1. Cheers
On The Air For: 11 seasons
Est. Star’s Salary: $500,000/episode (Ted Danson)*
Cheers is a sitcom that ran on NBC for eleven seasons, starting in September of 1982. It stars Ted Danson, Shelley Long, George Wendt, Rhea Perlman, and others, centering around the goings-on at a Boston bar named “Cheers”.
Cheers ©Fotos International / Gettyimages.com
The sitcom was a massive success for its day, and even by today’s measures, as it was nominated for a whopping 117 Emmy Awards over the course of its eleven-season run, winning 28. At the height of its popularity, star Ted Danson made $500,000 per episode.