Q On "The Big Bang Theory," Penny works for the Cheesecake Factory. But, clearly, the show's version of the Cheesecake Factory is nothing like what it is in real life. At best, I would liken Penny's place of employment to a Denny's.
Eatery happy to get props on 'Big Bang'
By ROB OWEN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 5, 2012 at 9:08PM
Does the show have to pay to use the Cheesecake Factory name? Why hasn't the Cheesecake Factory sued the producers for defamation?
A There's no mention of "promotional consideration" paid by the Cheesecake Factory in the "Big Bang Theory" end credits, so the restaurant chain isn't paying Warner Bros., which produces "The Big Bang Theory."
Why would Warner pay the Cheesecake Factory when the show gives the chain a ton of free publicity every time it mentions the restaurant?
True, the Cheesecake Factory restaurant set on "The Big Bang Theory" isn't as spacious as the restaurant. But if you adhere to the motto "any publicity is good publicity," it's great exposure -- even if it's not 100 percent authentic in its presentation.
A spokeswoman for the restaurant chain said, "The Cheesecake Factory does not have any sort of arrangements with the show. The Cheesecake Factory is really pleased to be featured in such a funny and wildly popular show."
'Storage Wars' performing wellQ I love "Storage Wars" on A&E, but I'm extremely disappointed with the Texas version. Do you know if the ratings have dropped for the Texas version? Is there any chance of the network going back to airing two new versions of the original, instead of one original and one Texas episode?
A A publicist for A&E said back-to-back episodes of the original "Storage Wars" are airing for the next few weeks. The Texas edition, which is performing well so far, will be back later this year with new episodes.
Fans seek 'Sanctuary' on SyfyQ Any word if "Sanctuary" will be back for a fifth season?
A The show's Syfy publicist said no decision has been made on the future of "Sanctuary."
Talking about 'The Talk'Q When Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini were fired from "The Talk" last fall, so many people (including me) said they weren't going to watch it again. Has the show fallen in the ratings without them?
A Ratings for CBS' "The Talk" were stable when it began its second season in September and continued to show stability in the weeks following. The show hit a season high in December.
Send TV questions with your name, age, city and state to owenr@shns.com.
