The Osbournes Want a Bigger Bite 
Updated 5:25 AM ET April 16, 2002  

By Josef Adalian 

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The drama behind the scenes of MTV's white-hot 
reality comedy ``The Osbournes'' is starting to get almost as 
interesting as the show itself. 

America's new favorite first family of television has signed with the 
Endeavor talent agency to help it explore a new deal for a possible 
second season of the show. While MTV has the production rights to 
future seasons, the music cable network hasn't locked up the services 
of the boisterous clan. 

While neither side is talking, industry insiders said the Osbournes 
are seeking a second season fee in the high seven figures -- and 
perhaps even more, if you throw in potential ancillary revenue linked 
to the show. It's a huge leap: the family was paid in the low seven 
figures for the show's first season; that deal was put together by 
CAA, which still represents paterfamilias Ozzy Osbourne the rocker. 

It's no surprise the Osbournes, who are on the covers of both 
Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone this week, are seeking more 
coin: their show has turned into a monster hit for MTV. 

Last week's episode, seen by more than 6 million viewers, snagged a 
19 share among adults 18-34, beating everything else on cable and the 
major broadcast networks. (Each share point equates to the percentage 
of viewers watching TV during the time slot involved.) If ``The 
Osbournes'' maintains that rating, it's possible the show could end 
up among the season's top 10 series with adults 18-34 -- even 
counting fare on the Big Six. 

The boffo ratings will no doubt translate into a major ad windfall 
for MTV. The network has also seen a Nielsen spike for veteran 
reality series ``The Real World,'' which leads into ``The Osbournes'' 
on Tuesday nights.