There is no doubt that we are currently living in a golden age of television. With streaming services completely changing the industry and new companies launching (almost) every other day, TV fans are certainly not left wanting. It’s not to say that an increased budget is going to guarantee a higher quality show, but there is more money in television now than there ever has been before.
It means that TV shows can be more adventurous, and even offer some serious competition to the film industry. It sadly also leads some shows straight to cancellation. This list will look at the most expensive science fiction episodes of the last ten years and your jaw will drop as the number of millions just keep getting bigger. To give some context, the Best Picture winner Moonlight with a budget of $4,000,000 doesn’t even come close to this top ten.
The Tick - $5 million per episode
Created by Ben Edland, who is adapting from his own comic book series, The Tick starred funny man Peter Serofinowicz as the titular super-hero. The Tick was a very tongue-in-cheek super-hero show that followed the near-indestructible hero as he went on mad-cap adventures with his nervous sidekick.
While on the lower end of this scale the budget is nonetheless impressive for a series that was only picked up for series based on a popular vote, rather than an executive decision. However, maybe the budget was a little too big for the show’s boots; unfortunately, after two seasons it was announced The Tick would not be returning.
Altered Carbon - $7 million per episode
Another streaming show but the first from Netflix. Altered Carbon, adapted from the Takeshi Kovacs novels by Richard Morgan, the series is cyberpunk meets noir detective. At $7 million per episode, the series as a whole will rival most major blockbusters in terms of budget, and it shows.
The world of the series looks fantastic, beautifully rendered in dripping neon and decorated with futuristic sets. Not to mention all of the literal bone-crushing violence and action. Season 2 is due to be released soon, here’s hoping the budget doesn’t consume this one.
The Defenders - $8million per episode
This show was only ever planned to be a one-off so it’s probably not surprising that the envelope was pushed for this series’ budget. It’s likely that most of the budget would have gone to the fight scenes, The Defenders’ favoring realistic choreographed combat sequences to CGI.
Not that anyone is complaining: seeing Iron Fist and Luke Cage team-up was a joy and Daredevil’s solo corridor fights get better with each outing. Jessica Jones and Daredevil would each get one more season but unfortunately, the entire Netflix/Marvel universe has been canceled, perhaps the characters will reappear on Disney+?
Stranger Things - $8 million per episode
Stranger Things is now, more-or-less, Netflix’s flagship show so it’s not surprising the episode budget is so high, but it still doesn’t make the top ten! It is believed that the budget will differ per episode (sometimes getting even higher!) as Netflix shows tend to focus on story structure as opposed to delivering the exact same experience each episode.
Not only will a big amount be spent on CGI and practical effects, but a huge amount is spent on the show’s iconic ’80s soundtrack. A specific period setting can drain a budget (like Mad Men) however there’s no denying that it pays off, Stranger Things isn’t going anywhere!
Star Trek: Discovery - $8.5 million per episode
Sci-Fi shows are no strangers to high budgets, especially if they involve space-travel, future technology and many various alien races. Of course, Star Trek has all of these and then some! Discovery being the first new Star Trek show to air in over a decade it’s not surprising that the creators wanted to make a good impression with all that modern technology could offer.
The result has been an impressively consistent show with some of the best special effects and prosthetics ever seen in a Trek show. Not to mention getting the legendary Michelle Yeoh for the first season!
Sense8 - $9 million per episode
Sense8’s cancelation is now infamous, but it also marked one of Netflix’s first truly cult shows - it had a dedicated fanbase, however, it seems not enough people watched it to justify how much each episode cost.
It had a lot going for it; co-created by The Matrix’s Wachowski sisters, a truly globe-trotting story with locations in multiple countries and a really interesting and highly progressive sci-fi premise. While a final outing was awarded to heartbroken fans, Sense8 proved that even Netflix, that seems to produce anything, has a limit.
Fringe - $10 million per episode
Fringe co-creator J.J Abrams has often said that it was an expensive show to make. However, it was also an undeniable success; it ran for 100 episodes and filled that much-needed X-Files gap in our lives.
While it began in 2008 it ran until 2013 and would have been one of the most expensive shows of its time. While it still has its fan, Fringe also works as an interesting measure, given its budget, of how far technology has come in just the last few years; with effects, which are just as impressive, being achieved for a lot less.
The Mandalorian - $15 million per episode
Anyone who has seen The Mandalorian will probably not be surprised to see where it’s ranked on this list. From its costumes to its sets, its alien characters to its spaceships, and of course all the action, nearly every frame is showing off in some way.
It is good to see that Disney followed up on its promise that its streaming shows would be movie quality, as it really makes the show feel like it’s taking place in the world of the Star Wars saga. A promising sign for Disney’s future series.
Terra Nova - $20 million per episode
Admittedly the $20 million budget was primarily for the pilot the figure is nonetheless staggering. Not least because this was an original project, often these days you’d see that amount of money only being spent on a pre-existing property with a guaranteed viewership.
However, Terra Nova had a pretty impressive premise: a band of humans travels from the future to the prehistoric age in order to try and prevent the Earth from dying. With CGI dinosaurs as well as other sci-fi tropes it’s easy to see where the money went, unfortunately, Terra Nova never made it passed 13 episodes.
Westworld - $25 million per episode
On an episodic budget that would rival many films, Westworld is at the top of this list and for good reason. HBO has a reputation for producing high-quality shows and that often means an inflated budget (you should see how much Game of Thrones cost). The show is visually stunning, in both its depiction of the wild west and its cutting edge robotics.
Clearly a lot of the budget went into the production but a sizeable chunk was probably given to its star-studded cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright among many others. With season 3 coming soon it’s exciting to see what further delights the show has in store.
Next: 10 50s Sci-Fi Movies That Are Still Mindblowing Today
