10 Most Expensive TV Show Pilots Ever
9. The Crown - $13 Million
Some historical inaccuracies aside, The Crown is a fantastic series and is rightfully one of the crown jewels of Netflix’s original programming. But that royal status hasn’t come cheap.
With every passing series, plenty of big-name actors have joined the show’s huge ensemble cast, including the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Charles Dance and Gillian Anderson. As a consequence, the wage bill has increased dramatically and will rise even more once the showrunners have finished casting the final two series, that are due to start filming this summer.
But even from the get-go, the show’s admittedly astonishing production values were costing Netflix a fortune. The Crown’s creator, Peter Morgan, has always strived for authenticity at all costs, with heavily detailed replicas of costumes and full sets being constructed to recreate countless famous events from the last 70 years.
Look at the pilot episode, Wolferton Splash, for example. It perfectly depicts the wedding between the soon-to-be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in 1947. The scene only lasts nine minutes but took five days to film across two locations, as Ely Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral doubled for Westminster Abbey. Furthermore, the replica of the Queen’s wedding dress alone cost $37,000, despite appearing on screen for just a matter of moments.
All in all, Netflix reportedly spent a whopping $130 million on the first season of The Crown, with each episode, including the pilot, costing around $13 million each.
As one of the most popular shows on the platform though, it's fair to say it's been worth every penny.