Top 20 Most Expensive TV Flops Ever

#20: “Ringer” (2011-12)

Widely advertised as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s big return to TV, “Ringer” was heavily backed by The CW. Thanks mainly to the star power of Gellar, the series generated initial buzz but quickly saw declining ratings thanks to a lack of consistent quality. The numbers rapidly dropped following the strong premiere, and unfortunately, the show had high production costs due to its slick visual style and complex filming techniques, like putting Gellar in a dual role. It was simply too financially unstable for The CW to continue, and it didn’t have the cult following or the strong reviews that often buoy other shows that struggle in the ratings. So “Ringer’s” bell was rung after just one season.

#19: “Troy: Fall of a City” (2018)

The Trojan War is just begging for a great TV adaptation. This was not that. Co-produced by the BBC and Netflix, the series aimed to retell the famous story with a fresh perspective. It was also fully backed by the BBC, with a primetime Saturday night slot and a significant budget of £2 million per episode. But while a typical BBC drama in that slot would average over five million viewers, “Troy” received about half that for its premiere, and the ratings only got worse from there as disappointed viewers dropped off. This was a crushing blow, with the show failing to match the high expectations set by the BBC and similar period dramas like “Game of Thrones.”

#18: “The Event” (2010-11)

Beginning in September 2010, NBC’s “The Event” truly was - wait for it - an event. The alien sci-fi thriller came bursting out of the gate, debuting with nearly 11 million viewers - strong numbers that caused NBC to order a full season. Alas, the show failed to maintain momentum. It soon suffered a rapid ratings decline, and by late November, the show was averaging just six million viewers, and following a midseason break, the ratings dropped even further. By now, the early buzz was entirely absent, and the show had completely bungled its strong momentum. While exact numbers were never released, it’s believed that NBC spent a significant chunk of money on the show, and unfortunately, the return on investment just wasn’t there.

#17: “Good Girls Revolt” (2015-16)

Amazon wanted their own “Mad Men,” so they created “Good Girls Revolt,” based on a nonfiction book about the underpaid and underappreciated female employees of Newsweek. The show was heavily compared to “Mad Men,” complete with a ‘60s setting, an office environment, and themes centered around workplace power structures and second-wave feminism. Unfortunately, it was also considered a lesser “Mad Men,” and it failed to attract an audience, with Amazon’s internal figures showing just 1.6 million total viewers. And with an astounding budget of $81 million, the show was an obvious commercial disaster and was nixed after just one season.

#16: “Kaos” (2024)

Another show about Greek mythology, another bomb. Maybe it’s just not meant to be. This high-budget Netflix series reimagines Greek myth in a modern setting, and some sources peg its budget around $50 million. That is a staggering amount, especially given its mere eight episodes. We suppose Jeff Goldblum doesn’t come cheap. Despite its star-studded cast and ambitious concept, the show failed to gain significant traction, and viewership numbers were reportedly underwhelming. Maybe Netflix would have gone easy on it had it not been for that Herculean budget. Ultimately, “Kaos” did not meet expectations, either creatively or commercially, and it failed to establish itself as a must-watch series. So, like the great and powerful Zeus, Netflix quickly smote it in a passionate rage.

#15: “Vinyl” (2016)

Do you remember the HBO show “Vinyl”? No, probably not. Which is weird, considering the involvement of figures like Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese. Being a period drama with tons of great music, “Vinyl” did not come cheap, costing HBO around $100 million. So imagine their surprise when the show received good-not-great reviews and modest viewership. It was immediately obvious that “Vinyl” had underwhelmed both critically and commercially, and like CDs, interest only dropped as time went on. In fact, HBO had initially greenlit the show for a second season, believing that it would be carried by its concept and unbelievable star power, but they reversed course when it became obvious that “Vinyl” was DOA.

#14: “Sense8” (2015-18)

Created by The Wachowskis of “Matrix” fame, hype was enormous for their sci-fi epic “Sense8.” But, like the “Matrix” sequels, it was met with a collective “meh.” Each episode cost millions of dollars, driven by its large ensemble cast and global filming locations spanning multiple continents. And while it did gain a small and passionate fanbase, it struggled to attract wide mainstream attraction. While Netflix does not generally release detailed viewership numbers, the show clearly failed to justify its expensive budget, and it was cancelled after two seasons. However, Netflix threw its loud and irate fanbase a bone, resulting in a two-hour special meant to wrap up dangling storylines.

#13: “Altered Carbon” (2018-20)

Another sci-fi epic, another premature cancellation, another irate fanbase. Tale as old as time. “Altered Carbon” was initially seen as a major bet for Netflix, featuring a unique cyberpunk premise, strong source material, and an exorbitant budget (reportedly around $7 million per episode). The first season garnered a mixed critical reception, with some praising the aesthetics but criticizing the convoluted plot and shallow emotional depth. The second season fared no better - reviews still weren’t excellent, viewership still wasn’t there, and even worse, it came out right before COVID hit, so significant production delays further weighed against its potential renewal. Unfortunately, the suits didn’t think it was worth the risk, and “Altered Carbon” was given the most permanent alteration of all.

#12: “Inhumans” (2017)

Originally intended as a movie within the MCU, “Inhumans” was eventually downgraded to a TV series, which immediately signalled a huge lack of confidence. The show did nothing to allay those fears. It tried being a megablockbuster in the vein of the MCU, complete with ambitious visual effects and even the use of IMAX cameras. But critics panned the show for its horrible storytelling and wooden performances, leading almost immediately to poor viewership numbers. Additionally, “Inhumans” felt disconnected from the larger MCU, making it feel irrelevant to casual viewers. In the end, “Inhumans” failed to meet both fan and critical expectations, resulting in its early cancellation after just one poorly received season. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” this was not.

#11: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (2022-)

Perhaps it’s unfair to include “The Rings of Power,” as it hasn’t even finished yet, but it seems like the writing is on the wall. Amazon spent an eye-watering $1 billion on the rights to “Lord of the Rings,” intending to make at least five seasons. But the show faced criticism for its slow pacing, fragmented storytelling, and significant deviations from Tolkien’s lore, which alienated diehard fans. And it couldn’t hold onto casual fans either, with just 37% of American viewers even finishing the first season, signaling major retention issues. It also failed to achieve any semblance of cultural impact, especially when compared to its source material. Amazon may not want to admit it, but this was a disastrous fumble.

#10: “Kings” (2009)

“Kings” was set to be NBC’s great drama. It was based on a biblical story, it starred the incredible Ian McShane fresh off his revolutionary performance as Al Swearengen on “Deadwood,” and the studio reportedly put up a whopping $10 million for its pilot. The subsequent episodes weren’t much cheaper, most of them coming with a $4 million bill. Judging by those numbers, we can assume that the thirteen episodes of “Kings,” including its two-part pilot, cost well over $50 million to produce. However, the show received middling reviews and viewers quickly dropped off after the first couple of episodes, resulting in “Kings’” swift cancellation. Talk about a short reign.

#9: “Battlestar Galactica” (1978-79)

Before getting a new and enduring lease on life in the 2000s, the Battlestar Galactica franchise kicked off with a tv series in the late 1970s that rode the sci-fi popularity wave of the first Star Wars film. And, like most convincing science fiction, it wasn’t cheap to produce. Each episode cost about $1 million to produce, or just under $4 million in today’s dollars. And while “Battlestar Galactica” initially saw success, it quickly sunk in the ratings when CBS moved its hit show “All in the Family” to the same time slot. ABC cancelled the show after one season, leading to protests and, unfortunately, the death of one fan.

#8: “Cop Rock” (1990)

Cop shows were big business in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Series like “Hill Street Blues” and “NYPD Blue” both garnered critical acclaim and devoted audiences. “Cop Rock,” a musical cop drama (yes, you heard that right), unfortunately didn’t fare as well. It is often considered one of the worst dramas of all time, and it unsurprisingly didn’t garner much of an audience. Each episode cost almost $2 million to produce, or just under $4 million today, but despite its lavish production values, its bizarre concept was too much to handle. ABC cancelled the show after just eleven episodes, and “Cop Rock” was deemed one of the biggest TV failures of the decade.

#7: “The Get Down” (2016-17)

Sorry Netflix... they can’t all be winners. “The Get Down” was a massive production from Baz Luhrmann, the artistic visionary behind gorgeous productions like “Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Great Gatsby.” Netflix originally planned for the show to cost $11 million per episode, or about $120 million for the season, but the budget ended up ballooning as high as $16 million an episode. The final budget was estimated to be somewhere between $180 and $200 million, about as much as a Marvel production. Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off, and Netflix was forced to cancel the show after one season due to its low viewership and exorbitant costs.

#6: “Viva Laughlin” (2007)

“Viva Laughlin” was an ambitious project from CBS. Hugh Jackman starred and served as executive producer, and the pilot episode alone cost nearly $7 million to produce. However, the show was absolutely roasted by critics, with one writer from The New York Times questioning whether it could possibly be a contender for the worst show of all time. The viewers seemed to agree, as the show was quickly cancelled. And we mean quickly. The show received the axe after just two episodes, leaving five produced episodes unaired. Now that’s what we call a bomb.

#5: “Bionic Woman” (2007)

“The Bionic Woman” was a hit in the ‘70s, so naturally it was bound to get the remake treatment. The reboot debuted on NBC in 2007, but the critics absolutely despised it, and, despite respectable viewership numbers, the writer’s strike of 2007 put an end to the show’s production after just eight episodes. This spelled disaster for NBC, as each episode of the show reportedly cost around $6 million to produce, and the network spent $15 million on marketing. Judging by those numbers, NBC spent around $60 million on a show that was cancelled after just eight episodes. Not exactly a good return on investment!

#4: “Camelot” (2011)

“Camelot” was another Starz attempt at a sword and sandal drama after “Spartacus” proved to be a big hit. “Spartacus” this was not. The show was run by “Torchwood” and “The Tudors” alums Chris Chibnall and Michael Hirst respectively, and it starred Joseph Fiennes and Eva Green. If you think this sounds expensive, it was. Each episode cost around $7 million to produce, and with ten aired episodes, it’s assumed that Starz pumped about $70 million into “Camelot.” However, the show was criticized for being dull and silly, and despite the premiere being the highest-rated pilot in Starz history, it was cancelled after ten episodes due to scheduling conflicts with the cast.

#3: “Supertrain” (1979)

“Supertrain” is known for being one of the biggest laughs in television history, and unfortunately… it wasn't a comedy. It’s often ranked in worst TV show lists and it was a massive commercial failure the likes of which had never yet been seen. While exact numbers are hard to come by, “Supertrain” is considered the most expensive American show ever produced at the time, and NBC put a massive amount of money behind its marketing. However, the show’s poor quality resulted in low viewership, and it was cancelled after just three months and nine episodes. NBC wasn’t able to recover its enormous losses and the network nearly went bankrupt.

#2: “Terra Nova” (2011)

Science fiction is always tricky to produce. It costs a lot of money to make convincingly, and many sci-fi shows end up with a niche audience at best. “Terra Nova” received great initial reviews, with many critics praising its ambition and dazzling special effects. While the quality tended to vary, it was a relatively solid season of television. However, these ambitions came with a price. The pilot ended up costing the network around $14 million, with each subsequent episode tallying around $4 million. And while the show averaged around 7 million viewers an episode, this wasn’t enough for Fox, who ended the series after just thirteen episodes.

#1: “Marco Polo” (2014-16)

“Marco Polo” served as a huge shock to Netflix subscribers. The network was known for its relatively small-scale dramas, including “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black,” yet here was a massive production on par with HBO. In fact, Netflix picked up the series for $90 million, making it the world’s second most expensive show at the time behind “Game of Thrones.” However, the show received scathing reviews and failed to catch on, despite Netflix’s admirable attempts to revitalize it. They cancelled the show after just two seasons, making it one of Netflix’s (and TV’s) biggest bombs, to the estimated tune of a $200 million loss.

Did these shows deserve to flop? Let us know in the comments below!