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Summary
A massive budget does n’t always ensure that a show will be successful , but a few great show have managed to hold up up to their exorbitant terms tag . There have been plenty ofbig - budget TV flopsover the yr . Even the most expensive shows of all time can cease up looking like costly duds . CitadelandThe Rings of Powerare just two late good example of shows that have struggled to justify their immense costs . They could still release thing around , but reviews of their first season have been meet through the electron lens of their extremely publicized budget .
Big - name actors can quickly repel up a show ’s budget , with the other main factors being costume , locating , and the use of CGI . TV shows have been becoming more expensive in general in recent years , specially toward the top ending . Some of the budget for late shows would have been unthinkable even ten years ago , underlining how the lines between prestige video and film continue to smudge . Expensive appearance may be becoming more plebeian , but the hit - rate suggests that money is no guarantee of success . There are only a few shows which fully justify their Brobdingnagian costs .
8Friends (1994-2004)
$10 million per episode
Cast
It ’s uncommon for any idiot box champion to be paid so much , and having six actors realise such an amount of money in one show is unheard of .
In its last few seasons , Friendswas extremely expensive for a sitcom . The show had six stars who were all dead pivotal to its success , and they work out together to negociate for higher earnings . EachFriendscast membereventually realise $ 1 million per episode . It ’s rare for any TV stars to be pay up so much , and having six worker make such an amount of money in one show is unheard of . Friendswas worth the unbelievable budget , however , and it remains one of the most popular sitcom of all time .
7Rome (2005-2007)
$9 million per episode
HBO ’s historical dramaRomefollows the lives of two average soldiers as the Roman Empire originate from the ruin of the republic . Romewas an challenging exploit of TV storytelling at the clip , and its commitment to historical authenticity need heavy investing . Rome ’s period - appropriate costumes and sets help to make an immersive portrait of a tumultuous clock time in the history of the ancient world . It may have only hold out for two seasons , butRomeis still gaining new rooter almost two decennary later . It could be an ideal option for a big - budget reboot .
6Band Of Brothers (2001)
$12.5 million per episode
HBO ’s World War II miniseries was a defining moment in the early Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of prestige telly . With Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg as producers , Band of Brothersbrought the scope and production values of cinema to the small screen . TheBand of Brotherscastis stacked with endowment , and many of the actors have break down on to reach plenty of success in the last two decennium . The cast is n’t the only reason for the show ’s huge budget , though . Band of Brothersis an ambitious miniseries that required a lot of period costumes and props , and it was shot on location around Europe .
Masters of the Air , the late World War II drama by the same team of producers , is even more expensive . The Apple TV+ original cost $ 250 million for nine sequence .
5The Crown (2016-2023)
$14.4 million per episode
Netflix’sThe Crownhas a massive budget , with the show spare no expense in recreating historic events tie in to the British royal family . Part of the enormous price can be attributed to the show ’s stellar shape , which includes Olivia Colman , Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce . Butthe main rationality for the show ’s inflated budget is its commitment to historical authenticity , which ask lavish costume and locations . The Crownoften practice CGI to mime real - world locations that would never allow motion-picture photography , such as Windsor Castle , and this also drives up the budget .
Netflix has plenty of enceinte original series , and they sometimes terminate up spending a sight of money to make them . These are the most expensive ones !
4Stranger Things (2016-2025)
$30 million per episode
Stranger Thingsuses a menstruum scene and plenty of CGI . Either of these matter can make a show much more expensive to make , and aggregate them makesStranger ThingsNetflix ’s dear show . Each season amount with a sizable increase to the budget , asStranger Thingshas become Netflix ’s flagship show and the roll have commanded high wage . It seems likely thatStranger Thingsseason 5could be its large yet . It may have a remarkably gamey budget , butStranger Thingshas undoubtedly been a impudent investment for Netflix . Finding a heir to the show could be difficult .
3The Mandalorian (2019-)
$15 million per episode
The Mandaloriandoesn’t forfeit any of the scale or sci - fi action of theStar Warsmovies just because it ’s on TV .
The Mandalorianwas the first live - actionStar WarsTV show , so the dealership needed a hit . The show start off with an eye - lachrymation budget as an index number of how significant it was to Disney+ , but the payoff was well worth the investment . The Mandaloriandoesn’t sacrifice any of the weighing machine or sci - fi action of theStar Warsmovies just because it ’s on TV . Thebest episodes ofThe Mandalorianoften tell perfectly take stories that can serve as short films . Not every live - actionStar Warsshow has strive the same high standard .
2Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)
Although its controversial final season may have defile its repute fairly , Game of Thronesis still a triumph of fantasy TV . Based on George R. R. Martin ’s novel , Game of Thronesis an epic saga with dozen of important role . The costumes , props and sets also summate to the show ’s immense budget , and the extensive CGI certainly did n’t come cheap . plot of Thronesis a great example of a boldly ambitious telecasting show . It used an tremendous budget , especially in its later seasons , but this was necessary to care for the germ fabric aright .
Game of Thrones Jehovah David Benioff and DB Weiss reveal why they are n’t demand with House of the Dragon and whether they ’ve seen the hitting spinoff .
1Loki (2021-2023)
$25 million per episode
Each of Marvel ’s boob tube shows reportedly comes with a budget of around $ 25 million per episode . Not every one has been an equal success , butLokiwas deserving every penny . TheMCU ’s film budget are consistently among the high in the diligence , so it makes sense that their TV projects would be just as expensive . Like the movies , Lokiand other Marvel shows use a lot of expensive CGI and with child - name actors , neither of which are flashy . Lokiis an entertaining blending of clowning and action , but it also facilitate build on the full-bodied traditional knowledge of the MCU .
