Chuck Lorre Signs New Deal With Warner Bros. TV

Four-year pact has comedy producer expand to dramas, cable

Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/5/2012 3:12:57 PM

Chuck Lorre has inked a new exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television, keeping him based at the studio where he executive produces Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly through 2016.

The four-year agreement will have Lorre develop new comedy programming and also expand into dramatic series and potential long-form projects for both broadcast and cable TV through his Chuck Lorre Productions shingle. He will continue as executive producer of his three CBS sitcoms, and all his current and future TV projects will be produced in association with WBTV or Warner Horizon Television.

The pact also includes a feature film component for projects written, developed and/or directed by Lorre with Warner Bros. Pictures.

"Chuck Lorre is the quintessential comedy writer/producer of our time, the most successful creator/showrunner of the last 25 years in this business," said WBTV president Peter Roth. "We are so incredibly excited -- and honored -- to be continuing our partnership with him. Chuck has had a profound impact on Warner Bros. Television over the last 12 years, and we look forward to a long and successful future relationship."

Lorre has been with Warner Bros. since 2000. Before that, he created and executive-produced Dharma & Greg, Grace Under Fire and Cybill and was a co-executive producer and writer on Roseanne.