The Most Expensive Television Shows of All Time, Ranked

35. Boardwalk Empire – $5 million per Episode

Is Boardwalk Empire already forgotten to you? Hopefully not! The show is still one of the most expensive ever! Producing a period-accurate series is a surefire way to raise production costs. Each episode of this 1920 crime drama was poured with millions of dollars to make the turf wars seem realistic. No great crime drama would be complete without a great cast. The show was led by A-lister Steve Buscemi, which also resulted in high budget costs. Approximately $5 million was spent on each episode of Boardwalk Empire. In comparison, HBO spent $18 million on the Martin Scorsese-directed, two-hour pilot!