. Scott Gemmill, was conceived under a different commercial framework that could usher in a wave of new, modestly budgeted, TV-style dramas for streaming.

When asked in September what constitutes a Max drama (versus an HBO drama), Casey Bloys, president and CEO of HBO and Max Content, said deadline“I think a good model for a Max drama would be what John Wells is doing with The pit which is, for lack of a better word, television drama, continuous and closed narrative made at a reasonable price.”

It is said to have a budget of over $4 million per episode. The pit first attracted attention with its unusually large order (for broadcast) when it was collected straight to series of 15 episodes in March. That’s 50% to 100% larger than a typical streaming drama order and close to the size of a broadcast season: previously 22 episodes across the board and now around 18 for many network series. (Making more episodes reduces a series’ per-episode budget with better cost amortization.)

Then came the surprising way in which the casting for The pit It was carried out through a two-tier fixed salary system. In addition to the lead, played by series executive producer Noah Wyle, the nine remaining series regular roles were submitted for casting with a per-episode fee attached: $50,000 per episode for some and $35,000 per episode for the rest. , as I have heard. .

According to sources, this is not a new pay model introduced by WBTV, but rather a unique situation under unique circumstances: a large number of series regular roles to air on a tight schedule and modest budget, which led to the decision to create the levels.

The paycheck sizes, at $50K and $35K per episode, are in the low to mid range for television salaries. But amid the industry’s contraction and a shortage of regular jobs on highly sought-after series with 15 episodes on the air, many opted for them, leading to competitive casting.

the entire season The pitSet in a Pittsburgh hospital, it is believed to take place over the course of a single day, following the action in real time along the lines of 24. To achieve this, actors have been asked to be present even if they don’t have lines in a scene. I’ve heard that translated to 7 out of 8 days of filming per episode for most of the cast, which is also unique to this specific project and above the industry standard.

Anthology Guest Star Attractions

of the fox Accusedfrom Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment, is a pure anthology, and each episode features a new cast, so the guest star tells the story in that episode. I heard that role pays $150,000. If there are two identical co-stars in the episode, I hear they both earn the same $150k; If the second paper is smaller, he pays $100,000. In its two seasons to date, Accused It has featured guest stars such as Michael Chiklis, Margo Martindale, Felicity Huffman and Sonequa Martin-Green.

As Deadline reported, the now-independent Fox adopted a financially disciplined approach to drama series a couple of years ago, limiting their cost to between $3 million and $4 million per episode for domestic productions.

On CBS Elsbethat CBS Studios, special guest stars get $100,000 per episode, sources said. These are typically well-known actors who play a pivotal role in their episode alongside series regulars Carrie Preston, Carra Patterson, and Wendell Pierce. High-profile artists who have guest-starred on the show, currently in its second season, include Nathan Lane, Blair Underwood, Michael Emerson, Arian Moayed and Jane Krakowski.

I heard that for the upcoming second season, Peacock’s poker faceof MRC Television, is paying $75,000 for the Lead Guest Stars episode alongside the show’s only series regular, star Natasha Lyonne.

That’s a change from season 1, when I heard the mystery comedy-drama paid $150k for the guest-starring role which went to such well-known actors as Judith Light, who won an Emmy for her role; S. Epatha Merkerson; Adrian Brody; and Chloë Sevigny.

Flat episode rates only apply to top guest stars in anthology series; Compensation for the remainder of the single distribution is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Casting budgets‘ Greater “stiffness”

Hollywood’s pressure to cut costs has resulted in a major television production budget correction that has impacted all areas, including casting.

In the post-Peak TV era, we may never again see entire casts of five or six making a million dollars an episode like the stars of Friends and The Big Bang Theorya salary range that movie stars also commanded in the early days of the streaming wars.

I had heard rumors that media companies might be looking to cap actors’ salaries at around $400k per episode, but there have been recent examples of A-list names getting more for new series, especially on streaming.

Industry insiders agree that the current restriction is not expected to affect the so-called “Number 1 on the call sheet,” as studios and platforms continue to pay market value for big stars to lead their programs. It is the rest who are feeling the effects of the budget cut.

“There is no limit to the number ones, but the rigidity of the other budget items makes the rest vulnerable,” said a talent representative. “Studios don’t want to overpay for supporting roles.”

When acting “quotes” (which determine each performer’s rate based on previous work) were eliminated a few years ago, it initially helped increase compensation, especially for actors from underrepresented backgrounds. But now it’s starting to hurt.

With quotes irrelevant and the number of acting jobs depressed, studios can hold their ground, one agent lamented, explaining that if the budget for a role is $60,000 and an actor isn’t willing to take it because he feels undervalued, producers They will just move on. to the next actor on the list.

“It’s more about the budget than the person,” the representative said.