Game of Thrones Renewed For Seasons Five and Six

[Andy Chalk]

Game of Thrones Renewed For Seasons Five and Six

In a completely non-shocking development that absolutely everyone saw coming, Game of Thrones has been renewed for two more seasons.

I don't watch Game of Thrones, never have, and even I was completely unsurprised by the announcement that the runaway hit HBO series has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season. The show, based on the Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin, has been hugely successful since its 2011 debut, drawing a gross average audience of 14.4 million viewers per episode over its previous season. Was there ever any doubt it would continue?

"Game of Thrones is a phenomenon like no other," HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo said in a statement. "[Creators] David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with their talented collaborators, continue to surpass themselves, and we look forward to more of their dazzling storytelling."

The first episode of Game of Thrones' fourth season aired on Sunday night, drawing in 6.6 million viewers, the biggest HBO audience since 12 million people watched the finale of The Sopranos in 2007. That mark is 23 percent higher than the audience for the season three finale; it was also, according to the Nielsen rating agency, the third most-tweeted-about [http://www.nielsensocial.com/nielsentwittertvratings/weekly/] show of the week.



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[Hoplon]

drawing a gross average audience of 14.4 million viewers per episode over its previous season. The first episode of Game of Thrones' fourth season aired on Sunday night, drawing in 6.6 million viewers, the biggest HBO audience since 12 million people watched the finale of The Sopranos in 2007.

At what point is 14.4 million smaller than 12 million? (i think that might be a typo) otherwise good news!

 

[Andy Chalk]

At what point is 14.4 million smaller than 12 million? (i think that might be a typo) otherwise good news!

Excellent question! The answer is, I don't know. I'm pretty bad at math but you make a good point; however, the press release suggests that the "gross audience" includes replays, while the comparison numbers include only the initial airing of the episode.

From the Nielsen website: "Gross Average Audience (GAA) Rating ? The sum of the percent of households or persons tuning or viewing during the average minute of each telecast of the program, including repeat telecasts during the report interval. Duplicated tuning and viewing to the same program (or its repeat telecast) by the same household during the report period is counted each time."

So I think what we're seeing her is an "apples and oranges" situation. The numbers were quoted correctly, but I'll see if I can confirm that they're accurate.

 

[Hoplon]

So I think what we're seeing her is an "apples and oranges" situation. The numbers were quoted correctly, but I'll see if I can confirm that they're accurate.

Sounds like horrible PR horse shit, and i wish you good luck getting anything other than more pr.

 

[Oly J]

well of course it's been renewed, it's one of those shows at least half the people everyone knows are talking about, and there are still two more books to adapt, and they will probably take one season each given that a large amount of both happens at the same time at different locations (that's not a spoiler right?) and there's always a chance that by then, there will be another book out (though I wouldn't hold my breath on that one)

 

[balladbird]

I'm glad that season 6 was guaranteed along with 5. Season 4 is guaranteed to be epic, because it's the dovetail ending to many huge, exciting plot movements.

Season 5, however, based on what I've read, will only cover the buildup/first half of books 4 and 5, which means there won't be any sufficient climaxes to keep the readers hooked.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Sounds like horrible PR horse shit, and i wish you good luck getting anything other than more pr.

Yeah. Siiiiiiiiiiigh.

 

[KiKiweaky]

Having read the books I wonder how they are going to fit all that happens into 20 hour long episodes, the series has some advantages for sure but it also has big drawback.

Heraldry and a room for example that might take a page and a half to describe in writing can be done in seconds on screen but its main problem is that it lacks the inner monologue that is so important and central to the way George RR Martin wanted to tell his story. Oberyn Martell is introduced at the start of season 4, to convey who and what he is HBO had to do a 10 minute scene with him and Tyrion. In the books it only took a paragraph, Tyrion recalls some of the things that Oberyn is known for and just how dangerous he is, Tyrion then remarks to himself "How many Dornishmen does it take start a war?". Which leaves the reader in no doubt that this man is a danger to the alliance Tywin has worked so hard to build.

The scene with Oberyn was great I'm not denying it but 10 minutes is a long time in a one hour episode and the only thing that has been accomplished is letting you know this Dornishman is very dangerous, the story gets much larger and far more complex in book 5 I just wonder how much stuff will they have to cut out if they keep the current format.

 

[Zac Jovanovic]

So I guess this means first 5 books are going to have 6 seasons then.
I mean, it would be pretty ballsy to book a season based mostly on a book that's not published yet.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

drawing a gross average audience of 14.4 million viewers per episode over its previous season. The first episode of Game of Thrones' fourth season aired on Sunday night, drawing in 6.6 million viewers, the biggest HBO audience since 12 million people watched the finale of The Sopranos in 2007.

At what point is 14.4 million smaller than 12 million? (i think that might be a typo) otherwise good news!

The 14.4m figure is an average, but also isn't an "instantaneous" number. The 12m Soprano watchers and 6.6m GoT S4 premiere watchers were sat down watching it as it aired. The 14.4m is including other channels, re-runs, etc. It's the number of average viewers per episode "to date", or rather how many times an episode has been watched.

 

[Hoplon]

The 14.4m figure is an average, but also isn't an "instantaneous" number. The 12m Soprano watchers and 6.6m GoT S4 premiere watchers were sat down watching it as it aired. The 14.4m is including other channels, re-runs, etc. It's the number of average viewers per episode "to date", or rather how many times an episode has been watched.

I get that, but why change the the basis for the figures in the same statement? how does that engender anything but confusion? Did you not read any of the rest of the conversation?