An Episode Of 'The Get Down' Costs $16 Million

 

The Get Down is a lavish production and looks like one, but even fans of Baz Luhrmann‘s opulent style may be surprised to learn just how expensive it is. A new report claims the 1970s hip-hop drama costs something like $16 million per episode, meaning the entire 12-episode first season will come out to a total of around $190 million. Making matters worse, viewership estimates indicate The Get Down may be a rare flop for the streaming service. 

It goes without saying that The Get Down was always meant to be a costly affair. You don’t hire Baz Luhrmann to co-create a musical drama set in 1970s New York and expect a restrained, small-scale project. Add in other high-profile talents like iconic musicians Nas and Grandmaster Flash, Oscar-winning costume designer Catherine Martin, and Pulitzer-winning writer Stephen Adly Guirgis, not to mention a sprawling cast and elaborate sets, and there was no way this show was ever going to be cheap.

The Get Down released the first half of its 12-episode season over this past summer and is still working on finishing up the second half, so there’s a chance these numbers will continue to balloon before the whole thing is done. All of this means The Get Down is one of the most expensive shows in TV history, and definitely the most expensive show Netflix has ever produced. That might not be so terrible if The Get Down were at least a big hit, but it’s not at all clear that it is.

Although Netflix does not release viewership numbers, outside companies have tried their best to estimate how well Netflix’s shows are doing, and most of their guesses don’t look great for The Get Down. Symphony Advanced Media says The Get Down got 3.2 million total viewers among U.S. adults 18-49 in its first 31 days of release, compared to 13.23 million for Stranger Things or 8.18 million for Daredevil season 2. Another company, Parrot Analytics, adds that the show fell off quickly in the weeks after its release.