The show goes on after union deal

The show will go on for shows such as Heroes and Ugly Betty after the Screen Actors Guild agreed to a new contract.

Averting a possible strike, the majority of union members have voted to ratify a two-year contract covering movies and prime-time TV shows made by major Hollywood studios such as ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS.

"At least for a period, I think what this vote represents is the membership's desire to move on," said a spokesperson for the Guild.

The new contract immediately raises actors' minimum pay by 3 per cent and grants another 3.5 per cent raised in the second year of the deal, which along with better pension benefits and some internet compensation gives them 105 million US dollars in overall gains, the union said.