The Most Expensive TV Shows Ever Made

High-end television has reached blockbuster-level budgets, with some series commanding staggering production costs. In this list, we explore six of the most expensive TV shows ever made (scripted dramas and comedies), focusing on completed multi-season series (no reality shows or one-off limited series). For each of these highest valued TV shows, we’ll look at their original reported production costs (per episode or total, unadjusted for inflation), the network/platform, how many seasons/episodes they ran, and what drove their sky-high budgets. These shows spared no expense – from enormous cast salaries to elaborate special effects – making them milestone productions in TV history.

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1. Westworld – HBO (4 Seasons, 36 Episodes)

HBO’s sci-fi drama Westworld pushed TV budgeting to new frontiers. By its fourth and final season (aired 2022), Westworld was reportedly costing about $20 million per episode, with Season 4’s budget around $160 million for 8 episodes. Earlier seasons weren’t cheap either – Season 1 cost roughly $100 million (including a $25M pilot and ~$8–10M for later episodes). The show’s expenses came from its ambitious production design and effects: it featured an Old West theme park set, futuristic cityscapes in later seasons, lifelike android characters, and extensive visual effects. A-list cast members (Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton, etc.) also commanded substantial salaries. 

2. Game of Thrones – HBO (8 Seasons, 73 Episodes)

Fantasy epic Game of Thrones became a cultural phenomenon – and a financial behemoth for HBO. The show’s budget exploded over its run: initial seasons cost around $5–6 million per episode, which grew to ~$10 million by Season 6. By the eighth and final season (2019), HBO was spending an eye-watering $15 million per episode – roughly $90 million for the six-episode final season. In total, the entire series is estimated to have cost over $600 million to produce. What drove these costs? Simply put, Game of Thrones brought big-screen spectacle to TV. The show built massive sets (from Winterfell to King’s Landing), filmed on-location across multiple countries, and delivered huge battle sequences laden with complex stunts and CGI (dragons, armies of the undead, and fire-breathing devastation). All of this made Game of Thrones one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, and HBO’s flagship series more than justified its budget with record viewership and worldwide acclaim.

3. See – Apple TV+ (3 Seasons, 24 Episodes)

Apple TV+ entered the streaming wars with See, a high-concept post-apocalyptic drama starring Jason Momoa. See was a bold investment for Apple – it was reported to cost about $15 million per episode during its run, putting it on par with Game of Thrones’ final-season spending. Across 24 episodes (2019–2022), the series cost roughly $360 million in total. The big budget was evident in the show’s cinematic production values. See is set in a future where humans have lost the sense of sight, and Apple spared no expense in creating its world: shooting on location in rugged wilderness, staging large-scale battles and choreographed fight sequences, and employing extensive special effects to depict its dystopian setting. Those “expensive special effects” significantly drove up the production budget, and star Jason Momoa’s salary was “another significant cost” for the show. 

4. The Crown – Netflix (6 Seasons, 60 Episodes)

Netflix’s regal drama The Crown set a new benchmark for lavish TV spending. Early on, it was touted as “the most expensive TV series to date,” costing over $130 million for the first season alone (about $13 million per episode). Subsequent seasons continued with budgets in that range – Seasons 5 and 6 were estimated around $14 million per episode each– bringing the total production cost for all six seasons (2016–2023) to roughly $600–650 million. The Crown’s high budget is justified by its opulent attention to detail. The series dramatizes the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and spares no expense in recreating mid-20th-century royalty. Expenses included painstaking period costumes and sets – for example, producers re-created the Queen’s 1947 wedding dress (at a cost of ~$35,000) and commissioned 7,000 unique costumes for Season 1 alone. The Crown ranks among the highest valued TV shows ever produced, exemplifying Netflix’s big-budget strategy for prestige content.

5. ER – NBC (15 Seasons, 331 Episodes)

Long-running medical drama ER was not only a ratings juggernaut of the 1990s, it also became one of the most expensive series of its era. By Season 4 in 1997, ER’s production cost had skyrocketed to about $13 million per episode – a record-breaking sum at the time. (For comparison, its first few seasons cost around $2 million per episode, and later seasons leveled out around $8 million each.) The cost surge came when NBC negotiated to keep ER on the air amid its huge popularity – the network agreed to pay Warner Bros. So what made ER so costly? A major factor was its large ensemble cast and their salaries. As the show became a hit, key cast members (like Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Noah Wyle, and Julianna Margulies) earned substantial raises; at one point NBC was paying about $13M per episode largely to cover the star-studded cast. In fact, it worked out to roughly $1 million for each main cast member per episode in the late ’90s. 

6. Friends (10 Seasons, 236 Episodes)

It wasn’t just dramas and sci-fi epics breaking the bank – hit comedy Friends also became one of the highest-priced TV shows ever by its final seasons. This beloved NBC sitcom (which aired from 1994 to 2004) started with modest costs, but after a decade the six lead actors negotiated unprecedented salaries. During the final season, Friends was costing around $10 million per episode, with the main cast’s paychecks being the biggest line item. All six stars (Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer) banded together in salary renegotiations, ultimately securing $1 million each per episode – meaning $6 million of each episode’s budget went solely to the cast’s pay. (This was a record per-actor TV salary at the time.) Thanks to its ensemble’s chemistry and massive audience appeal, Friends proved to be worth every penny, and it remains one of the most expensive (and valuable) TV series ever made in the comedy genre.

Where Big Budgets Make TV History

From dragons and dynasties to futuristic blindness and Manhattan lofts, these six titles represent the most expensive TV shows ever made. Their lavish production values, A-list casts, and global ambition helped redefine the standard for premium television. As networks and streamers continue chasing audience attention with big-money storytelling, these shows remain iconic benchmarks for the highest valued TV shows of all time.

FAQ – Most Expensive TV Shows Ever Made

What is the most expensive TV show ever made?

As of now, Westworld holds the title, with a final season cost of $160 million (about $20 million per episode), making it one of the most expensive TV shows ever made.

Why are some TV shows so expensive to produce?

High costs stem from star salaries, international filming, elaborate sets, CGI, costumes, and licensing fees. These shows often aim to rival movie-level quality.

Are expensive shows more successful?

Not always. While some of the highest valued TV shows like Game of Thrones became global phenomena, others like Westworld were canceled despite big budgets.

Does a high budget guarantee better quality?

Not necessarily. While budget allows for scope and spectacle, storytelling, pacing, and character development still make or break a series.

Which comedy series was among the most expensive ever?

Friends stands out, costing $10 million per episode in its final season—mostly due to cast salaries—making it one of the most expensive TV shows ever made in its genre.