[go: up one dir, main page]
Jump to content

List of most expensive television series

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of most expensive television series.

Over US$10 million

[edit]
Most expensive television series (cost per episode)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2023 inflation
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (season 1) 2022 58 60 [1][2]
Stranger Things (season 4) 2022 30 31 [3]
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law 2022 25 26 [4]
WandaVision 2021 25 28 [5]
House of the Dragon (season 1) 2022 <20 <21 [2]
The Mandalorian (season 1) 2019 15 18 [6]
See (season 1) 2019 15 18 [6]
Game of Thrones (season 8) 2019 15 18 [7]
The Sandman (season 1) 2022 15 16 [8]
ER (seasons 6 and 7) 1999–2001 13 28 [9]
Game of Thrones (season 6) 2016 10 13 [10]
The Last of Us (season 1) 2023 10 10 [11]

Over US$1 million

[edit]
Most expensive television series (cost per episode)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2023 inflation
Game of Thrones (season 2) 2012 6 8 [12]
Boardwalk Empire (season 1 2010 5 7 [12]
House of Cards (season 1) 2013 4.5 6 [6]
House of Cards (seasons 2 and 3) 2014 4.23 5 [13]
Hemlock Grove (season 1) 2013 4 5 [14]
Orange Is the New Black (season 1) 2013 4 5 [14]
Now and Again 1999–2000 2.4 4 [15]
Cheers (season 10) 1991–1992 2.2 5 [16]
Nash Bridges (seasons 3 to 6) 1996–2001 2 3 [17][18]
Miami Vice (season 2) 1985–1986 2 6 [19]
Stargate SG-1 (season 10) 2006–2007 2 3 [20]
Stargate SG-1 (season 8) 2004–2005 1.7 3 [21]
The Flash 1990–1991 1.6 4 [22]
Stargate Atlantis (season 1) 2004–2005 1.5 2 [21]
The Simpsons (season 7) 1995–1996 1.5 3 [23]
Stargate SG-1 (season 1) 1997–1998 1.3 2 [24]
Dallas (1978 TV series) 1978–1991 1.2 3 [25]
Dynasty (season 9 1988–1989 1.2 3 [25]
Falcon Crest (season 6) 1986–1987 1 3 [26]
Farscape 1999–2003 1 2 [27]
Afro Samurai 2007 1 2 [28]
Da Vinci's Inquest (season 4) 2001–2002 1 2 [29]
Space: Above and Beyond 1995–1996 1 2 [17]

Below US$1 million

[edit]
Most expensive television series (cost per episode)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2023 inflation
The Equalizer (season 4) 1988–1989 900,000 2,318,627 [25]
Matlock (season 3) 1988–1989 900,000 2,318,627 [25]
Murder, She Wrote 1988–1989 900,000 2,318,627 [25]
MacGyver (season 5) 1988–1989 850,000 2,189,814 [25]
Simon & Simon (season 8) 1988–1989 850,000 2,189,814 [25]
Almost Grown 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Beauty and the Beast 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
China Beach (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
In the Heat of the Night (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
L.A. Law (season 3) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Midnight Caller (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Mission: Impossible (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Murphy's Law 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Paradise (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Tattingers 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Thirtysomething (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
Wiseguy (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [25]
The Cosby Show (season 5) 1988–1989 575,000 1,481,345 [25]
Family Ties (season 7) 1988–1989 575,000 1,481,345 [25]
60 Minutes (season 21) 1988–1989 575,000 1,481,345 [25]
Dora the Explorer (season 4) 2004–2008 505,000 780,031 [30]
Mr. Belvedere (season 5) 1988–1989 475,000 1,223,720 [25]
Full House (season 2) 1988–1989 400,000 1,030,501 [25]
One World (season 1) 1998 400,000 731,602 [31]
Just the Ten of Us (season 2) 1988–1989 375,000 966,095 [25]
Raising Miranda 1988 375,000 966,095 [25]
Astro Boy 2003–2004 250,000 403,277 [32]
Rex the Runt (series 1) 1998–1999 166,000 303,615 [31]
Pokémon (season 4) 2000–2001 100,000 172,073 [33]
Cardcaptor Sakura 1998–2000 100,000 176,928 [34]

Total cost

[edit]
Most expensive television series (total cost)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2023 inflation
Arcane 2021–2024 250 250 [35]
The Acolyte 2024 231 231 [36]
The Pacific 2010 200 279 [37]
3 Body Problem (season 1) 2024 160 160 [38]
Fallout (season 1) 2024 153 153 [39]
Game of Thrones (season 6) 2016 100 127 [10]
The Last of Us (season 1) 2023 100 100 [40]
Game of Thrones (season 1) 2011 50–60 68–81 [41]
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles 1992–1996 27 59 [42]
Amazon 1999–2000 26 48 [43]
Tiny Toon Adventures (season 1) 1990–1991 25 56 [44]
BraveStarr 1987–1988 20 56 [45]
ThunderCats (season 1) 1985 15 42 [46]
The Puzzle Place (season 1) 1995 10.3 21 [47]
Atomic Betty (season 1) 2004–2005 9 15 [48]
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage 1980–1981 8.2 27 [47]
WMAC Masters (season 1) 1995–1997 5.5 11 [49]
Van-Pires 1997 5.2 10 [50]
Cubix 2001–2004 4.5 8 [51]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ash, Janelle (July 22, 2022). "Amazon spends $465 million for first season of 'Lord of the Rings' spinoff series". Fox Business. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (April 22, 2022). "How HBO Kept 'House of the Dragon' Costs Under $20 Million per Episode (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Flint, Joe (April 21, 2022). "Netflix, Facing Reality Check, Vows to Curb Its Profligate Ways". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (November 1, 2023). "Crisis at Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, 'The Marvels' Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers and More Issues Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  5. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (October 16, 2019). "Disney Over the Top: Bob Iger Bets the Company (and Hollywood's Future) on Streaming". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Schwartzel, Erich (July 10, 2019). "Coming to a Streaming Service Near You: Shows Costing as Much as Big-Budget Movies". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Ryan, Maureen (September 26, 2017). "TV Series Budgets Hit the Breaking Point as Costs Skyrocket in Peak TV Era". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Hayes, Dave (April 18, 2022). "Binge Times' Book Excerpt: When Cutthroat Media Rivals Decided To Join Forces To Create Hulu, Streaming's Unlikely Trailblazer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Rice, Lynette (January 15, 1998). "Bloody expensive". Birmingham Post-Herald. p. 20. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b Hibberd, James (March 2015). "'Game of Thrones': EW spends 240 hours in Westeros". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  11. ^ Blake, Vikki (July 18, 2021). "HBO's The Last of Us TV show "well exceeds the eight-figure per episode mark"". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Gornstein, Leslie (May 28, 2012). "Holy Flaming Warships! How Expensive Is Game of Thrones, Anyway?". E!. NBCUniversal Television Group. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  13. ^ Johnson, Jenna (February 21, 2014). "How did 'House of Cards' get millions in Maryland tax credits?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  14. ^ a b Wallenstein, Andrew (March 8, 2013). "Netflix Series Spending Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Keveney, Bill (August 20, 2000). "Quality can't always save a television show". The Charlotte Observer. p. 110. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Lippman, John (February 7, 1991). "Is 'Cheers' Worth $120 Million? : Television: Paramount thinks so. But to renew the show, cost-conscious NBC would give up all the ad revenue generated by its top-rated hit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Lowry, Brian (August 13, 1997). "Hercules and Xena : Conquer the World". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  18. ^ Goodman, Tim (May 18, 2001). "Why 'Bridges' was canceled: S.F.-based show losing ratings war". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  19. ^ Shiver, Jube (March 17, 1986). "Profit Squeeze Leads to Tangle Over Licensing, Tax Credits : TV Networks, Producers Battle Over Fees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  20. ^ Andrews, Marke (April 8, 2006). "Stargate's success is out of this world". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  21. ^ a b McNamara, Lynne (June 12, 2004). "The Backlot". Vancouver Sun. p. 33. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ King, Susan (September 19, 1990). "Flash' Suits Up for a Sizzling TV Ratings Race". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  23. ^ Kiesewetter, John (January 7, 1996). "Simpsons TV show sets longevity record". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 48. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Dempsey, John (August 26, 2002). "'Stargate' levitates". Variety. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Malleck, Bonnie (November 18, 1988). "Cost of TV series is staggering". Waterloo Region Record. p. 40. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Changes in store for this season of Falcon Crest". The Atlanta Constitution. August 24, 1986. p. 410. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Ryan, Maureen (August 8, 2003). "Science friction". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  28. ^ Fuquay, Jim (December 17, 2006). "Toons: Motion capture helps bring King Kong, Spider-Man, Gollum to life". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 82. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Cheadle, Bruce (March 15, 2002). "Loosen rules:CBC". The Gazette. p. 12. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Albiniak, Paige (November 12, 2005). "Little Viewers, Big Squabble". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  31. ^ a b Hood, Duncan (January 1999). "The serious paradox of the successful teen comedy". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on October 8, 1999. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  32. ^ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (January 15, 2004). "Astro Boy Flies Again" (PDF). The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2004. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  33. ^ Rutenberg, Jim (January 28, 2001). "Violence Finds a Niche in Children's Cartoons". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  34. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 16, 2000). "A Firm From the Great White North Takes Off". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  35. ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (November 6, 2024). "Why Riot Games' Entertainment Aims Stalled Beyond 'Arcane,' the Priciest Animated Series Ever (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  36. ^ Reid, Caroline (September 26, 2024). "Disney Reveals Star Wars Show 'The Acolyte' Was Over Budget At $230 MIllion". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  37. ^ Block, Alex (August 26, 2010). "How HBO spent $200 million on The Pacific". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  38. ^ Lee, Wendy (March 21, 2024). "They made 'Game of Thrones' into blockbuster TV. Why they went full sci-fi for Netflix". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  39. ^ Maddaus, Gene (April 8, 2024). "Amazon's 'Fallout' to Film Second Season in California With $25 Million Tax Credit". Variety. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  40. ^ Abbas, Abdul (February 18, 2022). "The Last of Us filming in Calgary is an important project for our emerging film industry". Gauntlet. Gauntlet Publication Society. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  41. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 14, 2011). "'Game of Thrones' by The Numbers". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  42. ^ Cerone, Daniel (March 1, 1992). "How 'Young Indiana' Travels on a Budget". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  43. ^ Atherton, Tony (July 29, 1999). "Tyler's awesome Amazon adventure". The Ottawa Citizen. p. 25. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ Powell, Sian (March 25, 1991). "No bugs in this Buster". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 52. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ Wagner, Diane (December 21, 1986). "The $20 0 -Million Man : Marshal BraveStarr Isn't Just a Plaything, But a Marketing Mega-Concept. : A Look at the Serious Business of Toy Merchandising". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  46. ^ Borowski, Neill (August 29, 1985). "ThunderCats: TV stations to share show's toy-sale profits". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 65. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ a b Michaelson, Judith (March 22, 1995). "KCET Shoots 'Puzzle' With Short Funds : Television: Children's series 'The Puzzle Place' is still short $2 million of its $6.5-million budget. Station executives hope underwriting, product licensing will make up deficit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  48. ^ Andrews, Marke (September 16, 2004). "Film animation business takes off in Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. p. 83. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ Hinman, Catherine (November 20, 1995). "Martial Arts Show Back at Universal". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 60. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ Miyakoshi, Masaaki (July 3, 1997). "Cartoon Caper". Sun-Sentinel. p. 49. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "CinePix 3D Animation Cubix to Air on US TV This Month". Cinepix (in Korean). 2001. Archived from the original on July 20, 2001. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_most_expensive_television_series&oldid=1260132185"