From the performance fee friend Production value game of thronesThese are some of the most expensive television shows ever produced.
It’s easy to understand the big budgets of blockbuster movies, but it’s harder to grasp just how expensive TV shows ultimately are. Ambitious CGI, special effects, and exotic locations are the main culprits. But some shows are more expensive because of the purchase of rights or because actors cleverly negotiated high salaries. Whatever the reason, these are some of the most expensive TV shows ever made.
Friends, Game of Thronesand Ring of Power: The most expensive TV show ever made
Friends (approximately $10 million per episode)
Though the show has the least CGI and post-production, it deserves to be on this list for its $10 million per episode price tag. There is nothing expensive about the sets or production process, but the cast’s salaries caused the costs to skyrocket. David Schwimmer, who played Ross, was advised to negotiate a new salary as the show’s popularity grew. Instead of negotiating on his own, he gathered his four other cast mates and negotiated together. Eventually, everyone was granted a raise. By the show’s final season, they were being paid $1 million. Each episodeThat means half of the $10 million cost went to them alone.
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The Witcher (approximately $10 million per episode)
I know how expensive it is friend if The Witcher It’s the closest TV show in terms of cost per episode. Netflix’s remake of the popular novel and video game series is packed with CGI and exotic locations, justifying the hefty cost. On top of that, Henry Cavill reportedly made more than $1 million per episode as of season 2. The show is currently scheduled to continue for two more seasons with Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia.
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The Crown (approximately $13 million per episode)
Directed by Peter Morgan, the historical drama follows the late Queen Elizabeth from her accession to the throne up until her death in 2022. Most of the production budget went to attention to detail, such as the sets and the costumes worn by the cast. For example, it reportedly cost $37,000 to recreate the wedding dress worn by Queen Elizabeth in the first episode, a price tag that’s easy to justify given the show’s multiple costume design award nominations during its run.
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Game of Thrones (approximately $15 million per episode)
HBO’s remake of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy epic is unsurprisingly one of the most expensive shows the network has ever produced. Special effects, filming locations, and the eventual stardom of many of its cast members caused the cost of each episode to skyrocket from $5 million in the first season to $15 million for the finale. Unfortunately, no one likes to talk about the final season, which is arguably one of the most disappointing finales in TV history.
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WandaVision (approximately $25 million per episode)
The fictional lives of Wanda and Vision, which span many eras in television history, were not easy or cheap to create. When Marvel TV production for Disney+ first began, WandaVision This series established the quality that many fans would expect from future MCU television series, which is why many are quite disappointed with where we are now: being an MCU show, there is no shortage of special effects and CGI, which means more expense, but the series stars A-list Hollywood actors Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.
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Stranger Things (approximately $30 million per episode)
What started as a passion project for the Duffer brothers, basically just them talking passionately about what made their childhood the best, has now become a global phenomenon. Netflix started with a budget of around $6 million per episode for season one, but as the story developed and became more ambitious, the costs began to increase. However, it seems justified, as the show is one of the most highly acclaimed and anticipated Netflix originals, with season five set to be released in 2025.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power (approximately $60 million per episode)
This show is more expensive to produce than the original. Lord of the Ring The trilogy, which comes with an astronomical price tag of $60 million per episode, is just one example of the high costs. Amazon reportedly paid $250 million just to win the rights to the show over HBO and Netflix. The company was so desperate for the rights that CEO Jeff Bezos was also involved in the negotiations. A second season is due to premiere this year, and if it continues as originally planned, the series has three more seasons to go, which will only get more expensive.
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(Main and feature images: Prime Video)
