Game of Thrones is back! One billion tune in from around the globe for season eight premiere [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | April 15, 2019 | Brian Gallagher

[C19fan]

One billion tuned in as the highly anticipated Game of Thrones kicked off its eighth and final season on HBO Sunday night with the season premiere, the first of a six-episode final season.

The excitement about the premiere reached fever pitch online and at viewing parties set up in LA, New York and Utah as fans watched the long-awaited episode.

Fans around the world set up viewing parties with some die-hard followers at Professor Thom's bar in New York City dressed as characters from the show based on the fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin.

In the Los Angeles area, Brennan's Irish pub in Marina Del Rey and Busby's East in the Mid-Wilshire area were hosting viewing parties for fans.

The final season will span six episodes, the first two of which will run roughly the normal episode length at 54 minutes and 58 minutes.

[bagster]

Too much fiction for my taste. I like to live in the real world, stuff like this makes me feel claustrophobic.

And yet your name is Beowulf.

[bagster]

Leftist HBO must be very pleased that so many can be fooled by a little (OK, a lot of) blood and titties.

How was I fooled? Please explain.

[sparklite2]

I have to admit, on watching previous episodes, to being startled by the casual full frontal nudity in the series.

But, it’s like Ron White says,
“If you’ve seen one nekkid woman,
you want to see the rest nekkid.”

[x]

Globally, 130 million have access to HBO. (36 million in the U.S.)

An edited version appears on Chinese state television, probably after a few weeks.

Apart from all the illegal downloads, HBO licenses other networks to show GOT and other HBO programs in countries that don't have HBO channels.

Sky TV in the UK broadcasts HBO programming, but isn't owned by HBO.

[Maris Crane]

We all know that if these great writers looked at history to be inspired, it would make for excellent entertainment.

For instance, the REAL “games of thrones” that occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages was fascinating. And when they, the writers, do use facts instead of “dragon” fantasy, shows would be exciting and informative. Like The White Queen,” but obviously having ugly, repulsive dragons flying around with a beautiful pure white queen riding on his back while he flame throws hundreds of soldiers, is captivating.

I took the time to record some old shows, never having seen any of them for years, and they were mildly interesting, until “the dragon shocker” which kinda turned me off. It’s a shame, because they could have made “content” better with just the facts.

And as always, JMHO.

[Drew68]

My wife and I freaking love Game of Thrones. The first episode was awesome.

Wife and I binged the first six seasons and now we're re-watching it again. I'm actually enjoying it more the second time. Now that I have the gist of who everyone is and what happens, I'm catching all the little details and Easter eggs that I missed the first time. There's so much there!

Holding off watching this season for a few more weeks until we get caught back up.

[x]

The show is “history inspired.” It’s an imaginative reworking of historical themes and motifs. And it’s more interesting than a lot of shows more closely based on real history. The world ought to have room for both facts and fantasy.

[Maris Crane]

I guess you are right, but that dragon did me in.

But, I get it, I’m more of a fact person than a fantasy person.

The reason I am awake right now...is because of that scary dragon./s

But don’t you feel it a
little insulting that that beautiful, almost pure white, blond is so …..Mean?

[Beowulf9]

Named for my cat is all.

[x]

I can understand that. But the story builds to the point where viewers can accept the dragon. It also builds to the point where characters that we liked and expected and rooted for started to look dangerous and evil. In the beginning, there were only dragon's eggs (which could have been rocks for all we knew) and the shy, submissive princess. The transformation was gradual. Once you get hooked by the story, you may find yourself following it wherever it's going. As with many good tv series, it's the forward momentum that keeps the show alive and makes it believable and watchable.

The reason I said it was "history-inspired" is that the writer took things from history and worked them into the story. It's clearly medieval somehow. Westeros is Britain (if Britain stretched from the arctic to the tropics). Seven kingdoms are suggested by the Heptarchy, and Lanisters and Starks by the Lancasters and Yorks. If you want a new dramatic take on the War of the Roses 500 years later (and 400 years after Shakespeare) a lot in your story will be fictionalized anyway, so why not cut the cord entirely and do something new?

[dangus]

Sky Atlantic was included among the ways “130 million have access to HBO.” So that includes not only the UK, but also Germany, Italy, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, etc. HotStar is included, too, which covers the Indian subcontinent, but I’m pretty sure they won’t be showing GoT.

[x]

Subscribers are households (or bars or hotels, etc.). Multiply that 130 million by 3 or 4 or 5 or so and add in the Chinese viewers and those watching it illegally and 1 billion viewers isn’t impossible.

[Maris Crane]

All true, x, all true.

I should have started from the beginning.

I still don’t think I’ll like the dragon or his mother.

Thanks