7 TV series with the most expensive episodes in history (8 photos)

To ensure that we are always amazed, Hollywood filmmakers are willing to spend crazy amounts of money to film one epic scene.





“Band of Brothers” – $12.5 million



“Saving Private Ryan” is a famous American film that was released in 1998. Steven Spielberg's work received positive reviews from critics and viewers. Three years after the release of the war drama, the director, together with Tom Hanks, introduced the world to “Band of Brothers.” The series premiered in 2001. Each episode cost $12.5 million to film. The secret of the project's success lies not only in the director's work and script, but also in a well-chosen cast. It is noteworthy that they were chosen not because of their popularity, but because of their similarity to real people. Apparently, such preparation is why “Band of Brothers” is now considered one of the best TV series.

The Mandalorian – $15 million





In 2019, the American TV series “The Mandalorian” premiered. The creator of this project was the famous actor and part-time director Jon Favreau. The brainchild of the Marvel Cinematic Universe star has received rave reviews. After all, the creation of the show was approached with all responsibility. What was Baby Yoda worth alone? While most non-existent characters are the work of special effects artists, Grogu is actually a toy that costs five million dollars. Each episode of The Mandalorian cost producers $15 million.

Game of Thrones – $15 million



Game of Thrones is an American television series based on the novel A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. The writer was skeptical about film adaptations for a long time. But everything changed when the popularity of the author’s series of books increased. The reason for this was the success of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 2007, George Martin gave the go-ahead to create an adaptation of his own brainchild. It took a lot of time to find the right cast. But when the project was published, it created a real sensation. The cost of each episode of the first seasons was $6 million. After all, the final season cost $15 million per episode alone.

House of the Dragon – $20 million



After the success of Game of Thrones, HBO decided to give the franchise a new lease of life. Already in 2018, there was talk of a proposed spin-off. In 2020, hard work began on the creation of a new project. In the summer of the same year, the search for actors began. The first to be cast in the series was Paddy Considine, who played the role of Viserys I Targaryen. Gradually, the main cast was replenished with such actors as Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Graham McTavish and many others. In February 2022, filming of the first season came to an end. Each episode cost $20 million. Before a few more episodes had been released, the project was renewed for a second season.

"Pacific" - $21 million



“The Pacific Ocean” is a mini-series that, after its release, received positive reviews not only from critics, but also from viewers. Each episode cost more than $20 million to film. This project is based on the memoirs of US Marines Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie. The main roles went to James Badge Dale and Joseph Mazzello. The executive producers about the events of World War II were Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who released the series as an indirect continuation of Band of Brothers.

Stranger Things – $30 million



When the search began for actors to play the lead roles in the series, the Duffer Brothers spent a huge amount of time on everyone who took part in the casting. Gaten Matarazzo was one of the first to be cast in the project. Initially, Dustin wore glasses, but the aspiring actor captivated the directors with his charm, and they rewrote the role for him. Gradually others began to join. It is noteworthy that the Duffer Brothers did not want to focus much attention on special effects. But over time they realized that there was no way to do without it. Each episode of the series in the last season cost the producers $30 million.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" – $58 million



In 2002, the premiere of the first part of “The Lord of the Rings” took place. Peter Jackson put his soul into this project, and, as it turned out, not in vain. The trilogy created a real sensation in the world, and in the wake of the success of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” they decided to create a series. It is based on Tolkien's books. Fans awaited the premiere of the first episode with special trepidation. After all, the series can boast not only that it will cost a total of one billion dollars to create, but also that fans could watch something interesting and of high quality. After the show's premiere, viewers' opinions were divided: some were happy with the new approach, others were not. Critics praised the visuals and plot, but were unsatisfactory about the pacing of the story.