Most Expensive TV shows
For studios to have a hit TV show, sometimes it could be expensive. It does not guarantee that expensive shows will become instant hits, but the quality and cast selection certainly help. The main reasons for the high cost of some TV shows are the details, quality of the settings and costumes to make them more accurate, special effects, and actor salaries.
Here is a list of the 20 most expensive TV shows, with their approximate cost per episode, brief descriptions of their high cost, and where to watch them.
| Show | Cost per Episode | Brief Description for High Cost | Streaming |
| The Pacific | $20 million | Intense battle scenes and high production value. | MAX, Netflix |
| E.R. | $13 million | High production costs for authenticity. | hulu, MAX |
| Band of Brothers | $12.5 million | Historical accuracy and epic scale. | MAX, Netflix |
| Game of Thrones | $7-$15 million | Large cast, exotic locations, and complex special effects. | MAX |
| The Get Down | $11 million | Elaborate 1970s sets, costumes, and the cost of music rights. | Netflix |
| Friends | $7-$10 million | Costs ballooning due to high actor salaries in later seasons. One million dollar salary for each main character | MAX |
| Rome | $10 million | Elaborate sets and costumes. | MAX |
| The Crown | $6.5-$13 million | Lavish production and historical detail. | Netflix |
| Vinyl | $10 million | High costs for period accuracy and star talent. | Amazon (Rent/Buy) |
| Marco Polo | $9 million | Large scale and international settings. | Freeve, Crackle, Netflix |
| The Big Bang Theory | $9 million | High salaries for the main cast in later seasons. | MAX, TBS, Paramount+ |
| Sense8 | $4.5-$9 million | International settings and diverse cast. | Netflix |
| The Alienist | $9 million | Detailed recreation of 1896 New York City, requiring elaborate sets and costumes to authentically represent the era. | MAX, TNT |
| American Gods | $8-$10 million | Expensive due to its elaborate visual effects, set designs, and costume. | STARZ |
| Jack Ryan | $8-$10 million | Expensive due to its high-stakes action sequences, international filming locations, and the necessity of realistic, high-tech military and CIA equipment. | Prime Video |
| Stranger Things | $6-$8 million | Costly due to its special effects, period-specific set designs, and props to recreate the 1980s accurately. | Netflix |
| Frasier | $5.2 million | Expensive due to the rising salaries of its cast, particularly Kelsey Grammer, who at one point was receiving $1.6 million per episode. | hulu, Paramount+ |
| Altered Carbon | $6-$7 million | Expensive primarily due to its extensive visual effects used to create a detailed and immersive cyberpunk world. | Netflix |
| The Tick | $5 million | Expensive due to its high per-minute cost to produce its superhero-centric, visually demanding scenes. | hulu, Prime Video |
| Deadwood | $4.5 million | Expensive due to its highly detailed sets and props that recreated the late 1800s Wild West with remarkable authenticity. | MAX |