Before Game of Thrones, HBO didn’t exactly have a reputation for fantasy and science fiction projects. Most of its biggest hits were grounded, realistic shows like The Sopranos or Sex and the City. But then the network was convinced to take a chance on a fantasy series with dragons and direwolves and noble houses battling it out for supremacy, and television has never been the same. Even with the divisive ending of Game of Thrones, it has carved out a place for itself as one of the landmark TV series of all time.
But just like when rulers met with untimely demises on Thrones, the show’s finish left a power vacuum that other networks have rushed to try and fill with their own fantasy and science fiction series. Book readers have known for a long time that these genres have a wealth of powerful and compelling stories, but Game of Thrones clued Hollywood in to just how successful and popular they could become when done well on a large scale.
In the lifetime that has passed since 2019, we’ve seen more huge hit fantasy shows like The Witcher on Netflix and The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime Video. There are upcoming giants like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and the Game of Thrones successor show House of the Dragon. There have been plenty of mid-level contenders like Shadow and Bone, His Dark Materials and Westworld. And let’s not forget the bevy of Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, or the never-ending slate of Marvel TV series. Paramount+ has been staking out its claim with numerous Star Trek shows and is set to debut its next big title with Halo later this month. Apple TV+ has originals like See, and has recently taken one of its first big swings at genre television with its adaptation of the Foundation books by Isaac Asimov. It’s a long and ever growing list.
But with the streaming wars raging and everyone making their play for the crown, it begets the question: who will become the new king of genre television? Given the vast amount of resources studios are putting into these kinds of shows, it’s entirely likely that we won’t see one clear winner, but a slew of popular shows. After all, The Witcher has amassed a massive following, and plenty of the other shows I listed have followed in its footsteps, or will.
Yet when it comes to the overall strategy, HBO is still the clear king in my eyes. Here’s why.
HBO’s quality-first outlook gives it a leg up in the Streaming Wars
As I write this, the season finale of Raised by Wolves has just dropped on HBO Max. If you haven’t seen Raised by Wolves, well, you’re missing out on the single weirdest, boldest science fiction show on any network or streaming service at the moment. Created by Aaron Guzikowski and produced by Ridley Scott, Wolves is in that same vein of disturbing sci-fi horror as Alien. It’s about a pair of androids raising human children on a distant planet, after a raging ideological war led to the destruction of the Earth and has followed humanity into the stars. Pick any episode of the show at random, and you are likely to have at least one moment where you shout, “oh my god, what the f*ck is happening?” at your television.
Which isn’t to say that it isn’t good; Raised by Wolves is very good, just also weird and disturbing and filled with heady concepts that take some serious thought to digest. It’s the kind of show that it’s difficult to imagine any other streaming service or network having the guts to make, let alone give a second season when its first flew practically under the radar.
But then, that’s the type of quality-first approach HBO has long taken. Wolves is doing decently on HBO Max, but is not setting any records. And still HBO Max is giving it a solid marketing push and clearly has given it a sizable budget.
Contrast that with Netflix, which has gotten a reputation for taking a “throw spaghetti at the wall” approach to its programming. Yes, it will green light all sorts of stuff, but if shows don’t hit a specific number quota they are immediately axed regardless of quality. That has led to things like the shockingly fast cancellation of Cowboy Bebop, as well as the plug getting pulled on well-done but expensive projects like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Amazon has its own issues, this time with how it markets shows. The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power get tons of marketing, but The Expanse received hardly any, with only 15 press images for its entire final season.
However, I don’t say all this just to make the point that HBO supports its shows better (even though I firmly believe it does). It’s not just about what HBO is willing to do for its shows, but how it’s willing to stick to its artistic guns. Sometimes that means saying no to something that would have made them more money.
Both Watchmen and Lovecraft Country aired on HBO in the past couple of years, and both shows were very well received. On any other platform, you can bet there would have been lots of conversations about continuing those shows, or extending their universes, or what have you. Watchmen was always intended to be a limited series. With Lovecraft Country it was a tougher decision. Showrunner Misha Green had plans for a second season, but they would have taken the show far afield of the actual Lovecraft Country novel on which the first series was based. Even though Lovecraft Country had a large and passionate fanbase (which was very well deserved, it was an excellent show), HBO decided not to continue it. Obviously I wasn’t privy to those conversations, but it looks from the outside like a creative line was held. For my money, I think it was the right choice.
House of the Dragon and the other Game of Thrones successor shows
That restraint is something that really sets HBO apart. It’s perhaps most apparent when it comes to the Game of Thrones successor shows. Speaking about them recently, HBO and HBO Max programming president Casey Bloys outlined the company’s strategy with spin-offs and sequels.
"It’s just like any development process. Some are looking really good. Some we’ll see. We’re not going to make everything. I don’t have any mandate that I must make a certain amount of spin offs or prequels or anything like that. We’re really doing it just based on what we’re excited about creatively. I wouldn’t even give you a tease… [that] we might see something this year because I really don’t know, it depends on how the development comes in."
That attitude, of only truly committing to the Game of Thrones successor shows they are passionate about, is such a breath of fresh air. Contrast it with the somewhat mediocre The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, which sidelined its title character to a supporting role in his own show. Or the myriad Star Trek shows on Paramount+. Or Netflix’s three Witcher spinoffs, which they announced after only one season of the mothership show. HBO could very easily have gone that same route with Game of Thrones shows, and no one would have really blamed them; it was one of the most successful shows of all time, and you know they will make dump truck loads of money whenever they follow it up. Instead, they have taken their time to make series they are firmly behind.
Bloys also talked a bit about HBO’s philosophy when it comes to their competitors. When asked if he was nervous about House of the Dragon possibly airing opposite Amazon’s The Rings of Power, Bloys said, “A good operating principal is not to worry too much about what other people have airing and to keep your eyes on your own work. I feel very good about House of Dragon and we’ll premiere it when we premiere it.”
Consider the gauntlet dropped.
As I watch shows like Raised by Wolves, I can’t help but feel like HBO is still the reigning champion of genre television. True, all these other networks are taking big shots at high budget fantasy and science fiction series…but HBO’s philosophy is keeping it ahead of the pack. In the years since Game of Thrones ended, the network has released Watchmen, Lovecraft Country, His Dark Materials, Peacemaker, more seasons of Westworld, and Raised by Wolves. Soon it will have House of the Dragon, which is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest shows of 2022, fantasy or otherwise.
Looking at their slate of fantasy and sci-fi offerings, it’s clear that HBO is exploring more places than just Westeros. Due in large part to the attitude they’re taking toward producing these shows, there’s still no other network that has overtaken them. House of the Dragon will truly be the thing that decides this…but given what we’ve heard so far, it’s probably wise not to bet against them. Perhaps there will come a day when HBO is unseated from the throne.
But as Arya Stark says, not today.
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