5. Boardwalk Empire - $5 Million Per Episode
HBOMost of the things said about Deadwood are also true for Boardwalk Empire. It is another historical TV show produced by HBO which comes with high production costs due to the need to use sets and costumes from the 1920s. It also features prominent historical figures, this time from the world of organized crime Al Capone, Lucky Luciano etc. Right from the beginning, it seemed as if the project was too ambitious for television. One of the first challenges was figuring out how to include a boardwalk in the show. It was called Boardwalk Empire, after all. In the end, the production crew would build a 300-foot long boardwalk placed in a vacant lot in Brooklyn. The price of this essential set - $5 million. However, that is nothing when comparing it to the final cost of the pilot for the show. The producers went all out which included bringing in Martin Scorsese to direct. In the end, they made one of the most expensive pilots in TV history at a whopping $18 million. As with Deadwood, Boardwalk Empires setting and characters are unique and do not necessarily appeal to a large audience even though the critics love it (the first season alone earned 18 Emmy nominations). Despite this, the show will be allowed to go out in style this year when it completes its fifth and final season.