Dragon House
HBO’s Record Premiere of the Highly Anticipated Game of Thrones Spin-Off Dragon House attracted 10 million viewers. Set approximately two centuries before the events of the original Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is inspired by legendary fiction writer George RR Martin’s fictional story of House Targaryen in the book Fire & Blood.
Show creators Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have assembled a stellar ensemble that includes Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans and Graham McTavish.
HBO planned other Game of Thrones storylines long before the original series concluded, but HOD became the only one to see the light of day. There was significant discussion about whether the spin-off miniseries would be as successful as the original before its premiere.
Once the most popular program on cable, Game of Thrones last season received rather lackluster reviews. So it was unclear if this would prevent some people from seeing House of the Dragon. According to the first results, this is not the case.
House of the Dragon hits 9 million mark
According to the latest figures from HBO, the House of the Dragon premiere drew a total of 9.986 million people worldwide, which is much higher than the roughly 8 million viewers the original Game of Thrones garnered in 2011. House of the Dragon nevertheless managed to have a phenomenal premiere, despite some recorded downtime and issues for some people.
Positive buzz and critical acclaim spread ahead of launch, and the program trended on all major social media sites. HBO and HBO Max Executive Content Manager Casey Bloys had this to say about the show’s groundbreaking premiere:
It was wonderful to see millions of “Game of Thrones” fans return with us to Westeros last night. “House of the Dragon” features an incredibly talented cast and crew who poured their hearts and souls into the production, and we are thrilled with the positive response from viewers. We can’t wait to share with the public what else George, Ryan and Miguel have in store for them this season.
The dragon house could span 3-4 seasons
The first run of House of the Dragon would consist of 10 episodes, and more seasons will no doubt follow, with the current narrative likely spanning at least three to four seasons.
However, the creators said the current storyline will come to an end and House of the Dragon could be used as a springboard for future tales set in the Targaryen dynasty.
Given the scale of Martin’s novel, which begins three hundred years before Game of Thrones and continues to its conclusion, it’s possible House of the Dragon will last longer than its predecessor, thanks to its impressive premiere and to his renewed enthusiasm in the world of Game of Thrones.
The high ratings may be due to curiosity rather than sustained interest in the show after it launched. House of the Dragon now has to work to retain its new fan base.
Many viewers were saddened by the show’s conclusion, but the show’s expansive world garnered widespread adoration over its eight seasons on the air. Whether Dragon House continues to pull in so many viewers for the rest of its sprint, it will certainly set the stage for other Game of Thrones storylines to get a leg up on the competition.
