Within a year of its WHN premiere, The Original Amateur Hour—its original name, according to historian Gerald Nachman, was Major Bowes and His Capitol Family—began earning its creator and host as much as $1 million a year, according to Variety.
Within a year of its debut on WHN, the show "The Original Amateur Hour," originally called "Major Bowes and His Capitol Family" according to historian Gerald Nachman, began generating substantial income for its creator and host, reaching up to $1 million annually, as reported by Variety.