George R.R. Martin: “I’m not done with Westeros, and HBO isn’t either”

A couple weekends back, the cast and crew of Game of Thrones showed up for their final lap at the Emmy Awards, and they did…pretty good. I mean, 10 Creative Arts Emmys and four Primetime Emmys — include one for Outstanding Drama Series — is nothing to sneeze at. But considering some of the categories for which Game of Thrones was nominated but didn’t win (but should have)…it felt a little underwhelming.

Specifically, I’m talking four Game of Thrones stars — Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey and Gwendoline Christie — being nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama and losing out to Ozark’s Julia Garner. Reflecting on the event on his Not a Blog, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin — who was on stage to accept the Outstanding Drama Emmy with the rest of the team — chalked it up to the crowded field. “[A]s often happens when a show has more than one nominee in a category, they ended up splitting the GOT vote,” he wrote. “The Emmys are nothing if not competitive, and there were some wonderful performances last year… from a whole host of shows.”

If that was why these four woman were passed over, it’s a bit of an ironic pill to swallow: the Emmy voters loved their performances enough to nominate them, but once it came time to reward a winner, that same love made it hard for any one of them to emerge triumphant.

But still, it was a good night for the show. Martin put it in context:

"After eight seasons, GAME OF THRONES leaves the air with more Emmys than any other primetime series, comedy or drama, in the entire history of television.   Not too shabby, I’d say.   I am very pleased to have been a part of setting that record."

I think Saturday Night Live technically still has more, but it’s been on for 40 years so we can let that slide. Good show, everyone.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, though,” Martin continued. “[I]t was wonderful to share the moment with all the friends I’ve made during our run, but there was a bittersweet feel to the occasion as well, knowing that this would be the last time all of us would be together.

"I could not help but think back to my days on TWILIGHT ZONE and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in the 80s.  I still see some of the writers and actors I met on those shows from time to time, but others I have lost track of entirely.   That’s the way it goes in television and film.  Will I ever again have the privilege of working with some of these incredible talents who helped bring my books to life?  One never knows…"

Yep, we’ll all go into this post-Game of Thrones wilderness together.

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But really, Game of Thrones is still very much around. HBO is mounting at least one prequel series — maybe two — and Martin is the first to admit that he has a ways to go where finishing A Song of Ice and Fire is concerned.

"One thing I do know.   I’m not done with Westeros, and HBO isn’t either.   I have WINDS OF WINTER to finish… and A DREAM OF SPRING… and more Dunk & Egg stories… and the second volume of Archmaester Gyldayn’s history.   And we hope to have some exciting news about the successor shows soon as well."

New York Comic Con is going on as we speak. Could that be a good time for HBO to engage in some counter-programming and release a teaser for Blood Moon? Just putting it out there.

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