8 most expensive foreign TV series in television history

Eighth Sense

Science fiction, thriller.
USA, 2015.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 4.
$ 9 million per episode.

The series about how the world works from the Wachowski sisters received excellent ratings at the end of the first season. The show's budget was $ 9 million per episode. Most of the expenses were spent on moving, as the series was filmed in eight different countries: Kenya, India, Germany, Iceland, South Korea, Mexico, USA and UK.

Rome

History, action, drama.
UK, USA, 2005.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 8.
$ 10 million per episode.

One of the few TV shows that had it all: colossal budgets, attractive characters, high ratings. But that wasn't enough to convince the producers to renew Rome for a third season.

HBO executives considered the production of the series to be financially disadvantageous and canceled the show, which was allocated $ 10 million per episode. A couple of years later, it was decided to shoot "Game of Thrones" with the same budgets.

Game of Thrones

Fantasy, drama, adventure.
USA, UK, 2011.
Duration: 6 seasons.
IMDb: 9, 5.
$ 10 million per episode.

By the sixth season, Game of Thrones' budgets had grown dramatically. An average of $ 10 million was spent on the production of each episode. Although much more was spent on the most battle series "Battle of the Bastards". The first season cost $ 50 million, and the sixth season $ 100.

Are these costs profitable? Rumor has it that there will be more profits from Game of Thrones by the end of the series than from the adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. And that's $ 3 billion.

Friends

Comedy, melodrama.
USA, 1994.
Duration: 10 seasons.
IMDb: 9, 0.
$ 10 million per episode.

The case when most of the budget of the series is spent on the royalties of the actors performing the main roles. And there are six of them in Friends. For each episode of season ten, the cast who played Rosa, Phoebe, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, and Joey received a million dollars each. For comparison: at the start of the series they were paid $ 22.5 thousand.

Bruce Willis, on the other hand, starred in Friends for free. He lost the bet to Matthew Perry and donated all of the royalties he received to charity.

Ambulance

Drama, melodrama.
USA, 1994.
Duration: 15 seasons.
IMDb: 7, 7.
$ 13 million per episode.

Ambulance is an exception to the rule. First, the series has become one of the longest primetime medical dramas. This show has 15 seasons and 331 episodes. Secondly, 13 million - the cost of not the final episodes of "Ambulance". The series aired since 1994, and 13 million were spent on the episode from 1998 to 2002. After the budget for the series was cut to 9 million.

By the way, the script for "Ambulance" was written back in 1974, but filming began only 20 years later.

Annealing

Musical, drama.
USA, 2016.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 8, 5.
$ 120 million per season.

"This is the Bronx, not Disneyland!" - says one of the heroes of the series. But this is not just a harsh story about the South Bronx of the 1970s, but a musical: music and dance against burned down buildings, drugs and street gangs.

This is the story of one of the most powerful movements in music, born in a seemingly hopeless place. Colorful and rhythmic! Jaden Smith also plays in The Burnout. And the role of the disco guy from the 70s is better for him than the role of the space boy in "After our era."

Brothers in Arms

Military, action, drama.
UK, USA, 2001.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 9, 5.
$ 125 million per season.

This series ended after the first season, because the story, based on true events, was told in full. This is a rare case when huge budgets were spent on military weapons, make-up and special effects not in order to profit from the series for the next 5-7 years. As a result - "Golden Globe" in the nomination "Best Mini-Series or Film on TV".

By the way, by the third episode of Brothers in Arms, more pyrotechnics and ammunition had been used up than had been spent for the entire filming of Saving Private Ryan.

Crown

History, drama.
USA, UK, 2016.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 8, 8.
$ 130 million per season.

So far, this is the most expensive series in the history of television. Most of the budget was spent on tailoring costumes and decorations. And it took a lot of time to agree on the script with the representatives of the royal family.

Six seasons of The Crown are planned, which will tell all about the modern British monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II. And while the series has such budgets, it will be as interesting to watch as it is on Daenerys Targaryen's path to his crown.