Top 10 Lottery TV Shows & Episodes
Having a lottery episode is somewhat of a tradition for TV shows. Every show from ER to The Simpsons, and all the way to Married with Children has featured at least one episode dedicated to the lottery. But there are a few that have truly staid with us. Can you imagine Homer winning the US Powerball? In this article, we are going to tell about the absolute best lottery episodes in TV shows out there because each of them is worthy of your undivided attention.
1. The Simpsons – “Million Dollar Maybe”
In this one, Homer actually wins the lottery! And it’s no small prize either; he wins US$10 Lakh! Let’s take this from the beginning: it all starts with Homer getting a fortune cookie that says he’s going to have a lucky day. While this doesn’t really move him at first, more and more good things start happening to Homer up until he begins to believe that the fortune cookie might be on to something.
So, he decides that it is absolutely mandatory that he buys a lottery ticket while at the Kwik-E-Market, even if this means missing a wedding that he had promised Marge they would attend. When he finally gets his ticket, Homer rushes through traffic to get to the wedding, and ultimately gets into an accident. As he wakes up in the hospital, he finds out that his ticket is worth a whole US$10 Lakh! Will he risk telling Marge why he actually missed the wedding or will he find a way to keep it all under wraps? Find out in this hilarious episode from the Simpsons!
2. Married…With Children – “Weenie Tot Lovers & Other Strangers”
Bud finally has the chance to go on a class trip to Washington to meet the President himself, but Al decides to give the money for the trip to Kelly, who wants to audition to be the Miss Weenie Tot spokesperson. Kelly does get the job, which comes with a full year’s supply of Al’s favorite food, Weenie Tots. But Al’s secret plan to get a year’s worth of tots comes tumbling down when Peggy finds out about the Winnie Tots lottery and opens every single box to find the scratcher tickets hidden inside.
Opening the boxes spoils all the tots, but the very last scratcher in the very last box is worth a huge US$1,00,000. And just when Al thinks that sacrificing the tots was worth it, Bud astutely points out that Kelly is now a Weenie Tots employee, which makes her ineligible for the lottery. The only solution remaining is to convince Marcy and Jefferson to collect the money for them, but will they manage to pull off this despicable plot?
3. Friends – “The One with the Lottery”
Can you think of a better lottery syndicate than the gang from Friends? In this one, you get to see Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, and Joey playing the lottery as a group. It all starts with Phoebe going to her psychic, who predicts that she will win the lottery.
Being extremely excited to play, she gets the gang involved and they end up playing as a syndicate. Since winning was almost a given, they start talking about how they should spend the money. As you can imagine, this is one conversation that escalates very quickly. If you want to find out if they actually do win the lottery, you’ll have to watch “The One with the Lottery”.
4. 30 Rock – “College”
Liz gets very excited when she hears about an office lottery taking place. In spite of Jenna and Tracy warning her against it, she enters the game and she actually wins. Winning the lottery is bound to make you a very popular person, right? Well, this is exactly what Liz finds out as she becomes the office superstar. Initially, she fails to see the link between her sudden popularity and the celebratory drinks that she offers to her colleagues. But as the lottery buzz wears off, so does Liz’s popularity, thus proving that the fame monster is always fickle and that high school never really ends.
5. Family Guy – “Lottery Fever”
With the Griffins trying to make ends meet on their strict budget, Louis imposes some unpopular family rules. But then, Peter sees a lottery commercial on the news and he decides that this is the way to change their lives. So he makes a second mortgage on the house to get the money to buy as many lottery tickets as it takes to win.
Luckily for them, Peter’s plan actually works and the Griffins win the lottery as a syndicate! With a few extra million in their account, they will never have to worry about money ever again, right? Well, if there is anybody who can squander away a lottery jackpot, it’s Peter! We guarantee that the spending spree he goes on completes the Hosier’s guide to what to do after winning the lottery.
6. Cheers – Coach in Love – Part 1 and 2
When Coach sees Irene for the first time, she tells everybody he’s going to marry her. Then, he goes to talk to her and it turns out that she likes him as well. So, after a few weeks of dating, Coach asks her to marry him and she actually says yes. But then, Irene wins US$20 Lakh in the lottery, which changes absolutely everything. A few weeks later, she’s already postponed the wedding several times and even moved, but Coach still has faith that that they will still get married in the end. Sam tries to talk to him about it, but Coach is blinded by love and asks him to be his Best Man. Eventually Irene shows up at the bar and tells Coach that winning the lottery was life-changing for her and that she now has other goals. Even then, Coach is sure that this is nothing more than a phase and that his beloved Irene will come back to him. To find out how the actual wedding day plays out, watch this romantic episode of Cheers.
7. The Office – “Lotto”
In this one, the guys from the warehouse win a huge lottery jackpot as a syndicate and they all quit their jobs. This leads to a major crisis in the office, as Darryl becomes overwhelmingly depressed. Jim, Erin, Dwight, and Kevin end up getting a first-hand look at life in the warehouse, which definitely doesn’t go as planned. In the meantime, Andy and Darryl work hard to find qualified new employees for the warehouse. While most lottery TV show episodes are about actual lottery winners, this is more about the aftermath of winning. Nonetheless, it is absolutely hilarious, so don’t miss it!
8. The Flintstones – “The Sweepstakes Ticket”
Bedrock gets lottery fever in this one and everybody wants a ticket for the local sweepstakes. But until Fred and Barney get to buy their own, there is only one ticket left in the entire town. They decide to share it and try their luck for the big win. Barney is named the ticket keeper and he places it in a cookie jar in the kitchen to keep it from Betty, as he does not want to tell her that he spent money on the sweepstakes. But what Barney does not take into account is that Betty decides to give the cookie jar to a passing hobo, along with the lottery ticket. This makes Fred absolutely furious at Barney because there are no more sweepstakes tickets available in Bedrock. But little do they know that Wilma and Betty have a lottery ticket of their very own, which is also stashed away at the Rubbles’. Will any of the tickets be the winners for the Bedrock sweepstakes? To find out, watch this amazing episode of the Flintstones.
9. Mash – “The Birthday Girls”
As Klinger puts together a local lottery at the 4077, the entire company becomes extremely excited about the game. This was nothing like playing Powerball or the USA Mega Millions, or even other traditional games, but instead, it had everything to do with the birth of a calf. Margaret is extremely excited as she gets leave to go to Tokyo for a romantic weekend and she gets Klinger to drive her. As they were in a hurry, Margaret orders Klinger to take a risky shortcut, and in spite of his protests, they get on the rougher road and have an accident. Margaret is extremely depressed when she realizes that will not be able to make it to Tokyo, and she confesses to Klinger that it was her birthday. Meanwhile, back at the camp, the docs work together with a veterinarian to save both the calf and the cow. In the end, Klinger’s lottery becomes the ideal replacement for Margaret’s birthday present.
10. Scrubs – My Big Bird
In this one, Carla gets everybody worked up about the lottery. She convinces people from all over the hospital to put in money for a lottery syndicate. As a result, they all gather to watch the lottery draw together. All except Elliot who is being chased around the hospital by the wife of a man she’s kissed by accident. Turk and J.D. are busy finding Mr. Sutton, whose life was saved by J.D., in the effort of squeezing a thank you out of him. In the meantime, the intern team is left alone to deal with Mr. Foster, a patient who suddenly becomes critical. Will the interns manage to save Mr. Foster? Will Carla’s syndicate actually win the lottery? And will J.D. get his thank you from Mr. Sutton? Find out in My Big Bird!
Lottery TV Shows FAQ
- Did the Simpsons actually win the lottery?
Yes, in the Million Dollar Maybe episode (aired on January 21, 2021) Homer wins the jackpot of US$10,00,000.
- What were the lottery winning numbers when Homer won US$10 Lakh?
Homer’s winning numbers were: 1-6-17-22-24-35.
- Which Friend’s episode featured the lottery?
Friends featured an episode called “The One with the Lottery”. This was the 18th episode in Season 9.
- What was the Powerball number in Friends?
The Powerball number featured in Friend was 7.
- Did anyone win the lottery on friends?
In the end, no one won the jackpot in Friends. In the episode, there was a winning ticket for US$10,000 but the friends lost it. However, Phoebe is happy that they got the Powerball number (7) and wants to share the prize (US$3) 6 ways. Chandler, Joey, Monica and Rachel let her have their shares.
- In which episode does Family Guy win the lottery?
Peter Griffin won the lottery in “Lottery Fever”. It is the 166th episode of Family Guy (Season 10 – Episode 1) and it aired on September 25, 2011 in the U.S.
- How much did Family Guy win in the lottery?
Peter Griffin won US$15 Crore after playing the lottery!
As you can see, the list of lottery episodes in TV shows is quite generous. So, which of these was your favorite? Whichever one you choose, remember to put in your very own ticket on LottoSmile for the lottery to get a chance to live your very own lotto-themed episode! Good luck!