1. Rome - $9-10 Million Per Episode
HBOThe most ambitious project from HBO is also the most expensive. Despite being an incredible show which was popular with the critics, Rome only lasted for 2 seasons and its $9 to $10 million cost per episode definitely had something to do with it. It might have led the way for other fantasy historical epics with Hollywood-style budgets to come after it but when it was made Rome was a very risky project. As weve seen with other entries, HBO can afford to splurge on its shows, but even it was reticent to spend all that money on just one season of a new show. The first season of Rome ended up with a budget of $110 million but this might not have been possible if HBO would not have secured a partner overseas BBC. BBC contributed around $15 million for the first season of Rome or around $1.4 million per episode. The depth of the characters, the visuals and the story won over the critics as the show garnered not only acclaim, but also awards. However, this was not enough to offset the huge production costs. After the initial 2-year contract with BBC was over, the studio was not able to reach an agreement over an extension. HBO was not willing to cover the costs of production on its own so Rome was cancelled but its ambition and scale remained the measuring stick against which all new TV epics must compare.