# Fictional television characters living way above or below their means **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705 "2009-02-06T15:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/41 "2009-02-06T22:53:47Z")
Now that I think of it, Bruce Wayne tends to live below his means, Stately Wayne Manor or no. One servant?!? On a spread that big? Please! Need at least 2 gardeners for that joint. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/42 "2009-02-06T22:55:32Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Now that I think of it, Bruce Wayne tends to live below his means, Stately Wayne Manor or no. > > One servant?!? On a spread that big? Please! Need at least 2 gardeners for that joint. There simply have to be robots. Maybe not HUMANOID 'bots, but Wayne Manor just has to be largely automated; it’s too big for any non-speedster to do the upkeep, and a human staff would be an idiotic security risk. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/43 "2009-02-06T22:59:13Z")
Sorry about posting the sig twice–an error only. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/44 "2009-02-06T23:15:19Z")
I don’t understand how Adrian Monk can afford to hire a personal assistant – not even a crappily paid one. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/45 "2009-02-06T23:18:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Homer Simpson. Remember Frank Grimes’s reaction? > > Grimey: How can you afford to live like this? > Homer: Don’t ask me to explain how the economy works. Homer’s worked as a nuclear safety officer for quite a while. He doesn’t live in a mansion or in a particularly great town. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/46 "2009-02-06T23:20:48Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > In most British sitcoms nearly all the characters have large houses with living rooms the size of some family homes. I always wondered how Jean from _As Time Goes By_ managed to afford to live in that house in Holland Park. She was, after all, only running a secretarial agency. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/47 "2009-02-06T23:29:14Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Quite a few old-fashioned TV detectives never seemed to get paid for their work. I never remember Poirot or Holmes mentioning pay. I always assumed there was a rich client inbetween the police work, or a rich line in expenses. In contrast, private eyes in film noir always seem to be on the button with money and expenses up front and live in their offices. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/48 "2009-02-06T23:35:32Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > Niles Crane probably makes a decent income from his practice, but he affords his lifestyle by the settlement he got from Meris in the divorce. She paid up rather that have her family’s secret get out. I don’t know how Frasier manages to do what he does. Remember that Frasier had a highly successful private practice and lecturer career back in Boston. I always assumed he lived off his investment income after moving to Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/49 "2009-02-06T23:37:08Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > I don’t understand how Adrian Monk can afford to hire a personal assistant – not even a crappily paid one. Yeah, not to mention that nifty apartment in San Francisco. SF’s a _very_ expensive city. How much does a consulting detective make, anyway? And they showed Leland Stottlemeyer’s house once. Seems he lived (before his divorce) in a lovely craftsman in a swanky upscale suburb that looked suspiciously like Pasadena to me. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/50 "2009-02-06T23:47:22Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Quite a few old-fashioned TV detectives never seemed to get paid for their work. Rockford never got paid, but not because he didn’t want to get paid and didn’t make a point of trying to get paid! He was very money conscious and frugal. Most of the TV PIs never even talked about their fees, while Rockford’s fee was right there explicit in his Yellowpages ad, $200 per day plus expenses. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/51 "2009-02-07T00:30:32Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I never remember Poirot or Holmes mentioning pay. I always assumed there was a rich client inbetween the police work, or a rich line in expenses. > > In contrast, private eyes in film noir always seem to be on the button with money and expenses up front and live in their offices. Poirot was already retired as a high-ranking police officer, IIRC. As for Holmes, I believe there were several times when it was stated or implied that he had no qualms about accepting money and gifts from wealthy clients and could, therefore, afford to do some pro bono work here and there. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/52 "2009-02-07T00:39:09Z")
> [@FallenAngel](#): > > Remember that Frasier had a highly successful private practice and lecturer career back in Boston. I always assumed he lived off his investment income after moving to Seattle. How much does a popular radio personality in a metropolitan area get paid? I’d believe either very little or a lot, but presumably it was enough to lure Fraiser away from his successful practice, so it must be a couple hundred thousand a year. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/53 "2009-02-07T02:22:56Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > First-year interns Nitpick: Interns are only interns for one year. ---
**Author:** ![imfloating](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@imfloating](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imfloating)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/54 "2009-02-07T02:29:22Z")
I don’t think I can remember one day that Ozzie Nelson left for work. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/55 "2009-02-07T03:05:52Z")
I think it’s probably easier to name the characters who did live exactly where there putative income would indicate. Archie Bunker Fred Sanford Mary Richards Jim Rockford Barney Miller And I’ll give a pass to the Bunch, assuming Mike was a partner in the architecture firm and not just an employee. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/56 "2009-02-07T03:21:26Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > And I’ll give a pass to the Bunch, assuming Mike was a partner in the architecture firm and not just an employee. Widow and widower - probably had big life insurance policies on their previous spouses… ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/57 "2009-02-07T03:55:19Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > I thought it was weird that JD & Turk (and then Carla) lived together. They’re friggin’ _doctors_. Even if you are all best friends, I bet your own bathroom would become a priority. I was surprised that Carla would move in when she and Turk got married, but that could be explained away as something that was intended to be a temporary situation. In the episode where JD moves out, it’s clear this arrangement worked out for them as far as chores and stuff went. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/58 "2009-02-07T13:09:12Z")
The movie Notting Hill,Grants character would have never been able to own his shop in that area as it is a notoriously expensive part of London. Going back quite a while I always wondered how the cops in Miami Vice could afford the designer clothes,the sports cars and the yacht without being on the take and selling on seized drugs. (Also I always thought that Vice dealt with prostitution anr porn and stuff not drugs) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/59 "2009-02-07T13:11:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by kunilou View Post > > And I’ll give a pass to the Bunch, assuming Mike was a partner in the architecture firm and not just an employee. > [@Dangerosa](#): > > Widow and widower - probably had big life insurance policies on their previous spouses… Thus opening up the rumor of the sinister Brady Murder Cult. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705/60 "2009-02-07T14:06:22Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > …Going back quite a while I always wondered how the cops in Miami Vice could afford the designer clothes,the sports cars and the yacht without being on the take and selling on seized drugs. > (Also I always thought that Vice dealt with prostitution anr porn and stuff not drugs) I believ they occasionally referred to all the pricey stuff as having been seized in prior drug busts. It was just luck that so many other drug dealers bought designer clothes and were a perfect fit for Crocket and Tubbs. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-television-characters-living-way-above-or-below-their-means/484705.md?page=4)