Money in the trash: series that had high budgets and low ratings

In the industry entertainmentit’s common to associate big budgets with potential box office hits or acclaimed television series.

However, in recent years, several series with high investments have failed to win over the public and have been canceled prematurely.

A hefty budget may allow for impressive special effects, exotic locations, and stellar casts, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee a warm reception from viewers.

Success requires a complex combination

The success of a series depends on a complex combination of script, direction, acting and connection with the target audience.

Recently, five iconic series have drawn attention for their substantial budgets and the disappointment resulting from their cancellations.

Although significant resources were invested, these productions failed to meet expectations, both in terms of audience and critics.

‘Mindhunter’ – Netflix

During its exhibition period between 2017 and 2019, ‘Mindhunter’ gained a loyal audience passionate about true crime productions. Even with this base of admirers, the series was unable to guarantee its continuity.

While Netflix never officially confirmed the cancellation, it has been five years since the last season, and even creator David Fincher himself has suggested that high costs make its return unlikely.

‘Marco Polo’ – Netflix

One of the first original forays into Netflix‘Marco Polo’ was a fictional narrative set in the court of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan.

Costing approximately US$10 million per episode, the series found some followers, but not enough to justify its outsized investment. After two seasons, Netflix decided to end production.

‘Roma’ – HBO

Between 2005 and 2007, HBO presented one of its most ambitious original productions to date, ‘Roma’.

With a budget of US$10 million per episode, the series offered a fictional narrative centered on events at the end of the Roman Republic.

Despite favorable reviews, with an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience did not meet HBO’s expectations, leading to its cancellation after two seasons.

Its grandeur and focus on internal politics make it stand out as a precursor to ‘Game of Thrones’.

‘Camelot’ – Starz

In the same year that the first season of ‘Game of Thrones’ debuted, in 2011, ‘Camelot’ appeared, a medieval series with a considerable budget of around US$7 million per episode.

Despite robust financial resources, the production received negative reviews, with just a 44% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, resulting in its cancellation after a single season.

‘Vinyl’ – HBO

‘Vinyl’ is remembered as one of HBO’s biggest flops. With an investment of US$100 million and names like Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones on the production team, the series promised to explore the music industry of the 70s.

However, despite its intriguing premise, it failed to both attract court hearing as well as receiving critical praise, it was canceled after just one season.