Game of Thrones has been described as the television series of all time. It has overtaken the immense decade long frenzy that followed the movie releases of the Lord of The Rings Trilogy with only its first season.
The sixth blockbusting series is now in full swing and South Africans can once again view it at the exact same time that it is aired in the United States. Statistics show that over twenty million viewers tune in to watch each weekly episode – in the United States only!
This television phenomenon is so huge that people travel to various parts of the world so they can see where the different scenes were filmed.
The 5-book series called A Song Of Ice and Fire was written a long time ago, but ever since the first episode aired on international channels, book sales have shot trough the roof with people from all over the world demanding the author, George R.R. Martin, finish the sixth book.
Why is Game of Thrones so popular though?
What has caused this modern phenomenon and why are people writing adaptations, and fictional books on the Seven Kingdoms? Why are people all over the world, and in South Africa, getting up at three in the morning to claim they’ve seen the next episode before others?
Its viewing success has a lot to do with the pristine production. The story line moves slowly because the producers ensure they do it right from the start. They tell the story as closely linked to the book as possible. With their massive budget they also ensure that scenes are shot perfectly.
The characters are developed expertly from the first season’s episode to the last. Viewers are emotionally gripped in each and every episode with weekly endings wanting people to cry out for more. This is not a story for intellectuals only. Ordinary couch potatoes adore it as much as the strategists do. Most of the actors were unknown before it aired on television. They were mostly stage performers in dramas who have now become super-super-superstars in their own right. This means most viewers had no “crush” on any particular character and they all had a fair chance to become the hero of the story.
The storyline, details, customs and cultures during the time this fictional story played off is portrayed brilliantly and I’d dare to say, accurately. The perfect mix of sympathy, violence, sex and tragedy is both magical and real. The characters are very diverse and it doesn’t take long for any viewer to pick their favorite as soon as season one.
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Last but not least, the music. Throughout the six seasons, the theme song and longer-than-usual episode introduction hasn’t changed. People use this tune as ringtones. They use it for dramatic effects and everyone associates it with the massive series called Game of Thrones!
I personally own 9 books that are associated with this fictional tale and have my eyes and heart set on the special edition Game of Thrones Monopoly set. My Monday mornings start with the latest episode and the entire week’s conversation has at least two mentions of Khaleesi, John Snow and Cersei. DVD box sets are costly, but this is definitely one worth having!
