# Game of Thrones - Work: Television - Date: 2011–19 - Made by: George R. R. Martin (Author of the source novels; co-executive producer; wrote one episode in each of the first four seasons) - Platforms: HBO, HBO Go / HBO Now - Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/works/game-of-thrones-tv/ > HBO's eight-season adaptation of George R. R. Martin's saga put dragons, incest and beheadings on prestige TV and won more Emmys than any drama before it. **Why it matters:** Game of Thrones made hard-edged, adult fantasy the most-watched drama on television. It started the streaming-era rush for fantasy franchises that produced The Rings of Power, The Witcher and more. ## Quick answers **When was Game of Thrones first released?** Game of Thrones was first released in 2011–19. **Who created Game of Thrones?** Game of Thrones was made by George R. R. Martin (author of the source novels; co-executive producer; wrote one episode in each of the first four seasons). **What kind of work is Game of Thrones?** Game of Thrones is a television in the Fantasy Television & Animation and Grimdark tradition, released for HBO and HBO Go / HBO Now. **Why is Game of Thrones important?** Game of Thrones made hard-edged, adult fantasy the most-watched drama on television. It started the streaming-era rush for fantasy franchises that produced The Rings of Power, The Witcher and more. ## Overview *Game of Thrones* ran on HBO from 17 April 2011 to 19 May 2019: 73 episodes over eight seasons, adapted from [George R. R. Martin](https://www.lanternhall.org/makers/george-r-r-martin/)'s unfinished novel cycle [A Song of Ice and Fire](https://www.lanternhall.org/works/a-song-of-ice-and-fire/). It was a medieval political thriller in which [dragons](https://www.lanternhall.org/bestiary/dragon/) return to the world and an army of the dead gathers beyond a giant wall of ice. It was also the most-discussed drama on television for most of the decade. Its record 59 Primetime Emmys ended the old idea that [Fantasy Television & Animation](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/fantasy-television/) was a lesser genre, and its success made studios hunt for the next big fantasy franchise. ## Origins Martin had worked in television himself as a writer on *The Twilight Zone* revival and *Beauty and the Beast* in the 1980s. He wrote *A Song of Ice and Fire* partly in reaction to budget limits, and he long assumed it could not be filmed. His roots were in genre fandom and gaming as well. His shared-world anthology series *Wild Cards* grew out of a superhero roleplaying campaign he ran with writer friends, using [Chaosium](https://www.lanternhall.org/houses/chaosium/)'s *Superworld*. Novelist and screenwriter David Benioff and his writing partner D. B. Weiss persuaded him otherwise. HBO optioned the books in January 2007, exercised the option in 2008 and ordered a pilot, shot in late 2009. The first cut failed. HBO had most of it reshot, with recasting and a new director, and ordered a ten-episode first season in March 2010. The production was based mostly in Northern Ireland, with location work in Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Spain and Canada. Martin was a co-executive producer. He wrote one episode in each of the first four seasons, including the season-two battle episode "Blackwater." As the show caught up with the books, he gave Benioff and Weiss an outline of his planned endings. From season six the series was ahead of the published novels and combined that outline with its own invention. The last two seasons were shorter, with seven and six episodes, and far more expensive: episodes of the final season reportedly cost about $15 million each. ## The story On the continent of Westeros, the Stark family of Winterfell is pulled south into the politics of King's Landing. Their story becomes a civil war among the great houses — Lannister, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell, Greyjoy — for the Iron Throne. Across the sea in Essos, the exiled Daenerys Targaryen hatches three dragons and gathers an army to reclaim her dynasty's crown. In the far north, the Night's Watch on the Wall, including Jon Snow, faces the White Walkers and their growing army of the dead. The series became famous for killing major characters without warning. Ned Stark's beheading in season one and the "Red Wedding" in season three shocked viewers who had not read the books. Its bleak, morally gray world drew from medieval history as much as from Tolkien, and it made the [Grimdark](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/grimdark/) mode mainstream. In the final season the living fight the dead at Winterfell, and the war for the throne ends in fire at King's Landing. ## Reception & impact For most of its run the series was a critical and popular hit. It won a Peabody Award and Outstanding Drama Series four times (2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019). HBO reported that season seven averaged 32.8 million viewers per episode once delayed and streaming viewing were counted. The series finale, "The Iron Throne," drew 19.3 million US viewers across HBO's platforms, a record for the network. Guinness World Records named it the most pirated show on television. The eighth season divided viewers badly: many objected to its rushed pacing and to Daenerys's turn, and a fan petition demanding a remake gathered more than a million signatures. ## Legacy In November 2017 Amazon agreed a reported $250 million deal for Tolkien television rights. The trade press widely reported that Jeff Bezos had asked his studio for its own *Game of Thrones*, and the result was [The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power](https://www.lanternhall.org/works/the-rings-of-power/). Netflix's *The Witcher*, adapted from [The Witcher Saga](https://www.lanternhall.org/works/the-witcher-saga/), and a wave of fantasy adaptations followed in the same spirit. HBO kept Westeros going with the Targaryen prequel *House of the Dragon* (2022) and *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* (January 2026), adapted from Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas. The show also sent new readers to the books and to the dark fantasy of writers like [Joe Abercrombie](https://www.lanternhall.org/makers/joe-abercrombie/), author of [The First Law](https://www.lanternhall.org/works/the-first-law/), and it made adult fantasy ordinary Sunday-night viewing. ## Facts - HBO optioned the novels in January 2007 with Benioff and Weiss attached. The first pilot went over so badly that HBO had most of it reshot, recasting some roles and bringing in a new director. - The show won 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, a record for a drama series, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. - The May 2019 finale drew 19.3 million US viewers across HBO's platforms, a record for the network. - Guinness World Records named it the most pirated TV program. In 2015 episodes averaged about 14.4 million illegal downloads each. - From season six onward the show had overtaken the published books and worked partly from an outline Martin gave the showrunners. - By the final season each episode was reported to cost about $15 million. ## Sources and further reading - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones) - [George R. R. Martin — HBO Options Ice & Fire (2007)](https://georgerrmartin.com/hbo-options-ice-fire/) - [Variety — series finale draws 19.3 million viewers](https://variety.com/2019/tv/ratings/game-of-thrones-series-finale-draws-19-3-million-viewers-sets-new-series-high-1203220928/) --- From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.