The one between House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power is also an ideological clash
Patronage vs. business logic Frankly, this confrontation has little to do with House of the Dragon (the prequel to Game of Thrones, from August 22 on Sky and Now) or with The Rings of Power (the upcoming spinoff The Lord of the Rings, from 2 September on Prime Video) and a lot with the state of television in general. Since Hbo announced its intention to make a spin-off based on the works of George R.R. Martin, the company that controlled the US network, WarnerMedia, has merged with Discovery, creating a company that seems determined to streamline production rather than squander millions on spiky thrones. The Rings of Power, on the other hand, is made by Prime Video, a streaming service that boasts seemingly unlimited resources.
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Both series have all the potential to become a hit, but whether or not they succeed may depend on how long they are funded. As the New York Times recently pointed out, "HBO's new bosses, Discovery executives, are in overwhelming $ 53 billion in debt and are looking for ways to save. In other words, it's better than expensive spin-offs. de Game of Thrones are profitable [...] Will two spectacular, high-budget fantasy series be too much for viewers? ".
This situation creates a strange dichotomy. The Game of Thrones, it must be admitted, did not end in the best way. Even if the reaction of the audience was lukewarm, in wanting to be generous, the ending still received a lot of attention. Hbo has given the green light to the series prequel to win back viewers of the franchise and acquire new ones, in a time of great need for the network. Amazon, on the other hand, ordered The Rings of Power in part because Jeff Bezos is a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and why with his billions the CEO of the ecommerce platform can do virtually anything he desires.
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It's normal that TV shows survive and be cut off based on the number of viewers they attract, and the super rich have been patronizing practically as long as creativity has existed. But there is an aspect in the contrast between the two series that puts all this in strong prominence. House of the Dragon could be canceled after just one season, even if it turns out to be a masterpiece, and only because it's too expensive. In the case of The Rings of Power, however, it seems that there will be five seasons regardless of whether the series proves compelling or not, and only because this is the will of Bezos.
The future of the genre is Streaming While I have sided with questionable quality TV in the past, this all-out defense is usually reserved for mid-budget series with small but devoted audiences (and occasionally misunderstood Wachowskis movies). But spending millions on mediocre products is a real waste, especially if we consider how good programs are canceled all the time just because the limited budget translates into a limited audience. Let's not forget that Mad Men has never had so many viewers, and probably would not have made it past the second season on Netflix. The same goes for The Wire or Deadwood. In an age where algorithms and accountants are enough to determine the return on investment of any program, surviving TV must be able to gather new subscribers. Unless it's the project born from the passion of a billionaire who doesn't need to make ends meet. Lately, fantasy has managed to bring viewers to platforms - The Sandman currently ranks # 1 among Netflix's most viewed series - but the idyll may not last forever.
Which brings us back to the question that asks the New York Times: won't two series full of swords and magic be too much? Will audiences pick the best series, stick with their favorite franchise, or follow both? Will historical Martin or Tolkien fans continue to watch their reference series no matter what? It is possible, but it seems even more likely that whatever series comes out, its "success" will dictate the line of TV for the foreseeable future.
This article originally appeared on sportsgaming.win US.
