Carey initially earned $60,000 per episode in the first seasons, then renegotiated for $250,000. By the final season, he was earning $750,000 per epis

Carey and Helford developed the storyline for The Drew Carey Show, which they produced together. The show premiered on September 13, 1995 on ABC. In his autobiography, Carey revealed his frustration with having to deal with censors and being unable to employ the off-color humor common to his stand-up routines.[4] Carey initially earned $60,000 per episode in the first seasons, then renegotiated for $250,000. By the final season, he was earning $750,000 per episode.