GoT abroad: U.K. Millennials Know Game of Thrones Better Than Actual English History

We all know that Game of Thrones is popular around the world. In some places, the details of the series are so well-known that they’re forcing out information about actual history. Case in point: a poll by ICM Research revealed that people in the U.K. aged 24-35 know more about characters on the show than participants in the Battle of Hastings, a hugely important 1066 battle that marked the beginnings of the Norman conquest of England.

Mind you, 34% of those surveyed thought that 1066 was the most memorable year in English History, so it looms large in the British consciousness. (By comparison, only 8% of people chose 1945, the year World War II ended, as the most memorable year.) A lot of people also knew about William the Conqueror, who won the Battle of Hastings to become the first Norman king of England. However, they weren’t clear on the other players. Only 17% could identify Edward the Confessor, whose death prompted the events of 1066, while 15% had heard of Harold Godwinson, the Anglo-Saxon king who fell at Hastings.

Millennials were pretty clear on the players in the game of thrones, though. Twenty-three percent could identify Joffrey and Stannis Baratheon, and 22% had no trouble recognizing Daenerys Targaryen.

“Eat your heart out, Edward the Confessor.”

“1066 was a year that saw four different claimants for one throne, brother fighting brother, and three battles, including a decisive one outside Hastings,” said Jeremy Ashbee, of English Heritage. “For drama, it was the equal of anything in Game Of Thrones.” Yeah, but did it have dragons?

Elsewhere in the world, the South China Morning Post reports that American TV series like Game of Thrones are becoming increasingly popular in China. There’s a new generation of educated Chinese people who are questioning what they learned about America through textbooks, and are taking a closer look at the country by absorbing its popular culture.

Feng Jun, senior analyst at Chinese consulting firm EntGroup, attributes this increased interest to Hollywood’s penchant for razzle-dazzle. Superhero series and magic-based stories are especially popular among young, educated Chinese, something Feng attributes in part to better visual effects. “It’s not surprising, though,” she said, “as the producers [of Chinese dramas] often spend two-thirds of total investment paying the actors and actresses.”

In any case, China’s leading entertainment companies are getting behind American TV. V.qq.com, a video portal owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent, picked up 17 programs from HBO alone, including the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.

Which isn’t to say that American TV is taking over the country. Korean dramas remain very popular among Chinese women, but Game of Thrones and its contemporaries are getting a foothold.

h/t The Daily Mail