MAGNUM P.I. (1988)
In 1980, Tom Selleck lost the role of Indiana Jones because CBS wouldn't release him from his MAGNUM P.I. contract. Years later, the show playfully spoofed the role he almost had in the episode "Legend of the Lost Art."
The franchise model is a tale of slow and steady success. And lately the model has been spreading into new categories—thanks in part to private-equity investors:
Photo: Magnum Photos