Most & Least Lucrative Shows in Television History

Network: CBS
Years on Air: 2003-2015 (262 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $4 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $800 million*

Two and a Half Men was a major money-maker for execs and investors at CBS. Anchored by a consistently witty lead performance from Charlie Sheen, the series was a hit for CBS that continued to generate an insane amount of revenue from beginning to end. 

Two and a Half Men @WarnerChannelBrasil / Facebook.com

By the final season, each episode was costing more than $3.24 million for the network. While it wasn’t the highest-grossing TV show of 2012, it was very close, coming in fourth overall. That kind of money is invaluable to a platform like CBS, which is probably why it lasted up until 2015.

Network: NBC
Years on Air: 1983 (8 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $750,000 per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $3.4 million*

When Disney’s 20th Century Fox decided to produce Manimal back in 1983, executives must have been in the middle of a mid-life crisis. The show stars Simon MacCorkindale as a shapeshifting doctor, while Melody Anderson supports as detective Brooke MacKenzie. 

Manimal @ShamelessMcFly / Twitter.com

The strange concept of the crime fighting animal man was such a snore that the network finally gave up after airing just four episodes. Ratings were so low that it seemed like concluding the series was pointless. After a few months the show reappeared to air the last four episodes, but needless to say, it was costing more to air it than it was not to.

Network: NBC
Years on Air: 1982-1993 (275 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $2.2 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $120 million*

Cheers paved the way for shows like AT iconic sitcom Friends. Without the likes of Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, Joey Tribbiani and Rachel Green may have never seen the light of day. After the show debuted in 1982, it was clearly a winner. To this day, it reigns supreme as one of the finest comedies ever made.

Cheers @Roxy Cakes/Youtube

Over the next ten years, the show proceeded to make NBC in excess of $84 million in syndication alone thanks to the amount of viewers it was pulling in. The final episode was watched by 93 million Americans, becoming the most-watched TV episode of the entire decade.

Network: ABC
Years on Air: 1990 (11 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $2 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $13 million*

Created by Steven Bochco, Cop Rock had a very strange concept, combining a standard crime drama with musical theatre. While the theory might have been just niche enough to work in a different world, viewers thought it was an absolute disaster. The show ended up costing far more to produce than expected and returning virtually nothing. 

Cop Rock @Cop Rock: The Movie / Youtube.com

After one season of 11 episodes, the series was axed and faded into obscurity. Interestingly, the theme song was created by Randy Newman, the same man behind “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Disney’s Toy Story.

Network: Fox
Years on Air: 1998-2006 (200 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $1.3 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $510 million*

That ‘70s Show was a mega-hit for investors at Fox, landing the network on top of the ratings in the late ‘90s. The series, starring Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher, was entertainment for both teens and their parents. It helped to launch the careers of cast members like Laura Prepon, who later went on to star in Orange is the New Black. 

That 70’s Show @peterkidder / Twitter.com

The show became one of Fox’s most popular shows, helping the network to fund other projects. By the time the final season rolled around in 2006, Fox was in the perfect position to pour its hard-earning revenue into other programs that were performing slightly better by that point. 

Network: Syndication/The CW
Years on Air: 1991-2018 (4,969 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $700,000 per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $350 million*

The Jerry Springer Show was unlike anything the TV world had ever seen when it catapulted onto screens back in 1991. Although we had seen talk shows before, we hadn’t seen this type of talk show. After having a relatively weak start with politics-themed episodes, it was revamped into the crazy, off-the-wall program we know and love. 

The Jerry Springer Show @DoYouRemember / Twitter.com

The series made Springer a very rich man, while also bringing in a pretty penny for the networks that aired it, like AT Warner network, The CW. He took home $8 million a year when the show was still in production and is now worth over $60 million. When the show finally ceased in 2018 it was a sad day for fans that had been watching it for almost 30 years. 

Network: ABC
Years on Air: 1978-1979 (21 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $1 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $6.5 million*

At the time it was being created for ABC, the original iteration of Battlestar Galactica was one of the most expensive TV shows ever made. At a staggering cost of $1 million per episode (around $3 million today) creators hoped it would ride the sci-fi wave ushered in by hits like Star Wars. 

Battlestar Galactica @filmtrix/Pinterest.com

Sadly, it only lasted one season before it was swiftly pulled. Ratings continued to decline as the episodes were released, meaning it became an expensive waste of time for the network who needed something to keep competitors like CBS at bay. At a cost of $11 million to create, it should’ve brought in enough revenue to pay for itself. It didn’t. 

Network: CBS
Years on Air: 1960-1968 (249 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $400,000 per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $45 million*

The Andy Griffith Show was good, old-fashioned family fun in a time when things like that were largely going out of style. Perhaps one of the last shows of its kind, the sitcom saw Andy Griffith play Andy Taylor, a single father trying to protect a community. 

The Andy Griffith Show @TheGroomser / Twitter.com

Audiences loved it so much that it stayed on air for eight years, becoming one of CBS’ most popular shows. Throughout it’s tenure on the network, the series proved to be a heavy hitter that never slipped any lower than seventh place in the ratings list. That’s impressive by anyone’s standards.

Network: Comedy Central
Years on Air: 2003-2006 (28 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $2.8 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $380 million*

Dave Chappelle landed on his feet when he teamed up with Neal Brennen to create Chappelle’s Show for Comedy Central. The show may have only lasted for 3 seasons, but it was a popular staple for the network that saw different sketches tickle audiences for 22 minutes at a time. 

Chappelle’s Show @YahooEnt / Twitter.com

By that point, Chapelle was an established actor with roles in hits like Comcast’s Universal feature The Nutty Professor. Despite being offered a $50 million contract by Comedy Central to continue the show, Chappelle decided to walk away, telling CBS in an interview that it just “didn’t feel right” to continue.

Network: CBS
Years on Air: 1972-1983 (256 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $800,000 per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $370 million*

When M*A*S*H first started airing on CBS back in 1972, we weren’t totally unfamiliar with the concept. The series was a spin-off of the Disney 20th Century Fox movie of the same name that took over $80 million at the box office. 

M*A*S*H @tangowilde / Youtube.com

With Alan Alda leading the cast as Hawkeye, the comedy had the perfect mix of laughs and emotion. At the start of its run, advertisers could buy a 30-second spot for just $30,000. By the finale, the same amount of time cost $450,000, making M*A*S*H one of the most lucrative TV projects of all time. 

Network: Syndication
Years on Air: 2002-current (2500+ episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $450,000 per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $320 million*

It might be strange to imagine that Dr. Phil got his start in the business thanks to an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. But indeed, after launching his very own talk show in 2002, Dr. Phil became a very rich man. He has since interviewed multiple famous faces, including star of Comcast’s Bravo show Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Kim Richards. 

Dr. Phil @ManMilk2 / Twitter.com

McGraw’s syndicated talk show is still going strong,18 years after first making its debut. Although it isn’t without its controversy, it’s still a high-earning series. McGraw himself takes home over $62 million a year, contributing to his bank balance of over $300 million.

Network: NBC
Years on Air: 2004-2017 (192 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $3 million per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $400 million*

The Apprentice was wildly popular when it was on air, from its debut in 2004 right up until it’s last season in 2017. Incidentally, the final season was produced by the star of Sony’s Universal Pictures feature Kindergarten Cop, Arnold Schwarzenegger (who also took on hosting duties).

The Apprentice @browneandday / Facebook.com

For each episode of the reality series, NBC pulled in between $2-$3 million in revenue, thanks to advertising in ad breaks as well as product placement that was littered throughout. With that being said, it’s not hard to see why the show did so well.

Network: CBS
Years on Air: 1951-1957 (181 episodes)
Est. Production Cost: $26,000 per episode*
Total Revenue to Date: $20 million a year*

Lucille Ball possessed the type of talent that comes around once in a blue moon. That’s why she landed her very own TV show in 1951. I Love Lucy is still highly-lauded today and often referred to as a true icon of its time. When the show first started out, CBS paid $26,000 per episode.

I Love Lucy @callingallbarbz / Twitter.com

I Love Lucy more than pulled its weight when it came to revenue, bringing in over $20 million a year while it was in production and afterward, too. Reruns are still profitable to this day. By the time she passed in 1989, Ball was worth $46 million. 

Network: ABC
Years on Air: 2005-current (364 episodes)
Avg. Production Cost: $1.5 million per episodes*
Total Revenue to Date: $700 million*

Grey’s Anatomy could have easily been chalked down to just another ER imitation, but it fast exceeded anyone’s expectations. Originally aired as a mid-season replacement on ABC, the network could never have imagined it would become such a high-earner. 

Grey’s Anatomy @greysanatombei / Twitter.com

Grey’s brings in $2.75 million of ad revenue for every 30 minutes it’s on air. When you factor in its remarkable tenure of seasons and 363 episodes, the show has easily made over $700 million for ABC to date – and it’s still growing.