Profit From Reruns: $26 Million So Far
Edie Falco played Tony Soprano’s wife in “The Sopranos”, alongside the late James Gandolfini as Tony. It was one of the greatest crime dramas in television history. The dramatic storyline ran six seasons, and over that period Falco earned six Emmy nominations (and won three) as her role of Carmela.
Falco has also appeared in “Oz” and “Nurse Jackie”. Even after the last episode of “The Sopranos” aired in 2007, Falco has earned something like twenty-six million dollars thanks to people coming back to watch this legendary show over and over again.
John Goodman: Roseanne
Profit From Reruns: $1 Million a Year
While "Roseanne" began as a show in 1988, it was most recently seen on live television in 2018. John Goodman played Roseanne's husband, and though the show had ten seasons during that thirty-year period, the residuals are reaching toward a million dollars a year for the actor.
This sitcom featured what was seen as normal, everyday people, and thanks to this show, Goodman found a place in Hollywood in both live-action and voice-over roles. After a short revival, "Roseanne" was canceled by ABC following controversial tweets by Roseanne Barr, so we may have seen the end of this show at last.
Alex Borstein: Family Guy
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
Not familiar with the name? No big surprise. As a voice actress, Alex keeps a lower profile than most big TV stars. But don't think for a second you don't know her – she voices Lois Griffin, Peter's long-suffering wife on the animated sitcom "Family Guy".
Begun in 1999 right after the Super Bowl, this show is still on the air and still bringing in the cash – Borstein earns almost a quarter mil per episode, and since she's in pretty much every episode, residuals from reruns have put an extra ten million dollars per year into her bank. However, Borstein doesn't see all that money – due to her divorce her ex-husband gets half of that.
Betty White: The Golden Girls
Profit From Reruns: $3 Million a Year
During the nineties, The late Betty White, along with Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, shined as gals in their golden years. They discussed everything, from singleness and dating to marriage, motherhood, and more.
The show ended in 1992 after seven seasons, but the witty writing has kept it on television even decades after it ended. Betty White's presence was definitely one of the biggest draws to the show.
David Hasselhoff: Baywatch
Profit From Reruns: $4 Million a Year
With eleven seasons of slow-motion beach running to play and plenty of tanned bodies to show, "Baywatch" got plenty of eyes on it. "Baywatch" got Pamela Anderson into the public consciousness – and she still hasn't left, somehow – but Hasselhoff earned the most.
Thanks to syndication, David's shirtless physique, and the kind of episodes that anybody can watch without worrying about continuity or plot, Hasselhoff brought in four million dollars a month while the show was still playing, despite relatively low demand for reruns. It became the kind of show that was playing somewhere – you just had to find it.