For the record, Terra Nova is MUCH more expensive than GoT.  thrones is a lesser known cast, with less vfx, and less expensive producers.

Steven Spielberg and Brannon Braga's producers fees dwarf that of Benioff's.  Also, the vfx budget on Terra Nova is huge.  Benioff has even said prior to going into produuction on season 2 of GoT that he had no idea how they were going to afford their VFX needs on their budget.  Theonly criticisms that GRRM has had of the series is that the budget doesnt allow certain scenes to be realized a certqin way.  He uses the Boar hunt in episode 6 as an example.  In the book, the boar hunt is 100 men on hoarseback with tents set up.   In the show, it's King Robert holding a spear while walking through the forest with 3 other people.

I think TV budgets have the same underlying issue that movies do. You CAN make something good on a low budget, but the guys who do that immediately command MUCH higher fees. And it doesn't make sense to saddle a top creative type with a budget barely bigger than his fee.

It's a surprise that HBO and AMC and such are able to do even whey they do accomplish.

Well, Trey, thank you. Thank you.

For the record, THIS is why I bug Trey until he writes quality posts.

So…based on that…I wouldn't expect to ever see a quality show out of network TV again. The Sorkins and the Whedons and the Darabonts and the Spielbergs should all be looking to basic or paid cable in order to have any shot of telling a good story, regardless of budget.