Game of Thrones: Ratings

[douglascohen]

So I may not be watching HBO's Game of Thrones anymore until the next book comes out, but here's a topic I thought might be worth discussion: the ratings.  For whatever reason, I am fascinated by tracking the ratings to GoT.  Even though I'm not watching the show for the moment, that trend has continued

Comments

[marlowe1]

I am actually going to venture to guess that this last episode took place during Memorial Day weekend. They didn't do that before.

[douglascohen]

Could be! But that would only explain the raatings dip for the last week ...

[temporus]

I seriously doubt the die-hard "I won't watch anymore until the books catch up" group makes even a statistical blip on the radar. Outside of the people I know through SF conventions, less than 5% of the people I talk to routinely who are fans of the show have ever read the books. Less than half of that group are even readers. I know we as fans of books, would like to believe we're the bigger part of that audience, truth is, we're not.

The consistent complaint I've heard from folks this season is: nothing is happening, and it's too slow. To which, I must mostly agree. We've hit "the muddle in the middle", and it's showing even more here than it does in books 4 & 5.

What might be worth looking into: has the writing staff changed this season? Could some key people have left? I've seen that happen before, and that has an effect on the show after.

[douglascohen]

I honestly don't know how big the reading audience is anymore, because this show has drawn in a lot of new readers. However, I would imagine it's fair to say that most of those people who started with the show aren't about to stop watching it because of the books.

I can tell you that it's basically the same writing staff though.

[temporus]

I know a number of folks who tell me they won't read the books, because they think it will spoil the show.

That the writing staff hasn't changed much means that's probably not a factor. Although, am I wrong, or is George less involved this season? Perhaps that's some of the effect.

I'm looking back at the ratings, and honestly, except for this past week, they look just fine to me. Sure, on average a bit below Season 4 numbers, but consistently well above season 3. I suspect the first episode this year opened huge, and then it drifted to ordinary levels. It has been dropping lately, with a possible exception of this week as particularly bad falling as it did right in the holiday weekend. If the next three episodes continue the trend, I'd get concerned about what they are doing that's causing the lack on continued interest. If the last three pick up, then it just might be a sign that ratings of 6-7 are average.

[douglascohen]

George isn't writing his usual one episode per season this year so that he can focus on finishing the next book, but I'd imagine Benioff and Weiss still consult him regularly when they have questions.

As to the ratings, it's not as though HBO is panicking or anything along these lines. The ratings are still very strong and should remain so for the duration of the show's run. But the fact that the ratings are dropping is something new for GoT and that struck me as being worth a post, because until this point that hasn't been the norm with this show. The show obviously remains a juggernaut, but right now it isn't the ever-growing juggernaut that it always has been. Based on the feedback I'm getting here, it sounds like people are saying this season is boring compared to other seasons. That's not terribly surprising considering that book four is the slowest book of the five.

[musingaloud]

This season is boring. Nothing much is happening except things that deviate from the books (2 items so far), but really, nothing going on. Characters are travelling and encountering things but no one's in danger at the moment. The characters people are mostly interested in--Arya and Tyrion--aren't seen much and what we do see is innocuous to say the least.

[douglascohen]

You're not the first person to mention something along these lines on this thread. As I said above, to some extent I'm not surprised since book four is the slowest book of the five currently out.