Netflix has tried its best to duplicate the success of Game of Thrones, but it’s time for the streaming platform to give it up once and for all. HBO’s fantasy series was, obviously, a cultural phenomenon. The show’s final season averaged 44.2 million viewers per episode. So, it’s only natural that when Game of Thrones came to a close, companies like Netflix attempted to take over its audience.
On paper, it should have been easy to provide audiences with a Game of Thrones replacement. The series is high fantasy at its core, but leans heavily into the political drama genre. This is far from uncommon in the world of literature, so all Netflix had to do was find a great fantasy book series, adapt it to the screen, and cash the checks. However, reproducing Game of Thrones’ success hasn’t been so easy after all.
Netflix’s Biggest Fantasy TV Shows Have Failed
In the years since Game of Thrones really began to gain traction, Netflix has made several attempts to create something similar. Shadow and Bone, Cursed, and Marco Polo all had great potential. However, each failed to gain an audience and was canceled after only a season or two.
Netflix only managed to come close to a Game of Thrones replacement once. The Witcher was a book adaptation that should have checked many of the same boxes as the HBO fantasy series. It had politics, thrilling magic, a great cast, and fantastical monsters. The Witcher season 1 even performed fairly well. For a moment, it looked like Netflix had finally done it.
Of course, things quickly fell apart for Netflix’s The Witcher. Season 2 was a dud, and the series was heavily criticized for its significant changes to the source material. Game of Thrones was criticized for similar reasons, so there might still have been a chance. Unfortunately, Henry Cavill’s departure from the show was the final nail in the coffin.
The Witcher season 4 was a considerable improvement on past installments as far as book accuracy, and actor Liam Hemsworth wasn’t a bad Geralt. However, the damage had already been done. There’s no longer any chance that The Witcher could come anywhere close to Game of Thrones level. So, it’s time for Netflix to give it a rest.
Why Netflix Is Unlikely Ever To Duplicate Game Of Thrones’ Success
Unlike HBO, Netflix isn’t known for its high budgets or production values. Fantasy is an expensive genre, which makes the risk of failure even worse. Other streaming platforms, like Prime Video, have dumped billions into projects like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and they are still nowhere near the quality of Game of Thrones.
Interestingly, even HBO has been unable to duplicate Game of Thrones’ success. The spinoff House of the Dragon is certainly a hit, but it hasn’t quite reached that same level. Years after the show’s ending, we can likely confirm that Game of Thrones was a rare enigma. Still, if anyone is going to successfully replace it, it won’t be Netflix.
- Release Date
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2011 – 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
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David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
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David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
