A mere two days after the premiere episode of Game of Thrones aired, HBO has already renewed the fantasy series for a second season. (You can read our roundtable of the first episode here.)
Speculation on a second season began well before the show aired, as there had been rumors that production on a second season would begin very shortly after the first wrapped. The renewal comes despite middling ratings from the premiere episode, which, according to TVLINE.com, 2.2 million viewers watched the show during its initial broadcast and the episode gathered a total of 4.2 million viewers when repeat airings were factored in. In contrast, HBO’s last original series, Boardwalk Empire, brought in 5 to 6 million viewers. However, HBO’s other genre show, True Blood, started out with between 1 and 2 million viewers and quickly grew from that point on. Considering the lengthy and involved nature of the storytelling at work in Game of Thrones, it stands to reason that the show could grow its audience as the characters and plot develop.
Question is…will they keep the title? Subtitle it? We’re of separate opinions, ourselves. Consistency is important but how awesome would it be to eventually be able to say, “Did you watch the latest Storm of Swords?”
Stubby the Rocket is the mascot and voice of Tor.com. The fantasy novel it’s featured in is titled A Blast of Rockets.