On this day in history, a cultural phenomenon debuted.
The high fantasy genre was flipped completely on its head by George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series during the late 2000s. Compared to other fantasy series like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, it remained a highly praised yet niche enough to become a cult classic. In the mid-2000s, HBO finally gained the rights after several failed attempts. It was conceptualized as a gritty and mature drama rather than a magical fantasy in order to draw more audiences. However, several problems were raised by Game of Thrones’ content—the production would require massive sets and effects, controversial content and a huge cast. A pilot was aired in 2009, but was met with criticism over its writing and characters. HBO reshot the pilot and re-aired it in 2011, newly met with highly positive reviews and demand for further episodes.
What followed became an incredibly adored pop culture phenomena of the 2010s, introducing iconic characters like Daenerys Targaryen, Jaime Lannister, and Jon Snow. Countless merchandise, spinoffs, and promotion materials have been made to meet the series’ popularity. A gamble of adapting a niche, unfinished fantasy series turned into arguably one of the biggest payoffs in television history.
