The Millionaire

The Millionaire is an anthology series that aired on CBS Television from January 19, 1955 to June 8, 1960, originally sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. The series explored the ways unexpected wealth changed life for better or for worse. The show became a five-season hit, thanks in large part to a twist that also made it a bit of a cult classic in the years that followed its life in the so-called "Golden Era" of U.S. television. The show centered around the stories of unknown people who were given, seemingly out of nowhere, one million dollars from a benefactor who insisted they never know him... – with one exception. The millionaire of the title was John Beresford Tipton, Jr. Viewers saw only his right arm as he reached for a cashier's check for one million dollars each week, and handed it to his executive secretary, a mild-mannered, good-humoured, but no-nonsense man named Michael Anthony. It was Anthony's job to travel and deliver that check to its intended recipient, staying only long enough to present the gift and then, customarily, leaving the recipient's life forever.
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