10 Most Expensive TV Shows Ever Made
Currently, there are over 40 OTT platforms run by various companies in India, with Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and some regional players being the big players in the space. With the development of low-cost smartphones and high-quality content, consumption in India has increased manifold. As a result, many players invest heavily in the market.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is officially the biggest budget series of all time; Prime Video invested huge sums of money in the show.
The most expensive TV shows guarantee spectacular sets, the biggest star cast, and the best effects, promising an immersive viewing experience for the viewers from the comfort of their homes.In the meantime, we’ve compiled a list of the most expensive TV shows of all time, to find out, does expensive really matter.
Top 10 most expensive web series
01 – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Total Budget of $1 Billion
- Genre – Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
- Based on – The Lord of the Rings and appendices by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Developed by – J. D. Payne Patrick McKay
- Theme music composer – Howard Shore
- Composer – Bear McCreary
- Country of origin – United States
- Original language – English
- Producers – Ron Ames, Chris Newman
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American fantasy television series based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings and its appendices. The series’ total production budget is US$715 million, setting the record for being the most expensive show ever produced.
According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2017, when the series was announced, HBO and Netflix, along with Amazon, were the top contenders in getting the rights. For Netflix, it was an already established franchise, and HBO was looking for another breakthrough after Game of Thrones. In the end, for US$250 million, Amazon, backed by Jeff Bezos, overtook competitors for television production rights.
02 – The Pacific – $200 Million
- Based on: With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa; by Eugene Sledge; Helmet for My Pillow; by Robert Leckie
- Directed by: Tim Van Patten; David Nutter; Jeremy Podeswa; Graham Yost; Carl Franklin; Tony To
- Original release: March 14 –; May 16, 2010
- Budget: US$200 million
- Original network: HBO
- Production companies: HBO Entertainment; DreamWorks Television; Playtone
The Pacific is a 2010 American war drama miniseries produced by HBO, Playtone, and DreamWorks, which premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010. The project was originally estimated at $100 million to produce but ended up costing over $200 million, making the Pacific the most expensive television mini-series ever produced by any network.Co-executive producer Tony Too said the scene in which Sledge (Joseph Majello) lands on Peleliu alone is worth about $5 million.
03 – Game of Thrones – $15 Million Per Episode forthe last season
- Spin-off: House of the Dragon Trending
- First episode date: 17 April 2011
- Created by: David Benioff; D. B. Weiss
- Opening theme: “Main Title”
- Genre: Action; Adventure; Fantasy; Serial drama; Tragedy;
- Adapted from: A Song of Ice and Fire, A Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is an HBO series that tells the story of a medieval country’s civil war. Nine noble families wage war against each other to gain control of the mythical land of Westeros.HBO’s “Game of Thrones” has a hefty price tag compared to the majority of other TV shows, and it’s only gotten bigger over time. The final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” cost $15 million per episode.With 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons, it premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019.The iron throne was made out of real swords.
04 – The Mandalorian – $15 Million Per Episode
- First episode date: 12 November 2019
- Producer: John Bartnicki
- Composer: Ludwig Göransson
- Genre: Action-adventure; Space western
- Original network: Disney+
- Directors: Jon Favreau, Deborah Chow, Taika Waititi, Rick Famuyiwa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dave Filoni
Story – A lone bounty hunter working on the Outer Rim, away from the dominion of the New Republic, embarks on a series of unexpected and dangerous adventures after the Empire is overthrown by rebel forces.
The season had a budget of $100 million and $15 million per episode. The series has some drawbacks but overall, the series is good for the adventure lover.
05 – See – $15 Million Per Episode
- First episode date: 1 November 2019
- Created by: Steven Knight
- Composer: Bear McCreary
- Production locations: British Columbia, Canada
- Genre: Action-adventure; Drama; Science fiction
Story – In the distant future, mankind has lost its sight; The father of twins born with the mythical ability to see must save his clan from a dangerous queen.
Written by Steven Knight and directed by Francis Lawrence. It also stars Sylvia Hoeks, Christian Camargo, Archie Madekwe, Hera Hilmar, Nesta Cooper and Yadira Guevara-Prip.
All episodes of See are exclusively available on the Apple TV+ streaming service. It was recently reported Apple spent nearly $15 million per episode on the series, which spans eight episodes in total.
06 – The Morning Show – $15 Million Per Episode
- First episode date: 1 November 2019
- Opening theme: “Nemesis” by Benjamin Clementine
- Genre: Drama
- Executive producers: Jennifer Aniston; Reese Witherspoon; Kerry Ehrin; Michael Ellenberg; Mimi Leder; Kristin Hahn; Lauren Levy Neustadter
- Created by: Jay Carson
- Awards: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, MORE
On November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ debuted the drama series the Morning Show, starring Steve Carell, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Aniston. The series is inspired by Brian Stelter’s book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV.
The cost of the series is $15 million per episode. Starring some of Hollywood’s biggest names such as Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell, a notable portion of the show’s budget was spent on the actors’ salaries. The two lead actresses were paid over $2 million per episode.
07 – The Crown – $13 Million Per Episode
- Original network: Netflix
- Production companies: Left Bank Pictures; Sony Pictures Television
- Theme music composer: Hans Zimmer
- Producer: Andrew Eaton
- Created by: Peter Morgan
- Original release: 4 November 2016 –; present
The Crown is a Netflix historical drama series about Queen Elizabeth II’s reign that was developed and primarily written by Peter Morgan. It was made by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television.”The Crown” is reportedly one of the most expensive series ever made, production on the first season of the popular Netflix show reportedly cost $130 million and $13 million per episode.
08 – Band of Brothers – $12.5 Million Per Episode
- First episode date: 9 September 2001
- Adapted from: Band of Brothers
- Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson; Richard Loncraine; Mikael Salomon; David Nutter; Tom Hanks; David Leland; David Frankel; Tony To
- Producers: Gary Goetzman; Tony To; Erik Bork; Erik Jendresen; Stephen E. Ambrose; Mary Richards
- Written by: Erik Jendresen; Tom Hanks; John Orloff; E. Max Frye; Graham Yost; Bruce C. McKenna; Erik Bork
- Created by: Tom Hanks; Steven Spielberg
Band of Brothers is a 2001 American war drama miniseries based on the 1992 non-fiction book Band of Brothers by historian Stephen E. Ambrose. It was the most expensive TV miniseries ever made by any network at the time. Its budget was around $125 million, or an average of $12.5 million per episode. An additional $15 million was allocated for the promotional campaign, which included screenings for World War II veterans.
09 – Rome – $10 Million Per Episode
- Genre: Historical drama
- Created by: John Milius; William J. MacDonald; Bruno Heller
- Original network: HBO (United States); BBC Two (United Kingdom); Rai 2 (Italy)
- Composer: Jeff Beal
- Original release: 28 August 2005 –; 25 March 2007
- Production locations: Lazio, Italy; Sofia, Bulgaria
John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller produced the historical drama television series Rome. The web series is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome’s transition from Republic to Empire. Rome had a large audience and garnered mostly positive reviews. HBO used expensive costumes and extremely intricate set designs, resulting in a $9 million per episode budget, to paint an accurate and compelling picture of what was needed to survive in Roman times
10 – Westworld – $9 Million Per Episode
- Adapted from: Westworld
- Composer: Ramin Djawadi
- Original network: HBO
- Budget: $88+ million (s. 1); $107+ million (s. 2); $100+ million (s. 3);
- Created by: Jonathan Nolan; Lisa Joy
- Original release: October 2, 2016 –; present
Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s neo-Western, dystopian television series Westworld debuted on October 2, 2016, in the United States. Westworld adapted the classic 70s James Brolin flick, using modern technology and set design, backing its sci-fi premise with strong visual effects and sleek cinematography. Reports said that each episode’s budget is approximately $9 million.
FAQ
What are the 10 most expensive TV shows of all time?
The top 10 most expensive tv shows ever made are as follows: –
- The Lord of the Rings
- The Pacific
- Game of Thrones
- The Mandalorian
- See
- The Morning Show
- The Crown
- Band of Brothers
- Rome
- Westworld
Read the full article to explore the top 10 most expensive tv shows ever made, expensive web series, middle earth-based movies, web series, best Netflix web series, top HBO shows, best amazon web series, and more.
Which is the best most expensive web series?
The lord of the rings – Power of rings:The Lord of the Rings is a series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson, and based on the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The series’ total production budget is US$715 million, setting the record for being the most expensive show ever produced.
Which is the highest-rated IMDb web series?
Game of Thrones (2011–2019) – 9.2/10 IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes 89%. Read here; – top 10 most expensive tv shows ever made, expensive web series, middle earth-based movies, and web series, best Netflix web series, top HBO shows, best amazon web series, and more.
Which is the top 10 web series in the world?
- Breaking Bad
- Sherlock
- Friends
- Narcos
- Black Mirror
- Stranger Things
- Sacred Games
- Mind Hunter
- Squid Games
- Money Heist
This blog is about the top 10 most expensive tv shows ever made, expensive web series, middle earth-based movies and web series, best Netflix web series, top HBO shows, best amazon web series, and more.
Which are the top 10 best Indian web series?
The top 10 best Indian web series are as follows: –
- TVF Pitchers (9.2)
- Panchayat (8.8)
- Sacred Games (8.7)
- The Family Man (8.6)
- Special OPS (8.6)
- Mirzapur (8.5)
- Delhi Crime (8.5)
- Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side (8.4)
- Criminal Justice (8.1)
- Paatal Lok (8)
Which are the top 10 horror movies?
- The Exorcist (1973)
- Hereditary (2018)
- The Conjuring (2013)
- The Shining (1980)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
- The Ring (2002)
- Halloween (1978)
- Sinister (2012)
- INSIDIOUS (2010)
- IT (2017)
What movies to watch before dying?
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- Good Will Hunting (1997)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- American Beauty (1999)
- The Usual Suspects (1995)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- The Green Mile (1999)
- Requiem for a Dream (2000)
- Fight Club (1999)
Which are the top 10 business movies of all time?
- American Made (2017)
- The Social Network (2010)
- Wall Street (1987)
- The Founder (2016)
- Jerry Maguire (1996)
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
- Jobs (2013)
- The Big Short (2015)
- Boiler Room (2000)
- Baazaar (2018)
