The 10 most expensive TV shows of all time
Although TV productions were once regarded as low-budget entertainment flicks, that’s no longer the case in the streaming era. Due to the shift in the viewing patterns of audiences on a global scale after the pandemic, more and more studio executives have come to the conclusion that streaming might just be the future of the medium.
While we are used to news reports about record-breaking Marvel projects, which are extremely expensive to make, the same can be said about many new TV shows. Streaming giants such as Disney, Netflix, Apple and Amazon are regularly investing huge amounts of capital in new projects in order to capture the fleeting attention of audiences.
Big budgets do not necessarily equate to a higher quality in storytelling, but Marvel’s 2021 show WandaVision was a welcome exception to that. The $200+ million show started out as one of the most innovative projects in Marvel’s recent history before eventually succumbing to the conventional demands of the fandom.
In an interview with Vulture, showrunner Jac Schaeffer said: “What I feel is special about the MCU foray into television is they’re not approaching it with any distinction [between film and TV]. It’s just an opportunity to tell more of a story. They’re applying the same amount of energy and dedication and budget to do the series as to the features.”
If you’re an aspiring screenwriter or filmmaker who wants to break into the industry, the current streaming landscape might be your best opportunity to make a name for yourself. Most of the most expensive TV shows of all time have been made in recent years, indicating that streaming has unlimited potential.
Check out the full list below.
The 10 most expensive TV shows of all time:
- The Crown ($13 million per episode)
- Game of Thrones ($15 million per episode)
- See ($15 million per episode)
- The Mandalorian ($15 million per episode)
- The Morning Show ($15 million per episode)
- The Pacific ($20 million per episode)
- House of the Dragon ($20 million per episode)
- WandaVision ($25 million per episode)
- Stranger Things ($30 million per episode)
- The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power ($58 million per episode)
The discussion about the inflated budgets of modern series was also inflamed by the recent release of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power which cost Amazon more than $1 billion to make. However, according to showrunner J.D. Payne, the enormous budget was a “bargain”.
Payne explained: “We think it’s important to keep the budget in context. Really, this [season] is an eight-hour movie. This is the length of three Marvel films, done on the schedule of two, for the budget of one. Look at it in the context of what’s actually being produced and you could say that it’s a bargain.”
