So last week’s poll was interesting and showed that a very large majority of the readers would rather see some of Thrones on the small screen (even if it was just the pilot) than nothing at all. I kind of expected more people to say they would rather not see anything, but I guess those reading this blog are just as excited about the prospect of seeing their favorite ASOIAF characters come to life as I am, so I shouldn’t be so surprised.
This week I’m gonna try to propose a question that isn’t so lopsided. It is along the same lines of last week’s question, namely how long do you think the series will last? Of course, this is assuming it gets picked up at all. But we all know that it is going to be expensive and 7 seasons is a lot and is not something most HBO shows even reach. Not even the hugely successful Sopranos went 7 seasons. So how long do you think Game of Thrones will be on air? Vote below.
How many seasons will Game of Thrones last?
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27 Comments
Assuming all the books get written, series like this and True Blood have the advatage of source material to base the show scripts off of. Sopranos didn’t have that so they took very long breaks between seasons. I think if everyone involved with Sopranos wanted to continue they would have.
dizzyQuote Reply
If they nail the gritty war theme, the amazing political interactions, the dusty atmosphere… I think it has a lot of potential. Scenes like the Red Viper vs. the Mountain, “The things I do for love”, Quorin Halfhand’s sacrifice… there are so many amazing moments in the story that I don’t think that will be the deciding factor. As was mentioned, budgets, and film politics will decide it’s fate. Although, I’m as interested as any to hear about a user-funded system, where we might pre-pay for the series to jumpstart it’s creation.
AnonymousQuote Reply
As a general rule, any good series will get cancelled and replaced with reality TV
Pessimist? Me?
Mr.WizardQuote Reply
I think ASOIAF, even if well done, will struggle to find its audience. American television audiences expect fantasies to be idealized and kid-friendly, and ASOIAF is decidedly not either. To make this a success, HBO will need to draw fans of Rome, Sopranos, etc. to the fantasy genre. And we will need to draw ASOIAF fans to HBO.
AnonymousQuote Reply
If the series makes it to the third season the Red Wedding will drive away the audience.
AnonymousQuote Reply
A good place to look as an indicator I think would be Rome. Which last 2 seasons, similar budgets etc .. actually ASOIAF is probably a bigger budget. so, if it gets picked up, I will be surprised if it makes it past the second season.
XanderQuote Reply
I think the above is a good point. The Red Wedding is disturbing enough in print: it would have to be handled very delicately on television, even HBO.
There’s another problem with it continuing the full roster: a serial drama like this, particularly a fantasy with young actors involved, should probably try to avoid sabbaticals: doing one a year, they’re probably going to start catching up to GRRM.
No offense meant to GRRM at all, but looking at his track record for getting the books written, I’m thinking that the HBO executives might decide to try to round it off before that becomes an issue, presuming they do pick it up.
AnonymousQuote Reply
The only reason there weren’t more seasons of the Sopranos was because David Chase, Gandolfini and possibly others involved with the creative end of the series wanted it to end. There is definately still an audience for it ( I think there is talk of a movie) and HBO would pick it up again in a heartbeat if Chase wanted to go back.
Mr. Wizard. While your point may hold true for network shows, HBO hasn’t succumbed to the Reality boom yet(Big Brother After Dark on Showtime makes for decent background noise if you TiVo it and leave it on while you go about the house doing chores. The major reason for HBO’s success with original programming is its commitment to excellence.
Anonymous. Wtf? I’m not sure where the concensus that American viewers are all idealistic simpletons comes from, but as a red, white and blue-blooded fantasy geek myself, let me assuage your fears that we can’t handle it. Please list for me evidence of other attempts at a seriously handled fantasy series that failed in America. I sure can’t think of any. No one has ever tried to make one before. I submit that American viewers are rabidly awaiting something to fill the void in this genere. Look to the success of BSG, Lost and more recently True Blood to support my point. They might not be high-fantasy, but all are series with fantasy (or sci-fi) elements that take their subject matter seriously. American critics and fans alike consistently list these shows among the finest on TV. Take this formula and drop it into a high fantasy setting with a target market of adults who grew up on Tolkien and Star Wars (high fantasy with lasers) and you could be looking at the next big television hit.
Xander. Its already been stated somewhere that AGoT’s budget will be somewhat less than that of Rome. Plus I think that alot of folks tuned out of that show after Ceasar was killed at the end of the first season (a shame really the second season was even better than the first). Also, there was never really much of a hubub around Rome (again a huge shame). AGoT will have a large number of initiates when the series starts that won’t know what to expect next. If marketed better than Rome, AGoT could get alot more people interested in that series. I know my antennae would prick up quicker at a teaser with a dragon in it than one with a bunch of old men in togas.
Anonymous. Why would the Red Wedding be so detrimental? Again, I submit that scenes like that (and Bran and Ned) are so shocking that they would keep viewers tuned in as opposed to tuned out. I didn’t hear of Lost losing much of its audience when Charlie died. Similarly, when the Sopranos offed Big Pussy it only enhanced the serie’s rep. I think HBO viewers will be even more capable of handling shocking plot twists because to a degree they expect it. They might get more than they expect, but I think it will make them all the more rabid about the series. I do agree with your point regarding production breaks. Keep em regular.
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
“Please list for me evidence of other attempts at a seriously handled fantasy series that failed in America.”
Legend of the Seeker?
AnonymousQuote Reply
It would be amazing to see the Red Wedding on tv. ;P
BubbaQuote Reply
*cough* *cough* The keyword in my sentence was the word serious. Your first mistake is in comparing anything about the two series. LotS is a network sell out series. While I do watch it, its nothing special, its cast in elementary blacks and whites and its certainly not produced at the level that an HBO series would be. LotS is rudimetary plots and saturday matinee antics. AGoT will be much. much deeper in characters, setting and drama.
Still looking for an example. LotS doesn’t come close to fitting the bill. Its laughable to cite it.
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
I have to agree that the LoTS series where awfull books picked up for an awful television series.
It’s been brought up before not to compare Goodkind to Martin since there is no comparison.
RerQuote Reply
The LotS might not be what you guys want, But !
when there ( IS ) nothing else anywhere else, it does fit a bill of a kind, and i enjoy it and hope to keep enjoying , and when something better comes along, i will still keep watching it, Cause people! us of this genre just can’t find a selection of what we want when we want it. So enjoy what we have and stop bitching…
AnonymousQuote Reply
Lots as a “seriouslly handled fantasy series”? It is barely a serious fantasy series… I admit to have downloaded the first 5 espisodes (Live in Europe), and frankly, I’ll probably download the rest. But hey, I also download AFV and even watch Robin Hood everynow and again (they just starting to show it here in Norway).
AnonymousQuote Reply
LNH,
I’m not suggesting American TV audiences are simpletons – just pointing out that what they know as “fantasy” isn’t exactly what GRRM has written.
“Seriously handled fantasy”… I don’t know what that means. LOTR, Star Wars, Narnia, Stardust, all of these were well done. But all of them were family-oriented. None of them were R-rated, had incest, rape and pillage, children being grievously harmed or put into sexual situations. I find this realistic. But just peruse Amazon reviews and you will see that many readers (and even more viewers) will find this bleak, violent, and overtly sexual. If this were a crime drama or historical fiction, I doubt the shock would be the same, because the expectations would be different.
I hope ASOIAF is the best and most popular series HBO has ever done. I was a big fan of the Wire, thought it was the best show on television, and read all of the critical acclaim it received. But I also know it had low viewership and almost didn’t get finished. It made many audiences uncomfortable. I think ASOIAF will too, and I think we need to be prepared for that.
AnonymousQuote Reply
I went for 3-4 as I’m hoping if it’s good then it’ll be a major hit and then get cancelled with 3 as they’ll decide it’s not worth carrying on when the books haven’t been finished and AFFC would lose a load of viewers due to it missing characters and being a bit aimless.
Oz lasted 8 seasons I think, plus Sopranos was more like 7 as it’s finally series was nearly twice the usual season length and spread over 18 months.
“Serious” fantasy feels like a qualifier too far. There are plenty of fantasy series that have done well, Hercules and Xena (personally hated them), Buffy/Angel, Supernatural at a push. Granted, Buffy and supernatural are grounded in reality but maybe the “realistic” approach of AGOT will win viewers in a siilar fashion.
red snowQuote Reply
If it get picked up I think it will go down the Carnivale road.
It will have a small but extremely devoted fanbase but pass below the radar for the great public.
The first season will be great but for some stupid reason not be watched by many. HBO will give the series a second chance with another season (knowing its potential). But in the end it will be to expensive to be profitable and get cancelled.
Why, you may ask? Because the great majority is unfamiliar with deep shows that require lots of thinking. They want what they are used to. That is series like Scrubs or Dexter or anything that writes the viewer on the nose what to think and feel. They want (yet hate) cliffhangers ala lost. Corny montages with popular music is also popular.
Anything else will scare them away before they even gave it a chance.
Therefore everyone who has watches the show will love it but there will be few of them.
Sadly this is a pattern that applies to most shows with a certain depth. The Wire (strangely I don’t know many who as even heard of it) and Sopranos are the only exceptions I can think of right now that has a beginning and an end. Not just “cancelled”.
What speaks in Ice and Fires favour is that most of the chapters will end in cliffhangers.
This is just my amateur prediction though.
Ps, I’m not saying I hate mindless entertainment. Seinfeld was one of the best series ever.
AnonymousQuote Reply
GRRM clearly does not intent to finish writing this series. His energies are devoted to licensed miniature, calendar, and weapon replica hawking, football, and cons. 3-4 seasons. 1, 2, and 3, follow material, and 4 is replaced with an ending.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Lemme back track a bit here. I want to clarify. I think there has been some pretty fun fantasy on TV over the years. As cornball as it was, Xena and Hercules were fun viewing. Alot of the Sci-fi channel miniseries have been worthy of a looksee. Heck, I even enjoyed the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon as a kid.
My argument as it began, was that it was unfair to judge American television audiences on their capability for being able to watch a sustained dramatic high-fantasy series. I can't think of any series of this nature that has ever been attempted. The closest series I can come up with would be BSG(sci-fi), Lost(for its ability to kill off just about anyone in the cast), and Rome (which to me had by far the most parallels to AGoT). While the success of Rome may be debateable (best show ever imo), you can't argue that American audiences are both sophisticated enough and interested enough in BSG and Lost to consider them huge successes.
Anonymous (Gee I wish folks would post under a handle just so I can keep track of who I am talking to) seems to think that American audiences aren't capable or willing to get hooked on a series with the darkness and extreme plot twists in AGoT. I think its just the opposite. I believe Americans would eat up a gritty fantasy series where anything can happen and no one is sacred.
The desire is there. The outcome depends largely on three things. Acting (serious actors capable of handling the material without sounding schlocky), production (a series that looks beautiful and runs together seemlessly), and perhaps most important initially, marketing (get the word out; use impressive visuals and tease at the dramatic conflicts to build a powderkeg before the first scene ever airs). The downfall of the series will be where and if they decide to cut corners in any of these areas.
Oh btw LNH, I've been abreviated! I like it! =)
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
what might really help this show is the built I fan base which sopranos and Rome didn’t have…I think the potential DVD sales could be huge….fantasy and sci fi fans love to spend money LOL
coltaine777Quote Reply
Probably a little off topic but I'll agree with anon here that GRRM needs to get his butt in gear. I disagree that he has no intention of finishing, but it really galled me as a loyal reader that's been waiting over 5 years for a book,to see that he's more concerned with writing short sotries like the Jack Vance Anthology piece he has just announced on his web site than finishing ADwD. Everyone has to put food on the table, but getting side-tracked with Wildcards, Dying Earth and Dunk and Egg is a really tough (Tuff?) pill to swallow for all of us wanting the next ASoIaF. Its like waiting for a new South Park episode and getting a Terence & Phillip prank instead (but nowhere near as funny).
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
Lordnedshead(funny name)…Rome best series ever. The gladiator episode is the best hour of tv I have ever seen… Your very good at getting your thoughts across…I’m impressed…
coltaine777Quote Reply
@ Coltaine: Rome did have a built in fanbase of sorts. All people (regular and historians) interested in that time and era. Its historical accuracy gave it a convincing sellingpoint.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Anon…I stand corrected…that’s why I bought the DVDs
coltaine777Quote Reply
I hope that a well done ASoIaF tv-series could appeal to the right audience for HBO, similar to the Sopranos audience, relatively older men, maybe not that interesting to advertisers, but willing and able to pay for cable. I could easily imagine this marketed like the Sopranos or Deadwood in a medieval/fantasy setting.
I don’t think lack of material would kill it quickly, if it is really succesfull, they could easily stretch the second and third book out to three or four years and they could always go their own way when they catch up to GRRM. Here’s hoping GRRM will finaly get on with the writing, so we’ll not have that problem. Maybe he could use the extra presure a tv-series quickly catching up to his writing would give (though I wouldn’t really want a hurried book after all this years of waiting).
Anyway, I think the potential for succes is there, but it will all come down to the quality of the production.
MartinQuote Reply
Backtracking a bit to one of the earlier comments about the red wedding. I was living in the dorms at LSU at the time I read that chapter, and I definately accidently broke one of our windows after I launched the book through it in a fit of rage, shock and anger…. best chapter ever though. I totally didn’t see it coming, and it’s exciting to imagine (assuming the series gets to a third season) the reactions of people who haven’t read the books when that episode goes down.
As for GRRM finishing his books: I think it’s a pipe dream. He wrote himself into a corner with AFFC (he even said it wasn’t the route he had originally envisioned for the 4th installment) and now I think he’s biding his time until he dies so that people will blame nature for the series never being finished. That way he wont have to come out and say, “sorry guys, I’d rather write wildcard books!”
DaveQuote Reply
I cannot imagine HBO spending this kind of money on a series and not end the story. I guess the next years GRRM’s books will sell tons of them. And the 6th and 7th will sell like hell because of this series. I see HBO film all books and give us a great +80 episodes / hours of fantastic fantasy that dwarves LOTR.
BalerionQuote Reply