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List of most expensive television series

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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]
Andor 2022 20.8 22 [5]
WandaVision 2021 25 28 [6]
Severance (season 2) 2024 20 20 [7][8]
House of the Dragon (season 1) 2022 <20 <21 [2]
7th Heaven 1996–2007 16 31 [9]
The Mandalorian (season 1) 2019 15 18 [10]
See (season 1) 2019 15 18 [10]
Game of Thrones (season 8) 2019 15 18 [11]
The Sandman (season 1) 2022 15 16 [12]
ER (seasons 6 and 7) 1999–2001 13 28 [13]
Game of Thrones (season 6) 2016 10 13 [14]
The Last of Us (season 1) 2023 10 10 [15]

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 [16]
Boardwalk Empire (season 1 2010 5 7 [16]
House of Cards (season 1) 2013 4.5 6 [10]
House of Cards (seasons 2 and 3) 2014–2015 4.23 5 [17]
Hemlock Grove (season 1) 2013 4 5 [18]
Orange Is the New Black (season 1) 2013 4 5 [18]
Now and Again 1999–2000 2.4 4 [19]
Cheers (season 10) 1991–1992 2.2 5 [20]
Nash Bridges (seasons 3 to 6) 1996–2001 2 3 [21][22]
Miami Vice (season 2) 1985–1986 2 6 [23]
Stargate SG-1 (season 10) 2006–2007 2 3 [24]
Stargate SG-1 (season 8) 2004–2005 1.7 3 [25]
The Flash 1990–1991 1.6 4 [26]
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (season 1) 1992 1.5 3 [27]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 1) 1993 1.5 3 [27]
The Untouchables (season 1) 1993 1.5 3 [27]
Stargate Atlantis (season 1) 2004–2005 1.5 2 [25]
The Simpsons (season 7) 1995–1996 1.5 3 [28]
Stargate SG-1 (season 1) 1997–1998 1.3 2 [29]
Dallas (1978 TV series) 1978–1991 1.2 3 [30]
Dynasty (season 9 1988–1989 1.2 3 [30]
Falcon Crest (season 6) 1986–1987 1 3 [31]
Farscape 1999–2003 1 2 [32]
Afro Samurai 2007 1 2 [33]
Da Vinci's Inquest (season 4) 2001–2002 1 2 [34]
Space: Above and Beyond 1995–1996 1 2 [21]

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 [30]
Matlock (season 3) 1988–1989 900,000 2,318,627 [30]
Murder, She Wrote 1988–1989 900,000 2,318,627 [30]
MacGyver (season 5) 1988–1989 850,000 2,189,814 [30]
Simon & Simon (season 8) 1988–1989 850,000 2,189,814 [30]
Almost Grown 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Beauty and the Beast 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
China Beach (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
In the Heat of the Night (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
L.A. Law (season 3) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Midnight Caller (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Mission: Impossible (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Murphy's Law 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Paradise (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Tattingers 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Thirtysomething (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Wiseguy (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,061,002 [30]
Baywatch (season 2) 1991–1992 750,000 1,628,409 [27]
The Cosby Show (season 5) 1988–1989 575,000 1,481,345 [30]
Family Ties (season 7) 1988–1989 575,000 1,481,345 [30]
60 Minutes (season 21) 1988–1989 575,000 1,481,345 [30]
Dora the Explorer (season 4) 2004–2008 505,000 780,031 [35]
Mr. Belvedere (season 5) 1988–1989 475,000 1,223,720 [30]
Full House (season 2) 1988–1989 400,000 1,030,501 [30]
One World (season 1) 1998 400,000 731,602 [36]
Just the Ten of Us (season 2) 1988–1989 375,000 966,095 [30]
Raising Miranda 1988 375,000 966,095 [30]
Astro Boy 2003–2004 250,000 403,277 [37]
Rex the Runt (series 1) 1998–1999 166,000 303,615 [36]
Pokémon (season 4) 2000–2001 100,000 172,073 [38]
Cardcaptor Sakura 1998–2000 100,000 176,928 [39]

Total cost

[edit]
Most expensive television series (total cost)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2023 inflation
Citadel (season 1) 2023 300 300 [40]
Arcane 2021–2024 250 250 [41]
The Acolyte 2024 231 231 [42]
The Pacific 2010 200 279 [43]
3 Body Problem (season 1) 2024 160 160 [44]
Fallout (season 1) 2024 153 153 [45]
Game of Thrones (season 6) 2016 100 127 [14]
The Last of Us (season 1) 2023 100 100 [46]
Game of Thrones (season 1) 2011 50–60 68–81 [47]
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles 1992–1996 27 59 [48]
Amazon 1999–2000 26 48 [49]
Tiny Toon Adventures (season 1) 1990–1991 25 56 [50]
BraveStarr 1987–1988 20 56 [51]
ThunderCats (season 1) 1985 15 42 [52]
The Puzzle Place (season 1) 1995 10.3 21 [53]
Atomic Betty (season 1) 2004–2005 9 15 [54]
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage 1980–1981 8.2 27 [53]
WMAC Masters (season 1) 1995–1997 5.5 11 [55]
Van-Pires 1997 5.2 10 [56]
Cubix 2001–2004 4.5 8 [57]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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