Rags to Riches

A character suddenly comes into a large amount of money, sometimes enough to retire, but they lose it all within a few episodes.

Spin City

Appearances

• The Bob Newhart Show: Season 5, episodes 10-11, "Jerry's Retirement/Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson" (1976). Jerry makes enough money on a real estate deal to retire early, but he blows it all on a massive search for his birth parents.
• WKRP in Cincinnati: Season 4, episode 7, "Three Days of the Condo" (1981). Johnny receives $24,000 from his previous employer for breaking his contract, but he's not comfortable having that much money, so after blowing a few thousand dollars on trivial things, he gives the rest to his daughter.
• Night Court: Season 5, episode 21, "Mac's Millions" (1988). Mac inherits $2 million from his grandfather and immediately quits his job and starts spending extravagantly, then he finds out he's being sued for $4.5 million because the stove in his restaurant exploded and started a fire that collapsed three stories of a building.
• Spin City: Season 4, episode 8 "How to Bury a Millionaire" (1999). Paul wins the grand prize on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He continues his stingy lifestyle for two more episodes, then he blows his remaining winnings on a politically themed restaurant called "Wonk," where his cheapskate nature compels him to serve sub-standard food that makes everyone sick.