8. Lost - $4 Million Per Episode
ABC StudiosLost is one of the most popular sci-fi dramas of all time and it was a big hit in the ratings for its entire run. The finale (although it was crap) still remains one of the most watched episodes of any television program. All of that success meant boatloads of money which justified its huge price tag of $4 million per episode. Undoubtedly, most of that money went to the actors. Lost maintained a huge cast for its entire run and constantly introduced new characters. It even started out with a cast of over a dozen adult characters (plus one dog and one annoying kid). Then there was also the issue of the location used for shooting. Most of the action on Lost takes place on a mysterious tropical island so the show was shot on location in Oahu, Hawaii and that does not come cheap. Then there is also the issue of the pilot. It is not unusual for pilots to cost more than the average episode of a TV show since they are meant to entice the viewer. Lost, however, went a little overboard with a $14 million pilot. Most of that money was spent on the plane crash since a real aircraft body had to be bought, modified and shipped to Hawaii. The end result was something very realistic and engrossing so realistic that it even tricked a Columbian news program into saying that it was real.