Top 20 Most Expensive TV Shows Ever Made
#20: “Stranger Things” (2016-)
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One of Netflix’s most successful shows, “Stranger Things” is a sci-fi series that often feels like it’s a modern version of an ‘80s movie. To achieve that effect on screen, a lot of money has to go into it offscreen. According to Variety, the show’s first season cost around $6 million per episode and increased to $8 million in season 2. The incredibly vivid special and creature effects probably take up a lot of that budget. That being said, the six figure salaries of the ensemble probably eat up a big chunk of change too! Still, the investment has paid off big-time, given “Stranger Things”’ popularity.
#19: “The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)
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Sitcoms are generally cost effective to produce, but there are a few expensive ones out there.“The Big Bang Theory” started off modestly, but given that it ran for 12 years and ranked amongst TV’s most watched shows for many of them, the show could afford to invest in itself. A big part of these rising costs were the star’s salaries. By the later seasons, the original core cast members were making a million dollars per episode. And though that eventually dropped to $900,000, that was only to help bridge the gap with their co-stars, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, who were each earning a reported $500,000 per episode towards the end of the show. That sure is a “big bang” of expenses.
#18: “Sense8” (2015-18)
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“Sense8” follows a group of eight disparate people from around the world who discover they’re psychologically and emotionally connected. A truly global series, the show was shot in 13 different countries. Location shooting can get expensive, and “Sense8” racked up a hefty budget of 9 million dollars per episode for its second season. Ironically, despite being about connection, “Sense8” failed to connect with a wide enough audience. This likely contributed to Netflix’s decision to cancel it. No matter how groundbreaking or good a show is, a network won’t shell out that kind of cash if they aren’t seeing a solid return on investment.
#17: “Westworld” (2016-)
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These violent delights come at a cost! Sci-fi shows and period dramas tend to ring up TV’s highest budgets, and “Westworld” is basically both at once. Set in the future where the wealthy pay to experience a realistic simulation of the Old West (among other locales), “Westworld” is visually stunning, with amazing locations and fantastic effects. And of course, it has an A-list cast, which can’t be easy on the wallet. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show’s first season cost between eight to ten million dollars for each episode. Seasons 2 and 3 are said to have cost over $100 million apiece.
#16: “Marco Polo” (2014-16)
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Here’s another Netflix original, though not one successful enough to justify the huge amounts of cash spent on it. The historical drama about its titular explorer required lavish sets and costumes to recreate the period setting of late 13th century China, which resulted in Netflix paying $90 million for the entire series, a huge number for any TV show. Unfortunately, the series debuted to middling reviews, and while it made it to a second season, Marco Polo’s journey ended shortly after that. Thankfully, for Netflix, this poor investment is more an exception than the rule.
#15: “The Man in the High Castle” (2015-19)
Top 10 Most Expensive TV Shows Ever Made
An Amazon original series, “The Man in the High Castle” is set in the 1960s in a parallel world where the Axis Powers won the Second World War. As we’ve stated, period pieces tend to be costly, as the sets, costumes, and props all have to be era appropriate. “The Man in the High Castle” has to convincingly create an alternate history with all of the above, plus special effects. According to reports, the show required around 10 million dollars each episode to pull it off. Sadly, despite a strong start, the show’s “high” budget wasn’t enough to maintain high enough viewing numbers to keep it going beyond four seasons.
#14: “Inhumans” (2017)
It was only a matter of time before we got to a Marvel property. “Inhumans” had quite a bit of buzz before its release, as the series was partnered with IMAX, which paid for the first two episodes. The short series is estimated to have budgeted as much as 8 to 10 million dollars towards each of its 8 episodes. Still, it’s odd that one of the most expensive shows in Marvel’s extensive cinematic universe thus far is also one of its least successful. But some factors, like the short shooting schedules and a lack of engaging characters, serve as a reminder that there are some things that money can’t fix.
#13: “The Witcher” (2019-)
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Netflix certainly “tossed a coin” to “The Witcher.” [“Oh valley of plenty”] How is that song so CATCHY?! Besides infectious ditties, “The Witcher” also has plenty of epic battles, terrifying creatures, magic, as well as fantastic costumes, sets, actors, and so forth to bring the world of the show (and books and games) to life. According to reports, the whole first season cost between 70 to 80 million to make, which works out to around 10 million an episode. And given that the series is only just beginning, that number is sure to increase down the line.
#12: “Rome” (2005-07)
This was one of the first shows to prove that historical epics could work on the small screen, so long as networks are willing to spend accordingly. Not only did the show feature a massive cast; it also required incredibly detailed set recreations of Ancient Roman locations, including Roman villas, slums, and the Forum. The daunting production costs resulted in HBO and the BBC splitting the budget of the show, which ended up costing $9 million an episode. Rome was a pioneer in putting epic stories on television, something that HBO would go on to explore with future shows.
#11: “Friends” (1994-2004)
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Big budgets aren’t just the standard for sprawling prestige dramas. Sometimes if a show has a talented enough cast, much of its cash winds up committed to keeping them around. This was the predicament NBC found themselves in with this “Must See TV” staple. As the six leads rose to popularity with the show, the cast maintained equal salaries, which towards the end of the series, was a substantial sum. For the final two seasons, Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry and Schwimmer were all getting paid $1 million an episode, jacking up the show’s otherwise modest budget, and making Friends one of the most expensive sitcoms ever produced.
#10: “The Get Down” (2016-17)
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With a visual wonder like Baz Luhrmann at the helm of a show, you know it’s gonna be saddled with a Hollywood level budget. Indeed, his Netflix project is one of the most expensive shows ever made, especially for a streaming service. The show’s recreations of 1970s New York, as well as lavish musical numbers, have given the show a price tag of $10 million an episode, resulting in $120 million for the 12 episode first season, which is just $10 million less than Luhrmann’s most expensive film, “Australia”. Although unconfirmed, it’s been rumored that it frequently went over budget, with sources claiming that it climbed to $16 million per episode, or roughly $192 million total.
#9: “Band of Brothers” (2001)
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A miniseries about a real company of soldiers who fought during WWII, “Band of Brothers” was the most expensive TV series ever created at the time of its release – and it certainly shows. Although it was made decades ago, the effects and battle sequences look like they could have been shot today, they hold up that well. And a good thing! Because the total cost to make the show was around 125 million dollars, which equates to 12.5 million for each of its 10 episodes. When it comes to telling the story of these brave men, however, no price is too high.
#8: “ER” (1994-2009)
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A medical drama seems like an unlikely candidate for such a list, but then again, few series have held the title of most watched series in the country or included a young George Clooney. In order to maintain high ratings and to keep their star player on board, NBC bumped the per episode budget from $2 million to a whopping $13 million for seasons 4 through 6. The investment was later known by some as “the half-a-billion dollar blunder”, costing NBC a whopping $440 million. Still, ER stayed in the Top 5 in ratings during that time, though Clooney checked out at the end of the fifth.
#7: “The Crown” (2016-)
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It’s only fitting that a show about the royal family ends up being jaw-droppingly expensive. Another Netflix period drama, The Crown had a budget estimated to be in the ballpark of $130 million just for the first season of ten episodes. If accurate, that makes it the most expensive TV show in history. Once again, the massive budget comes as a result of incredible period detail, which includes such things as a realistic recreation of Buckingham Palace, and roughly 20,000 costumes. Lucky for Netflix, the gamble paid off, as the show has received strong reviews and viewership.
#6: “See” (2019-)
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“See” is set in a post-apocalyptic world where most humans have lost the ability to, well, see. It follows a tribe in the mountains that comes under threat when two children are born with sight. Apple TV+ has allegedly spent a cumulative $240 million on the first and second season, which works out to around 15 million per episode. While the show has received some mixed reception thus far, the streaming service isn’t just throwing their money away. “See” has impressive effects, epic battle scenes, and some big star power, with actors like Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard.
#5: “The Morning Show” (2019-)
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Speaking of the Apple streaming service, one of its other big offerings is “The Morning Show.” A dramatic look into the competitive world of morning news shows, the series highlights a toxic culture that feels ripped from the headlines – and certain real world morning news shows. It has been widely reported that “The Morning Show” has a budget of around 15 million per episode, although some who have worked on the show dispute this number, calling it inflated. Still, with stars like Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon making 2 million bucks an episode, those estimates don’t seem unreasonable.
#4: “The Mandalorian” (2019-)
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“Star Wars” is big business, but it also costs a lot of credits. The hit Disney+ show about a lone bounty hunter’s adventures in the “Star Wars” galaxy looks just like the movies. The numerous creatures, costumes, and effects are all top notch and wouldn’t look out of place on the big screen. And we sure hope so, given that it reportedly cost about 15 million dollars an episode. Still, given how successful the show has been, Disney has no doubt recouped that investment and then some! The Baby Yoda merch alone must have made them a pretty penny!
#3: “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
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Other shows may cost more, but there’s no show on television that got a better bang for its buck than HBO’s epic fantasy drama. In season 1, it made do with a total estimated budget of $50 to $60 million. But after receiving a budget increase for Season 2’s epic battle episode “Blackwater”, the price tag for the show steadily grew. By its final season, it was at $15 million an episode. The high costs are put to good use though, as the show features incredible effects for elements like the White Walkers, Dragons, and huge battle scenes, as well as a stellar cast.
#2: “The Pacific” (2010)
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Often seen as a companion piece to “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific” focuses on the Pacific Theater of WWII. However, it has nearly twice the budget per episode as the former series, costing around 20 million dollars apiece, for a grand total of 200 million dollars. Some estimates actually place it as high as $270 million. Given how epic, gruesome, and realistic the battle scenes are, with many using practical effects, it’s easy to see where all that money went. As of this writing, “The Pacific” is the most expensive TV show ever made. So why isn’t it our number 1? You’ll find out soon. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Jack Ryan” (2018-) This Globetrotting Spy Series Reportedly Spends $8 Million Per Episode “The Defenders” (2017) Netflix Marvel’s Team-Up Miniseries Needed $8 Million For Each of Its 8 Parts “The Alienist” (2018-) $5 Million An Episode Makes This Period Drama Possible “Camelot” (2011) This Short-Lived Flop Cost $7 Million Per Episode “The West Wing” (1999-2006) The Famed Political Show Featured a Budget of $2.7 Million For Each Episode
#1: “The Lord of the Rings” (TBA)
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“The Lord of the Rings” is one of the biggest names in fantasy and pop culture. Amazon’s forthcoming prequel adaptation is supposed to be set thousands of years before the books and films, though precious little is known about the plot yet. What is known, however, is that Amazon has spent 250 million on the rights alone. Not only that, but the estimated budget for each of the planned five seasons is said to be between 100 to 150 million dollars each. This would put the total amount spent on the series somewhere in the neighborhood of a billion dollars! That’s dragon hoard money! (Or pocket change for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos). We can’t wait to see the results!
