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List of most expensive television series

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This is a list of most expensive television series.

Cost per episode

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Over US $10 million

[edit]
Most expensive television series (cost per episode)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2024 inflation
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (season 1) 2022 58 62 [1][2]
Stranger Things (season 4) 2022 30 32 [3]
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law 2022 25 27 [4]
Andor (season 1) 2022 20.8 22 [5]
WandaVision 2021 25 29 [6]
Loki (season 1) 2021 25 29 [7]
Loki (season 2) 2023 23.5 24 [8]
Severance (season 2) 2025 20 21 [9][10]
House of the Dragon (season 1) 2022 20 21 [2]
The Mandalorian (season 1) 2019 15 18 [11]
See (season 1) 2019 15 18 [11]
Game of Thrones (season 8) 2019 15 18 [12]
The Sandman (season 1) 2022 15 16 [13]
ER (seasons 6 and 7) 1999–2001 13 29 [14]
Game of Thrones (season 6) 2016 10 13 [15]
The Last of Us (season 1) 2023 10 10 [16]

Over US$1 million

[edit]
Most expensive television series (cost per episode)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2024 inflation
Ted (TV series) (season 2) TBA 8 8 [17]
Game of Thrones (season 2) 2012 6 8 [18]
The Night Manager (season 1) 2016 5 7 [19]
Boardwalk Empire (season 1) 2010 5 7 [18]
House of Cards (season 1) 2013 4.5 6 [11]
House of Cards (seasons 2 and 3) 2014–2015 4.23 6 [20]
Hemlock Grove (season 1) 2013 4 5 [21]
Orange Is the New Black (season 1) 2013 4 5 [21]
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (season 1) 2008–2009 2.65 4 [22]
Now and Again 1999–2000 2.4 4 [23]
Cheers (season 10) 1991–1992 2.2 5 [24]
Nash Bridges (seasons 3 to 6) 1996–2001 2 4 [25][26]
Miami Vice (season 2) 1985–1986 2 6 [27]
Stargate SG-1 (season 10) 2006–2007 2 3 [28]
Stargate SG-1 (season 8) 2004–2005 1.7 3 [29]
The Flash 1990–1991 1.6 4 [30]
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (season 1) 1992 1.5 3 [31]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 1) 1993 1.5 3 [31]
The Untouchables (season 1) 1993 1.5 3 [31]
Stargate Atlantis (season 1) 2004–2005 1.5 2 [29]
The Simpsons (season 7) 1995–1996 1.5 3 [32]
Stargate SG-1 (season 1) 1997–1998 1.3 2 [33]
Dallas 1978–1991 1.2 3 [34]
Dynasty (season 9) 1988–1989 1.2 3 [34]
Falcon Crest (season 6) 1986–1987 1 3 [35]
Farscape 1999–2003 1 2 [36]
Afro Samurai 2007 1 2 [37]
Da Vinci's Inquest (season 4) 2001–2002 1 2 [38]
Space: Above and Beyond 1995–1996 1 2 [25]

Below US$1 million

[edit]
Most expensive television series (cost per episode)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2024 inflation
The Equalizer (season 4) 1988–1989 900,000 2,392,825 [34]
Matlock (season 3) 1988–1989 900,000 2,392,825 [34]
Murder, She Wrote 1988–1989 900,000 2,392,825 [34]
MacGyver (season 5) 1988–1989 850,000 2,259,890 [34]
Simon & Simon (season 8) 1988–1989 850,000 2,259,890 [34]
Almost Grown 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Beauty and the Beast 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
China Beach (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
In the Heat of the Night (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
L.A. Law (season 3) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Midnight Caller (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Mission: Impossible (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Murphy's Law 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Paradise (season 1) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Tattingers 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Thirtysomething (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Wiseguy (season 2) 1988–1989 800,000 2,126,956 [34]
Baywatch (season 2) 1991–1992 750,000 1,680,519 [31]
The Cosby Show (season 5) 1988–1989 575,000 1,528,749 [34]
Family Ties (season 7) 1988–1989 575,000 1,528,749 [34]
60 Minutes (season 21) 1988–1989 575,000 1,528,749 [34]
Dora the Explorer (season 4) 2004–2008 505,000 804,992 [39]
Wishbone 1995–1997 500,000 1,031,775 [40]
Mr. Belvedere (season 5) 1988–1989 475,000 1,262,880 [34]
Full House (season 2) 1988–1989 400,000 1,063,478 [34]
One World (season 1) 1998 400,000 755,014 [41]
Just the Ten of Us (season 2) 1988–1989 375,000 997,010 [34]
Raising Miranda 1988 375,000 997,010 [34]
Astro Boy 2003–2004 250,000 416,182 [42]
Rex the Runt (series 1) 1998–1999 166,000 313,331 [41]
Pokémon (season 4) 2000–2001 100,000 177,579 [43]
Cardcaptor Sakura 1998–2000 100,000 182,589 [44]

Total cost

[edit]
Most expensive television series (total cost)
Title Year(s) Est. costs (million US$) Ref.
Unadjusted 2024 inflation
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 2022–present 1,000 1,032 [45]
Andor 2022–present 645 666 [46]
Citadel (season 1) 2023 300 300 [47]
Arcane 2021–2024 250 258 [48]
The Acolyte 2024 230 237 [49]
Secret Invasion 2023 212 219 [50]
The Pacific 2010 200 288 [51]
Euphoria (season 1) 2019 165 197 [52]
Fallout (season 1) 2024 153 158 [53]
3 Body Problem (season 1) 2024 160 165 [54]
Game of Thrones (season 6) 2016 100 131 [15]
The Last of Us (season 1) 2023 100 103 [55]
Beast Games 2024–2025 100 100 [56]
Game of Thrones (season 1) 2011 50–60 70–84 [57]
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles 1992–1996 27 60 [58]
Amazon 1999–2000 26 49 [59]
Tiny Toon Adventures (season 1) 1990–1991 25 58 [60]
BraveStarr 1987–1988 20 57 [61]
Water Rats (season 1) 1996–2001 16 32 [62]
ThunderCats (season 1) 1985 15 44 [63]
The Puzzle Place (season 1) 1995 10.3 21 [64]
Atomic Betty (season 1) 2004–2005 9 15 [65]
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage 1980–1981 8.2 28 [64]
WMAC Masters (season 1) 1995–1997 5.5 11 [66]
Van-Pires 1997 5.2 10 [67]
Cubix 2001–2004 4.5 8 [68]

See also

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References

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