Everyone has heard of "Game of Thrones" since the release of its first episode back in 2011, and whether you actively watch the show seek to ignore it, you’re probably wondering why it has gotten so much attention lately. Well, plain and simple, "Game of Thrones" is revolutionizing the way we watch TV.
The brilliant thing about "Game of Thrones" is that you don’t need a 3D television or surround sound to understand the depth of each situation and fully immerse yourself in the world of the characters. The show plays out so theatrically that its quality has been likened to that of a movie, and considering its budget, it absolutely could be one.
Sporting one of the highest budgets in the history of television at $10 million per episode, the show's creators have spared no expense to bring the world of the book series to life. To put this into perspective, this ties the budget of the late "Friends" which is arguably one the most successful television shows to have ever aired.
The show consistently has the funds to support its viewership from its dedicated fan base and paid model of viewership; which can be a huge turn off to some consumers. Many refuse to spend extra for what HBO is offering through its paid model, paid television and movie streaming service HBO Go. But thus far the network has done a great job of making the quality of their shows worth the cost. A paid model has become increasingly popular, starting with Netflix and Hulu Plus and expanding to other services like HBO Go and Amazon Prime Video and most recently YouTube’s newest subscription model: YouTube Red. These paid models allow greater cash flow, more creative and financial freedom to the content creators and in turn allow them to provide a more dynamic experience than ever before.
Shockingly, with the amount of mature content the series has in it from the very first episode, the show still has a dedicated viewer base. This follows a trend that shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad" have established in the past decade that people are more interested in mature themes and violence than ever before. However, it isn’t just violence, it is the connection the viewer feels to the character experiencing it. Strong character arcs allow for a connection between the viewer and the character to form. We often like to compare and relate ourselves to our favorite protagonists, and lately, the tumultuous nature of their on-screen lives have drawn our eyes and ears to our television screens more than ever.
More importantly, the HBO hit has something it does better than any other show on television at this time: its cinematic nature. Whether you love the show or not, it’s hard to admit it didn’t look and feel like you were watching a movie. This cinematic style of television broadcasting has raised the bar higher than ever before for other serious television dramas. The public has decided by viewership that greater quality is the future of entertainment.
So regardless of how you feel about the show, if you seek to look into the future of television, look no further than "Game of Thrones."
