Westworld is HBO’s Biggest First Season Ever

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HBO is known for having groundbreaking and insanely popular television series, but even by HBO’s lofty standards the success of Westworld is unique.

When you think of HBO television series you think of some of the best and ts topped them all. According to Deadline Westworld’s average of 12 million viewers across all platforms ranks as the most-watched first season of an HBO original series ever.

Now you have to take part of these numbers with a grain of salt, because when Game of Thrones premiered in 2001 or even when True Detective premiered in 2014 streaming on HBO Go wasn’t what it is now. So Westworld’s 12 million, while very impressive, probably isn’t as significant a jump as it seems. That being said, there’s no doubt that this is the most watched first season in the history of HBO.

If Westworld was to grow at the same rate as Game of Thrones… well, we may be looking at the next great science fiction franchise. There’s no doubt that Westworld is incredibly well written and incredibly captivating, but there’s something more significant about a show like this having this kind of success.

There’s a lot of television being made right now that’s shooting for the lowest common denominator. Programs and networks that want to dumb things down so that they are sure that everyone gets it and feels included. On the other hand this series is taking a very different approach, by creating a captivating and compelling story and encouraging viewers to reach for something more. This show is important because it shows that really engaging intelligent television can have mass appeal and success.

So congratulations to the cast, crew, and creators of Westworld, for a job well done telling a brilliant story, and proving that intelligent television can be a winner.

Read more at Deadline.

NEXT: 7 Parks We Might Get To Visit In Westworld Season 2

What do you think? Why do you think Westworld has been so successful? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below.