Johnny Carson's Life Secrets

For over 30 years, The Tonight Show screened on US television, leaving it etched in the memories of several generations. Its host, Johnny Carson, was known for his charismatic on-screen persona and his ability to crack one-liners. From his personal struggles to the one guest he absolutely hated after having them on the show - can you guess who it is? Learn some secrets about his life, the truth about his manhood being just one.

A marriage like this was doomed to fail, but the pair managed to stay together for nine years, eventually divorcing in 1972. What was more surprising is that the pair seemed to stay on good terms after the split, with Joanne publicly voicing her support for Carson and his show. She believed in his potential and would go on to support him in his career.

In the book, Bushkin recounts that the two of them broke into the apartment where the affair was taking place, hoping to find some concrete evidence. Bushkin was opposed to the idea, after all, breaking was illegal, but he eventually allowed himself to be convinced by his distressed client. It turns out there was plenty to be found, and Carson broke down in tears at the discovery, lamenting the sad state of his marriage.

Despite what Johnny saw as clear-cut evidence, the affair was never really confirmed, as Joanne and Frank Gifford never became a couple. Frank would go on instead to marry talk show host Kathie Lee Epstein – who would become Kathie Lee Gifford. Frank and Kathie’s marriage took place 15 years after the alleged affair, but she did once ask him about it jokingly on The Today Show. His short reply was, “I couldn’t remember” and “maybe?”.

The only way around this obstacle was for Carson to stick to a rigid interview format that was provided by the comedian’s staff. Johnny had to ask the questions in a set order so that Hope could know which answer to give. As well as being frustrated by his guest, Carson was also distressed to see how the TV icon was aging, saying, “If I ever end up like that, guys, I want you to shoot me.”

After divorce number two, Carson married again, this time to Joanna Holland, but his infidelities continued. He attempted to make up for his affairs by giving her extravagant presents, such as diamonds, an apartment at The Pierre and a Rolls-Royce Corniche. This may come as no surprise to hear that these gifts didn’t compensate for his cheating ways, and the marriage ended in divorce.

The only thing he had to say about her was, “She is the harshest son of a [!@#$%] I have ever known.” A comment which he repeated often. He even managed to blame her for his failed marriages, saying that she had messed with his life, and that “there is no freaking way I could ever impress her. She’s Lady Macbeth!” His relationship with his mother never improved, and his feelings remained so strong that he refused to attend her funeral, stating only, “The wicked witch is dead.”

They got around this threat of legal action by selling it to a private collector. This collector then went on to release stills from the tape, rather than the video footage, which were spread via the internet. It’s probably lucky for Carson that he was already dead at this time, or the stress of the scandal might have been too much for him,

However, the woman does dawn a bouffant hairdo, like model Joanna Holland's, his third wife, who he married in 1972. But with Carson's history of skirt-chasing antics, as detailed in the the tell-all book "Johnny Carson," written by Carson's longtime lawyer Henry Bushkin, revealed, the host's life was full of R-rated experiences.

Johnny even turned his offensive humor on veteran actor Raymond Burr, teasing the man about his weight during the show’s opening monologue when he was appearing as a guest. He made appearances in both 1968 and 1976 but was so outraged by Carson’s remarks he refused to return.

Johnny hit back in the only way he knew how: by using his television show to insult the other man. He made cracks about Newton’s sexuality, which nowadays might not seem so serious, but at the time, maintaining a masculine persona in the public eye was very important. As you might expect, these jokes would create an ongoing rift between the two men.

Carson was open about his dislike for the man too, publicly slamming the man one night in the late 1970s. After a couple of glasses at LA restaurant Chasen’s, Johnny treated fellow diners to a long rant about everything he hated about Snyder.

Whether it was true about Carson or not, Rivers admitted to being unfaithful to Edgar during the course of their marriage. In 1987, after 22 years of marriage, she asked him for a separation. Shortly afterward, Rosenberg committed suicide leaving his wife and daughter completely devastated.

Part of the problem was that their shows conflicted with his in the television timeslots. Rivers’ show aired on Fox at the same time as The Tonight Show, running for two years before being canceled in 1987. In an interview on Larry King Live, Rivers admitted that even though her show didn’t last long, it permanently ruined her friendship with Johnny Carson, who never talked to her again.

Rivers also revealed she had seen a sex tape that Carson had made, and insisted that the woman involved certainly hadn’t been his wife. She stated jokingly, "obviously the wife that he made it with wasn’t his wife at the time that he made it. Once you’re married, you don’t wear knee pads.”

This panic buying from his viewers spread across the country, resulting in his joke becoming a reality. The shortage that resulted from this prank had manufacturers and shops placing a ration on toilet paper until the rumors stopped spreading. It caused so much chaos that Carson was forced to make a public apology. Even the New York Times commented on the prank, saying it was a “classic study” of how gossip is spread.

Carson was not going to let his catchphrase be used without consent, and especially not for this kind of product. He sued the company, claiming he had the rights to the phrase “Here’s Johnny”. It was no easy process however, with the ensuing court battle going on to last ten years and two appeals. The court eventually ruled in Carson’s favor, prohibiting the company from using this phrase in their marketing or signs. Despite the ruling, Braxton, the toilet company, is still trying to reclaim the name for their use.

Even this public denouncement of the talk show host didn’t stop the jabs, and eventually, Newton had no choice but to take on Carson face to face. He went to Johnny’s studio and threatened the man with violence if he didn’t quit with the jokes. This personal approach did the trick, and Newtown was free of the insults.

To add further complications, Johnny found out after the Gala was already underway that the request for him to host had come from Reagan himself, once which he would certainly have turned down. In typical Carson fashion, he turned his anger into a joke, quipping, “Ronnie does know that I answered my country’s call once already, doesn’t he?” referring to the fact that Carson had served in the Navy in World War II. If Johnny’s night wasn’t already bad enough, Dean Martin apparently showed up so drunk that Carson refused to introduce him during the star-studded Gala.

Filmmaker Peter Jones recounts a dinner with the talk show host, which was also attended by Gary Shandling and Jerry Seinfeld. Jones remembers Carson commenting on “his disappointment in the direction television was going, with its tabloid nature and reality garbage. He had said he was sickened by what was going on and was glad he got out when he did.”

So it seemed that Carson was happy making fun of others, but could not deal with the same being done to him. In fact, Henry Bushkin claimed that the impressionist “brought out the worst in Johnny”. Others went so far as to link the hatred of this comedian and his impersonations to Johnny’s drinking problems.

So just exactly was Carson’s problem with Hope? According to the talk show host, he was frustrated that his guest would not engage in real conversation, instead of relying on pre-scripted jokes to get through the interview. A former writer for The Tonight Show, Andrew Nichols, supported Johnny’s claim, saying, “There was nothing spontaneous about Hope. He depended on his writers all the time. Johnny was very quick on his feet and was very well-read. He learned Swahili, Russian, and astronomy. He wanted to talk to people who were engaged with the real world. Unfortunately, there was nothing to talk to Bob about.”

As much as Carson wanted to find evidence about his wife, turns out he was quite a philanderer himself. Bushkin wrote that the affair lasted for eight or nine years!

In 1980 The Tonight Show was reduced from its regular 90-minute length to 60 minutes. Carson claimed it would be good for the show, making it feel more fast-paced, but sadly it meant that some sketches, the “Matinee Lady” included would have to be cut.

One of these men was Edward Durston, a car salesman, who took her on a trip to Mexico in 1985. During the holiday, Carol passed away mysteriously. The Tonight Show paid tribute to her by keeping the “Matinee Lady” character off the air for a full year, after which she was portrayed by actress Teresa Genzel. Many said, however, that none could play the role quite like Carol.

Ed’s behavior after her death was somewhat strange. When Carol’s body was discovered, he had already left the country, reportedly leaving the actress’s bags at the airport. It was an employee of the hotel who had to identify the body in the end. Though no there was never any concrete evidence, many people believe this man played a part in the demise of the actress.

Even before her death, Art had been against his daughter’s drug use. He recorded and anti-drug album, which Dianne recorded a rebuttal to. Her album even went on to win a Grammy. Dianne’s history with drugs was well known, and she had complained about “bad trips” in the past, leading many to believe she committed suicide to her mental state. Ed Durston was linked to her death as he was the last person to see her alive, even claiming to have tried to stop her from going over the balcony. He was questioned over her death but never charged.

Paar made the somewhat distasteful joke (for the time) as part of a prerecorded segment. During the live broadcast, he realized that the censors had cut his joke from the segment. Outraged, he walked off the set in the middle of the broadcast, saying as he left, “This is my last night at The Tonight Show. There just has to be a better way of making a living other than this. Thank you, for always being peachy to me."

Some say his reasons for leaving the late-night show were that he couldn’t shake the memory of his earlier walk-out. Paar did go on to host other shows, including a number of primetime gigs, but with a less hectic schedule. Regardless of the truth, his departure meant opening the slot for Johnny Carson, who would go on to create a lasting legacy with the show.

His 20-year stint of singing “There She Is, Miss America” came to a sudden end in 1979. Producers of the show felt he had outgrown the role, and that he should be replaced with a younger host. Little did they know that there would be a public outcry about the decision. Even Johnny Carson got on board, creating his own on-air campaign to have Parks reinstated. But sadly, for Bert and his fans, he never returned.

Things came to light when the New York Post published a photo of Hart on a boat with a woman named Donna Rice. It wasn’t just the photo that caused his public humiliation, but the fact his affair was used in jokes by a number of late-night comedians, including Johnny Carson. The constant jabs are what many believe really what killed his candidacy.

Of course, jokes about the lives and deeds of famous politicians were no new thing back then and would continue to be one of the main sources of material for late-night comedians. But now their jabs don’t necessarily have the same detrimental effect. After all, Trump was elected despite all the mocking he received for his blunder, public and otherwise.

It seems that young crowds who are interested in moody rock music weren’t so interested in the comedy part of the show. Johnny’s opening monologue went down like a lead balloon, despite it normally being one of the most popular parts. And the comedy guest for the evening, Bill Cosby, struggled to get a laugh, even after making changes to his set to cater to the young audience.

Some women have begun to come forward and make his behavior more publicly known, discussing openly their negative encounters with the late-night star. Sadly, though there can be no justice for these women, as Carson passed away in 2005. But it is often the case that victims do not feel comfortable talking about their experiences while the subject is still alive.

Cohen took the implication from this comment to mean that Johnny had been “all hands” with the young actress.  She then went on to reveal that while they had dated, it was only because she didn’t know how to turn down his advances, and that she had never been interested in him.

Sally explained, “I told him I was being sent away to an institution because I was having a breakdown. I just didn’t know how else to say that I was just really not interested in him that way, so I just told him, ‘I am very sorry. I have to leave. They’re taking me to a home.’” 

Crane’s luck did not last forever though, as his life and career were sadly cut short in 1978. He was found stabbed to death in a hotel room, but the murder weapon and the murderer have never been found. For years Crane’s son believed the culprit was a former friend of his father’s, but a DNA test in 2016 proved this theory wrong.

Though DeLorean might have been a skilled engineer, he had some shortcomings, one of these being his involvement with drugs. Just a few years after his company launched, he was arrested for trafficking cocaine worth $24 million. Somewhat surprisingly, he was a quitted of all charges, as he claimed police entrapment. Despite escaping jail, his reputation was shot, and his company folded, along with Carson’s money.

In his many years as a host, there was one exception to this antisocial habit. When Orson Welles was booked as a guest on The Tonight Show, Johnny approached him directly before the show, much to the surprise of his staff. But for all the other guests, he remained distant, even to the point of rudeness. He refused to laugh to be polite, and would often cut interviews off mid-sentence if he was not interested in what his guest was saying.

This enigmatic persona was accompanied by a suitably curious costume. Indian music would play as Carnac emerged from behind a curtain, wearing a cape and an embellished turban. Meanwhile, announcer Ed McMahon would introduce the act with the words, “nobody knows what these envelopes contain, except for you in your mystical and borderline divine way. You alone can answer these questions without having to hear them.”

With the show brining in so much money, it was important that network executives kept its host happy. So Johnny had virtually complete freedom as to how he ran things. When he decided he wanted more time off, he cut the length of the show from 90 minutes down to 60 minutes. When he didn’t get what he wanted, he simply threatened to change networks and his demands were met.

Carson claimed his move to a shorter format wasn’t just about his working hours, he thought the program would benefit too. With fewer guests, the said they would be of a higher caliber, and that the one-hour format would feel more fast-paced and engaging. 

The tapes from 1973 to 1992 were saved, but even then, Carson didn’t think they were worth holding onto. He even commented that the network would get better value if they recycled them for guitar picks. You may find the occasional episode uploaded to the web, however, as guests of the show had their own copies.

If you want to see any early shows, the first available is from November 1962, when it was still filmed in black and white. The earliest color footage available is from April 1964, when the show featured Jake Ehrlich Sr as the guest. 

For almost thirty years, it was something of a partnership between the two. Ed even hosted the first 15 minutes of each show for the first few years. But it was his booming voice and boisterous laugh that earned McMahon his place, as he introduced the host each night with his catchphrase, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!”

Later it became the title of a song released by Dutch group Hocus Pocus and even featured in the video game Mortal Kombat, where it was used by the character Johnny Cage. More recently it turned up in an episode of Better Call Saul in 2015. Who knows where it will be featured next.

Regardless of exactly what you want to call his position, it’s undeniable that he was an integral part of the show. He had plenty of his own tasks, such as doing commercials, acting as the warmup for the audience, and even hosting the first 15 minutes in the early day of the show. But it was his partnership with Carson that was perhaps the most important, helping the host deliver punchlines without the audience really even noticing.

They wanted to clear up some misconceptions about their situation. It had been alleged that they had access to millions of dollars, which was not true. It had also been rumored the pair had spent $275,00 on a divorce lawyer when it was in fact someone to help their daughter in a “matrimonial matter”.

Trump’s special counsel at the time Michael Cohen commented, “Mr. Trump does not see this acquisition as business-related. He only meant to aid an American icon. If someone else would be willing to provide the same benefit Mr. Trump was offering to Ed McMahon, then that will only make him happy.”

When he did pass away, he was remembered by other late show hosts, who paid tribute to the man. Conan O’Brien, host of his own The Tonight Show stating, “there was no way for anybody to remember The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson without Ed McMahon. The soundtrack to that show was clearly Ed’s laughter.” He went on to claim Ed and Johnny were “the most iconic duo in the history of broadcasting. We will never see anything like that ever again.”

While Belafonte’s experience broke new ground, other guest hosts were no less impressive for their celebrity status. The line-up of substitutes over the years included Martin Luther King Jr, Robert F Kennedy, and even the Muppets. Yes, Kermit the Frog hosted The Tonight Show along with Fozzie Bear and Animal.

Apparently, the daily habit of writing jokes was a hard one to break too, and Carson would continue to create material that at one time would have gone into his nightly monologue. A close friend of Carson Peter Lassally revealed that Johnny would send some of these topical pieces to Letterman, who often fit them into his own show.

The man, despite his personal problems, had some tips on how to enjoy life too. “I know someone who stopped drinking, smoking, sex, and eating rich food. He was healthy alright, but only right before he took his own life.” And, finally his own take on politics with, “Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.”

Though not normally a sentimental man, he also had some words of wisdom to share with his crew, saying, “every good thing must come to an end because nothing lasts forever. It’s the perfect time to go, while you are still at the top of your game and are still doing pretty well. Three decades is enough.” 

Midler later admitted that it was one of the most touching moments she had ever experienced. Sadly, the duet between Bette and Johnny never made it to air. After filming, the crowd was treated to an encore performance of the guests, Midler and Robin Williams, performing a song alongside their host. 

He gave special thanks to his long-running partner on the show Ed McMahon, along with bandleader Mr. Doc Severinsen. He continued by thanking those who had worked with him, past and present, and particularly to the audience who tuned in to watch, knowing that none of it was possible without them. 

Martin continued to say, "His casual naughtiness and boyish demeanor made the country a better place to live in. He enriched this nation for sure.” Fellow talk show host Jay Leno also had kind words for the late Carson, stating, “nobody has ever made an impact on television as great as Johnny. Johnny was definitely the gold standard.”

Word of the impersonation reached Fred Rogers too, and the usually friendly neighbor was not impressed. His whole mission in life had been to encourage children to be good neighbors and see the world as one big neighborhood, so to find his character twisted in this way was an insult to everything he stood for. Johnny ultimately issued an apology for his impersonation and the offense that it had caused.

Combining alcohol and driving is probably the most stupid thing you can do, but Carson did it anyway. In 1982 he was caught driving under the influence behind the wheel of his DeLorean, and charged with a misdemeanor. Although he escaped jail time, he was required to attend an alcohol program for drivers and had restrictions on how he could use his car. He was only permitted to drive to and from work, and could not carry other passengers or animals.

This drinking problem became public knowledge when Carson agreed to an in-depth interview with 60 Minutes. During the show he admitted that he did not behave well when intoxicated, saying "I don't handle alcohol well at all, no. Don't." He also implicated TV announcer Ed McMahon in his drinking sessions, claiming "Oh, Ed and I have had some wonderful times in the past.” While these nights might have seemed wonderful at the time, he made some inappropriate jokes under the influence that were incredibly offensive to others, and would come back to haunt him,

Carson’s son Rick had been invited to the event, and just like his dad, he was something of an alcoholic. As could have been expected, Rick became very drunk at the party, a fact that enraged his famous father. Carson lost his temper and began screaming at his son, in front of family, friends, television executives, and celebrities. The two had to be separated before Carson could attack him physically.

Carson may have regretted his lack of support when Rick’s life was cut short on June 21, 1991. The young man was driving through the town of Morro Bay on the coast of California when he lost control of his car. It veered off a 125-foot cliff and crashed at the bottom, killing him instantly. Carson paid tribute to his son, and his work as a photographer, on an episode of his show,

He had kept up his charming side long enough for her to fall in love and marry him, but after the wedding, things went downhill quickly. It was on their yachting honeymoon thorough Italy in 1987 that she saw his true colors. What should have been a wonderful experience was ruined by his unpleasant moods. They began to argue, which is normal for any couple, but other people on the yacht heard Johnny come back at Alexis with a particularly cutting remark, “We have only been married for three weeks. If I hear you saying something like that again, don’t expect this marriage to last another three.”

Every actor's dream is to land a role on a hit show. Thanks to residuals from reruns, actors can expect a nice salary without ever doing anything else. The real cash lies in the small screen rather than the big one.

Take The Brady Bunch for example, do you think Maureen Mccormick and Barry Williams are living on reruns of the show? Many actors still do, and some don't. Read on to find out.

It was the same storyline of the very serious but hysterical character Frasier Crane and his family in his home city of Seattle, that Kelsey Grammer played for over 20 years, beginning with the role in Cheers and continuing in its spin-off. In the spin-off version, he gained more fame and fans.

Ray Romano was the star of the CBS series Everybody Loves Raymond. It was a much-loved show that ran for nine seasons. Fans were disappointed when the show ended in 2005 as they would’ve gladly continued to watch the exploits of the Barone family. Younger voices might know him better from his performance in the Ice Age franchise.

Although Bob Saget earned the highest income from the residuals compared to the rest in the series Full House, for his role as Danny Tanner, he said that the amounts he got were between $2 and $2,000 only because he was not an executive producer. Sadly, Saget was found dead in a hotel room on 9 January 2022. The star was 65. His family released a statement, saying, "We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today. He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter. Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world."

Michael Crichton, the creator of Jurassic Park, created the famous medical drama series ER, which starred George Clooney. ER has paid him income from residuals in excess of ten million dollars with more expected. That has put Clooney among the richest movie actors of all time.

The 90s series Seinfeld ended in 1998, but its impact continues. Its loveable characters supported with the quick-witted script had so captivated their audiences everywhere that it was a sad day for all involved. The co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David continue to earn substantially from the series even after all these years.

After starting in The Simpsons in 1989, Hank Azaria is now one of the long-time Simpsons’ members. However, after the first few seasons, not expecting to be invited back to voice his famous character, Apu, he was surprised not only to get a callback but to be asked to also voice Chief Wiggum on the show. 

The Big Bang Theory made Jim Parsons and his co-stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuocohim household names. In his role as Sheldon Cooper, the eccentric genius that delivered hilarious one-liners without even trying, he made waves. Parsons rose to earn $900,000 an episode in the final season. 

It was important to maintain the emotional connection that audiences craved for in M*A*S*H, which was a serious subject presented with a comic slant. It helped Alan Alda's portrayal of Hawkeye to become popular and the show's growing popularity is evidenced in the actor initially getting $10,000 per episode, rising to about $235,000 by the end of the series. 

From 1987-1997 while the hit sitcom Married with Children was airing, Ed O’Neill gained widespread notoriety in his role as Al Bundy. Millions of families watched him and his co-star Katey Sagal, letting O’Neill enter their living rooms – and their hearts. These days O’Neill may be better known in his role as Jay in Modern Family.

The Brady Bunch was a five-season series about a 60s and 70s clean-cut family. Before she became part of The Brady Bunch, Maureen McCormick was a popular commercial actress. The cast has recently revealed that they are struggling to get any residuals from the series. Unfortunately, as the no-residuals clauses in each of their individual contracts are airtight, they have not been able to renegotiate. Their only entitlements are to be paid a small fee if clips from their show are used in a movie

In many ways during the early 90s, The Golden Girls was very much ahead of its time, in openly discussing every aspect of womanhood. The highly talented Betty White, Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, along with their witty script, secured the show's jackpot for many years. Unfortunately, Betty passed away in 2021, but she's still alive on TV. 

David Schwimmer was another beloved member of the cast on Friends, where he played Ross. He continues to receive $20 million in residual income from the series. His career continues to strengthen after starring in Madagascar and American Crime Story and he's now appearing with Meryl Streep in the Netflix movie The Laundromat. 

The episodes of the much-loved show The Big Bang Theory aired for twelve years where Johnny Galecki played the long-standing role of Leonard. Not only did the networks make billions from it but it made all his costars millionaires as well. It was in May of this year when its final episode aired. The residuals continue to provide great earnings, as a passive income of $10 million a year to the main character Galecki. Fans of The Big Bang Theory disappointed by the show ending too soon can take solace in the fact that Young Sheldon, its spinoff, will continue as a new series.

In Family Guy, Lois Griffin is voiced by Alex Borstein, playing the long-suffering wife of Peter Griffin, voiced by Seth Macfarlane. Due to a salary renegotiation, Borstein earns $225,000 per episode as one of the main characters, apart from reruns fetching her millions. Borstein, being a part of the Griffin nuclear family, could have raked in as many residual payments as those of Macfarlane himself if it weren't for her alimony agreement. As part of her divorce proceedings, she had to agree to split all her earnings from the show as well as the reruns with her ex-husband.

True-crime shows like CSI: Miami and Law & Order have had many spin-offs as they are extremely popular with people. The retired actor and producer, David Caruso, being active in the industry from 1975 until 2012 played the lead character, Detective Horatio Caine, on CSI: Miami.

Friends made Hollywood A-listers out of its cast, being one of the most popular shows the world has ever seen. One of its most successful members, Jennifer Aniston has had tremendous success in her career since, amassing over $240 million dollars by starring in multiple movies. Over $1 billion a year is bagged by Warner Bros. from the hit comedy. Aniston can expect an annual payment of $20 million in dividends from Warner Bros, so if times get rough and her work suddenly dries up, she still enjoys her right to this.

Friends aired for a whole decade of new episodes. The show ended in May of 2004 as one of the most famous sitcoms of all time. All rights to the season are owned by Warner Bros. The role of Chandler was played by Matthew Perry who, with his costars, share equally the residual payments from the reruns which now air on Nickelodeon. The annual payments per year, generated from Cable TV and streaming services reruns alone, amount to around a whopping $20 million each for Perry and his other five costars.

The groundbreaking Carol Burnett Show was the first of its kind, prominently featuring Carol Burnett as the main actress in the role of a female comedian. She has now reappeared in a new TV series, A Little Help, which has recently started to be aired on Netflix. The earnings from residuals have been depressing for Burnett. Partly due to music copyrights that compelled her full-hour show to be cut down, resulting in Burnett earning even less per each aired episode than the one penny she got for every sold DVD of her show.

Recently, Tim Allen expressed his desire for a Home Improvement reunion. The Toolman, as he was nicknamed, hosted his own home improvement show. Produced by Walt Disney Studios, the first episode of the Home Improvement sitcom aired in 1991. The final, 204th episode of the series, was aired in 1999. According to Allen, he receives payments from his Home Improvement Show every month, which since the airing of the final show in 1999, has amounted to $18 million.  Should a reunion happen, the amount will surely soar further.

With her success as one of the original six cast members of the Friends series, playing Monica, the six split the total payments from the residuals among themselves, letting each of them bank up to $20 million, per year. Following the sitcom, she went on to play Jules on Cougar Town and got nominated for a Golden Globe award. You may also recall her part as Gale in Scream, the popular horror series that was quite different from the sitcom roles she had previously performed. Recently, in February of 2019, Cox appeared on The Ellen Show, where she was reunited with Lisa Kudrow, her famous co-star in the Friends sitcom.

One of the biggest shows ever to grace our screens and continues to do so is NBC’s Cheers where Ted Danson appears as the leading character Sam Malone. Danson has enjoyed a very successful career.

Christopher Lloyd was the main writer of the series Frasier, which started airing in 1993. On its twentieth anniversary, when actor David Hyde Pierce appeared on the Katie Couric Show, he praised the entire talented cast. For some time, the show enjoyed the reputation as the smartest show on television. Hyde Pierce won four Emmys for Supporting Actor in his role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the show. The series had a two-part finale and ended in 2004. So far the show has earned $40 million in total from reruns.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Patrick Stewart played Jean Luc Picard. According to Stewart, the cast put a lot of time into the shows as well as into the Star Trek conventions and merchandising. At the same time, he said that he never received any residuals payments from the original show. According to Stewart, he will soon play Captain Picard again in a new spinoff, Star Trek: Picard, which focuses on his main character. Stewart earned up to $13 million for his Star Trek movie compared to the hundreds of thousands he earned from each of his shows.

Baywatch was more a cultural phenomenon than a show. David Hasselhoff successfully played the often-shirtless Mitch. But it was Pamela Anderson who soared to the heights of Marilyn Monroe as one of the world’s biggest female symbols.

Remember The Wonder Years starring Kevin played by legendary actor Fred Savage? You'll most likely recall its theme song “With a Little Help from My Friends,” written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Kevin Arnold was a sweet teenager living in the suburbs around the late sixties and the drama ran for 115 episodes. The show’s sudden cancellation was all because of a dispute between producers and studio execs. The producers were demanding more mature storylines as Kevin Arnold aged, whilst executives wanted it teen-focused. They couldn’t reach an agreement, so The Wonder Years went off the air. Sadly for Savage, the drama wrapped up on ABC, which owned all the rights to the show.

Mark Harmon earns $125,000 for each new episode of NCIS, the criminal investigative drama. He plays a no-nonsense Navy investigator called Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, who heads a team of investigators to solve crimes. The show was part of Belisarius Productions, Inc. and first aired in September 2003, on CBS. 

Matt LeBlanc known as Joey in the Friends series was rewarded with three Emmy award nominations for his part. He also featured in Joey, a Friends spinoff, which wasn't as spectacular and it was canceled in 2006 after being aired for only two seasons starting from 2004.

Tracey Ullman has proved her talents as an actress, singer, and dancer in various shows, but the variety show she lent her name to, The Tracey Ullman Show, started airing on Fox in 1987. It opened with the George Clinton song, "You’re Thinking Right." The final episode aired in 1990. From the reruns on the Fox network, she earns up to $5,000. Ullman had to fight a long legal battle with the producers of The Simpsons regarding the income from voicing some characters in the long-running series. It was only as a result of this, that she was, in the end, able to start getting some residuals.

The concept of generating income from reruns and residual payments was started with Lucille Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz. As stars of the extremely popular I Love Lucy, they were the pioneers of the sitcom genre. The couple earned more than thirty years worth of residual payments themselves as they personally held the rights to their show, not through the network. In 2018, Desilu sold their company, including Star Trek, to CBS.

Sam Waterston has enjoyed various successes. He was awarded the Golden Globe for his performance in Law & Order. In his highly-acclaimed movie career, he won the Oscar for his role in The Killing Fields. He has also acquired a sitcom reputation, based on his appearance in the Netflix show Grace & Frankie.

Still producing more episodes of the wildly popular The Simpsons after 32 seasons, it is the longest-running animated comedy in television history. Nancy Cartwright's role provides the voice of Bart Simpson. As the son of the title character Homer, he is one of the main characters of the show. Since the eighties, Cartwright has dominated the voiceover market. The animated series generates up to $20 million per year in reruns for Cartwright and her coworkers. Cartwright earns $400,000 per episode for new episodes.

Daniel J. Travanti in his role as Captain Furillo in the police drama series Hill Street Blues got many nominations, winning a Golden Globe and two Emmy awards. With 146 episodes airing over seven seasons and ending in 1987, Travanti was able to receive substantial income from reruns. Travanti faced high competition from police shows like Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods as well as similar TV crime shows like Law & Order and CSI, denting his income from his residuals to several thousands a year, which is nothing to scoff at.

The original three members of Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen, Angus T., and Jon Cryer, get the best earnings as the twelve-season show, aired between 2003 until 2015 pays out millions in dividends. This irreverent sitcom has faced tremendous criticism but its core base of fans has kept it on the air even after it ended.

Even though the series The Office UK aired for two seasons in the UK, Ricky Gervais, who played David Brent, was happy with his income, saying it was “the gift that keeps on giving.” The American version was The Office, where Michael Scott played the corresponding role of David Brent. Featuring Steve Carrell in the American version, the series proved to be more successful, airing for nine seasons. Fans of the original series were thrilled to see Gervais making guest appearances from time to time. Gervais still receives substantial residual income from the show.

Marg Helgenberger started as a dramatic actress playing roles in soap operas. She then became a huge part of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, playing her role from 2000 to 2015. Though it ended four years ago, she still earns income from the CSI series residuals and refers to her career on CSI as a "comfortable niche". Like CSI, CBS also has other legal drama and criminal justice projects like All Rise, starring Helgenberger. Learning of her return to CBS with a role in a new series delighted her fans. Helgenberger is now worth around $18 million net.

NBC owns the rights to The Good Place, its well-liked TV show, which means the actors in the series are most likely not going to be obtaining royalties from reruns. The show, which had its first episode in September 2016, also features TV star Ted Danson. The award-winning show aired for 43 episodes in total.

Well-known for his eponymous talk show, Dr. Phil is an amazing sociologist and psychologist. He first started out on Oprah as a resident human behavior expert. Oprah was impressed with Dr. Phil's hit with the viewers, so she offered him his own talk show, which surrounds a range of absurd stuff that people get up to. His first show aired in 2002, and it received consistently high ratings. It airs at 5 pm most weekdays on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Prior to ending up on television, Dr. Phil accumulated twenty-five years of experience as a psychologist.

The Honeymooners had thirty-nine episodes over a single season, with its last episode airing in 1956. That season is equivalent to four seasons today.  Audrey Meadows was the only cast member to get residual payments from The Honeymooners, a show based on the notion of blue-collar America in the fifties. Gleason's contract stated that he would not receive residuals but he earned $70,000 per episode when it was airing.

Since its first show on May 1, 1999, Tom Kenny has been the voice of Spongebob Squarepants on this long-running animated show, airing mainly on Nickelodeon. It is available for streaming for those with memories of that era, on the platforms Hulu, Netflix, and others. “The Krusty Bucket,” a recent episode aired in late September of 2019, shows there are no signs of abating in the production of new shows. Up to now, the reruns have already produced millions in income from residuals, and many more are expected.

The show Roseanne started in October 1988 and ended in May of 2018. In the show, John Goodman played the role of Roseanne's husband.  He and Roseanne Barr were fictionally married on the show. Goodman has raked up millions from his successful movie career in addition to the residuals income he receives from the show. Roseanne was suddenly canceled in 2018 by ABC as a consequence of a controversial tweet from Roseanne Barr. According to Goodman, he was surprised and heartbroken at the decision.

The show Two and a Half Men ran for eight seasons with Charlie Sheen playing the role of Charlie Harper. His erratic behavior resulted in him getting fired. Fortunately for him, his rights to residual income were not affected, so he continues to receive that income until today. Ashton Kutcher replaced him and the show continued for another four seasons. According to Sheen, Hollywood blacklisted him after getting fired from Two and a Half Men.

In 2005, Lisa Kudrow has starred in The Comeback. She has made guest appearances in other sitcoms like Cheers, Mad About You, and Bo Jack Horseman. For her role as Phoebe on Friends, she continues to bank $20 million in residual income every year. The Comeback made its own comeback nine years later in 2014 for a second season but wasn't very successful.

For six seasons Sarah Michelle Gellar played the role of the brave Buffy Summers as one of the Chosen Ones in the show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show, based on a movie starring Kristy Swanson, was quite popular. In her role, she was to fight vampires, demons, and any other nasty creatures that she came across. The show with its eponymous theme song began airing in 1997. With 144 episodes, the final one aired in 2003. UPN reruns of the show generate about a million dollars in residual income, and potentially more in the future, for the talented Gellar to receive.

Julia Louis Dreyfus is a comedian, singer, and producer who became well known for her work on sitcoms and shows like SNL, Veep, and of course, the long-running show Seinfeld where she played Elaine, her most iconic character, opposite Jerry Seinfeld.  As the owner of the rights to the show, which aired from 1989 until 1998, Seinfeld is one of the richest comedians in history. The show is still asked about in interviews with the star. According to Louis-Dreyfus, Seinfeld's motto was, “No learning, no hugging.”

Edie Falco played Tony Soprano's wife in The Sopranos and the late James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano. This was one of the greatest television crime dramas in history. Filmed in New Jersey, HBO first aired it in 1999 and continued until 2007 when the last episode was aired. Falco had six Emmy nominations and won three for her role as Carmela. Falco earns a colossal amount of income from the show's residuals

Before leaving acting to pursue his very successful rap career, Rapper Drake had played Jimmy Brooks, a basketball star in a Canadian teen drama, Degrassi. From 2001 until 2008, he appeared in all 145 episodes. Drake's income from the Degrassi residuals is not tantalizing. He posted one of his show residual checks, displaying the princely sum of $8.62. However, rap has elevated Drake to be among the wealthiest musicians in modern history, with a net worth of around $150 million.

On September 23, 2003, WB/CW aired the first episode of the drama series One Tree Hill, where Chad Michael Murray played the role of Lucas Scott. The series lasted up to April of 2012 when it concluded with a two-part finale. Acting opposite Nathan, his half-brother on the show, Murray’s character was the “good son” of the series. Murray hasn’t had an acting job in a while but as the show is still airing on CW, with a 7.6 rating on IMDb, the reruns residuals are still providing him with attractive payments.

Ryan Murphy wrote Glee with the singer and actress Lea Michele in mind. Lea attained fame as Rachel, the star singer of the series. The show first aired in 2009 and lasted for six seasons before ending in 2015, achieving immense popularity. By the end of the sixth season, it had soared so high in popularity that Michele and her famous costars were raking in $1 million per episode. Millions watched the finale of the show. However, the income for residuals and reruns has not amounted to much for the cast members as the rights to the show are owned by Fox.

The actress Shay Mitchell played in The Possession of Hannah Grace, Dreamland, and Mother’s Day. She was also one of the lead actresses in Pretty Little Liars, which was set in high school, as an out-of-the-ordinary teen drama. It started as a bunch of novels and went on to become a show. The story is about "A," an anonymous person who seems to know the girls and is threatening to expose them for their misdeeds. The compulsively binge-watchable show ended in 2017. However, Mitchell's contract does not entitle her to get any royalties as she doesn't have the rights to the show.

Wings, a show about a small commuter plane service part-owned by Daly's character was described by Daly as Seinfeld’s stepchild. NBC first aired the show in 1990 for seven seasons and continues to do reruns. Unlike Seinfeld, Daly couldn't or didn't retain the rights to the show which aired for 172 episodes. NBC retained those rights. Daly has not made millions from reruns. In fact, he has made about $1,000, mostly from the show's DVD set which Daly says he has watched “several times.”

On January 9, 1996, aired the first episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun. The final episode was aired on May 22, 2001. The series starred the comedian French Stewart playing the role of Harry Solomon, who is among a group of aliens who erroneously land on earth. Owing to the sitcom boom in the early 2000s, there was heavy competition when the two-part series finale was aired by its owner, NBC. However, it managed to get very good ratings. Stewart and the cast only managed to get about $1,000 in proceeds from DVD sales.

Alf standing for Alien Life Form, was a very unique-looking alien creature dreamt up by Paul Fusco, a puppeteer and voice actor. The sitcom was about a suburban family taking in Alf when it crash-landed in a garage. Alf inspired an enormous amount of fan merchandise. The show was created by Fusco and Tom Patchett, but due to low ratings, NBC canceled it. Alf's final episode aired in 1990. According to NBC's President, Brandon Tartikoff, they later regretted canceling Alf, as it could have lasted a few more seasons. The first year reruns fetched around $300 per episode.

Family Ties first aired in 1982 and continued for seven seasons, with the final episode airing in 1989. It starred Michael J. Fox. According to him, the show managers almost fired him because his face didn't look handsome enough to make fan merchandise. Obviously, they soon changed their mind! In light of declining ratings, NBC canceled the show, ending it with its two-part finale. Fox and his co-stars were left out of the residuals as NBC owned all rights to the show. Apparently, during the seventh season, Fox used to hitchhike to work because of the low pay.

With 255 episodes, Happy Days first aired on ABC in 1974 and continued for 11 seasons before ending in 1984. The show starred Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, and it produced several spinoffs. The two stars sued ABC for residual payments and a settlement was reached years after the show had ended. The agreed amount was a $65,000 payment to Howard, Winkler, and their costars. This was on top of residuals from DVD sales of the sitcom. Let's face it - $65,000 isn’t bad, especially since the actors are now approaching retirement.

Gotham, featuring supervillains such as Penguin, The Riddler, and The Joker is a spinoff of the original story behind the legendary Batman. The action-packed, DC Comics-based series, stars a young Bruce Wayne and a young Jim Gordon, played by Ben McKenzie. Gotham ran for five seasons and ended in 2019. Scott White created the show, though Ben McKenzie actually wrote and directed a few of the episodes himself. The show ended with exactly 100 episodes before Fox pulled the plug. The one and only Bane was the last supervillain to appear on the program.

The creators of South Park have piled up $500 million in royalties from their show, which tells the adventures of teen delinquents Cartman, Stan, and Kyle. If it wasn't animated, being amongst the most irreverent shows to air on Comedy Central, it most likely would have been kicked off screen ages ago. The creators, also the main voices on the show, happened to be roommates in college. The show's been on air since 1997 and has now hit its 24th season, competing with Family Guy and The Simpsons along the way.

This time starring Green Arrow, Arrow is yet another superhero DC origin story that was first aired on CW back in 2012. It's now in its latest season and has already had two spinoffs titled, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Stephen Amell stars as the big superhero, who happens to be a billionaire playboy by day. The production location is in Vancouver, Canada and Stephen earns thousands from reruns on the CW. The eight-season show with more than 160 episodes has completely outshone its other DC Universe hit, Gotham.

Matt Stone, the other star of South Park has been just as lucky. After creating the show with Trey Rogers in their college dorm room, they have now enjoyed splitting their hefty profits in half, totaling $500 million in net worth. The famous roommates first got their popular show on the screens in August 1997. 24 seasons later, South Park is still in full force on Comedy Central and has been followed by a whole variety of merchandise to go along with it. Although the show is far from kid-friendly, it attracts a younger, mid-to-late-teens audience as well as viewers in their early twenties. Whatever their secret is, it sure is working.

The Crown is based on The Audience, a play that features Royal English characters from the 1940s. It starts with an early insight into the Queen’s reign, as Elizabeth II was crowned when she was quite young. Claire Foy is the main actress playing a young Queen Elizabeth II. Being a Netflix TV series means that, despite its popularity, its main actors most likely don't receive any royalties from the streaming of old episodes, as Netflix owns all rights to the program. 

Morena Baccarin is another star of the DC Universe series Gotham, who plays Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Her own origin story is as complex as her companion's - Ben McKenzie and the two end up married on the show. It so happened that their love story continued offset and they ended up getting married in real life as well. Baccarin and McKenzie tied the knot in 2017. The Brazilian-American actress also plays Inara in Firefly as well as Vanessa/Serenity in Deadpool, contributing to her title as a ComicCon legend. In addition to her blockbuster/Fox career, she has also appeared in The Mentalist and Homeland.

With eighteen seasons and still counting, Family Guy is the second-longest-running animated comedy in television history, surpassed only by The Simpsons. Seth Macfarlane is also the creator of American Dad and Orville. It is not surprising that in 2013, Family Guy’s main voice actors were given huge raises. With the comedy being syndicated and also being popular on streaming platforms, it's rumored to be worth $2 billion in total. As you may guess, residuals total millions. Hence the generous raises extended to current-episode earnings as well as to earnings from residuals.

Desi Arnaz and his famous wife Lucille Ball, whom everyone loved in I Love Lucy, split in 1960, They didn't want attorneys to benefit from the divorce. Though a dysfunctional couple, they decided to remain together and take advantage of their divorce by continuing to operate their company and their sitcom together. In 2018, they sold their company, Desilu, but not before it racked up millions in residuals.

The show Gilligan’s Island was about a group of seven people who shipwrecked on an uncharted island. Its viewers appreciated its clean humor, letting it run for several seasons in the sixties. The title character on the Gilligan's Island show was portrayed by Bob Denver. The show is still in demand for daytime reruns. Gilligan’s Island has delivered a total of approximately 90 million dollars in residual payments over the past 38 years. Nearly forty years after the airing of the final episode, Denver gave up to cancer, passing away in 2005.

McIver features in iZombie, a supernatural crime series made for the CW. iZombie was adapted from a DC Comics series, Vertigo, superbly created by both Michael Allred and Chris Roberson. The show’s first episode aired in March 2015 and the last in August 2019, with its wonderful finale, "All’s Well That Ends Well." The series also featured Disney alum, Aly Michalka. iZombie received a 91% in ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and hit 8/10 on IMDb.