Those heady days of the $1 million-per-episode salary?
They’re gone — at least for now.
But that doesn’t mean TV stars are taking out a second mortgage on their mansions — not by a long shot.
A new “Who Earns What” list compiled by TV Guide Magazine contains a few surprises, and also some predictable info.
(The data was compiled “from conversations with agents, network executives and studio heads,” according to TV Guide Magazine.)
For instance, Ashton Kutcher is now TV’s highest-paid series star, pulling in $700,000 each week for “Two and a Half Men.” That’s an impressive $15.4 million per season, but it’s mere peanuts compared to the $1.25 million per episode — or $27.5 million a season — that Kutcher’s predecessor, Charlie Sheen, was raking in.
And that’s in a genre, the sitcom, which once counted Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Kelsey Grammer and the “Friends” cast among its $1 million-per-episode club — with “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Ray Romano earning $2 million each week in his show’s final season.
So what’s with the (relative) belt-tightening?
“There aren’t the same dominant players, and the successful shows aren’t as successful,” says Katz TV Group VP Bill Carroll.
“It’s a competitive landscape and it changes what the networks are willing to pay.”
“NCIS” star Mark Harmon tops the drama series list ($500,000 each week), followed by Mariska Hargitay ($385,000 an episode for “Law & Order: SVU”).
“Judge Judy” Sheindlin, who’s anchored TV’s top-rated court show for a decade, earns a whopping $45 million each year, no surprise there — but Joe Brown (“Judge Joe Brown”) pulling in $20 million a year?
“ ‘Judge Joe Brown’ was paired with ‘Judy’ when it launched and he’s benefited from that,” says Katz. “And he’s the second-most-successful court show.”
Drama (per episode)
Mark Harmon (NCIS): $500,000
Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy): $350,000
Kevin Bacon (The Following):$175,000
Lucy Liu (Elementary): $125,000
Late Night (per year)
David Letterman: $28M
Jay Leno: $25M
Jon Stewart: $16M
Craig Ferguson: $8M
News (per year)
Matt Lauer (Today): $21.5M
Bill O’Reilly (The O’Reilly Factor): $15M
Diane Sawyer (ABC World News): $12M
Anderson Cooper (Anderson Cooper 360 and Anderson Live): $11M
Comedy (per episode)
Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men): $700,000
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory): $300,000
Modern Family Adult Cast: $175,000 each
Lea Michele (Glee): $75,000
Daytime/Syndication (per year)
Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy): $45M
Joe Brown (Judge Joe Brown): $20M
Kelly Ripa (Live! With Kelly): $20M
Sherri Shepherd (The View): $1.5M