(HBO)

The Game of Throne TV series was incredibly successful for HBO, but the series finale soured many people on the saga. Can a prequel lure disappointed viewers back to Westeros? Will House of the Dragon be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned. *Status update below.

A fantasy series, the House of the Dragon TV show is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel and is a prequel to Game of Thrones. It stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional cast includes Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, and Savannah Steyn. The series tells the story of House Targaryen. King Viserys Targaryen (Considine) is chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed his grandfather, the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. Prince Daemon Targaryen (Smith) is the younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (D’Arcy) is the king’s first-born child. She is of pure Valyrian blood and a dragonrider, but perhaps most importantly, she was not born a man. Lord Corlys Velaryon (Toussaint), aka “The Sea Snake, is the head of the House Velaryon. The most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, his house is even richer than the Lannisters and claims the largest navy in the world. His wife is Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Best), a dragonrider who was passed over as heir to the throne because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male. Otto Hightower (Ifans) is the Hand of the King and loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne. Alicent (Cooke) is his daughter and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. Raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle, she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.

The ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s chances of staying on the air. The higher the ratings, the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available.

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Note: According to HBO, the series premiere drew 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platforms on the night of August 21st. It’s HBO’s series premiere to date.

Note: These are the final national ratings, including all live+same day viewing and DVR playback (through 3:00 AM). Early fast affiliate ratings (estimates) are indicated with an “*”. While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel. There can be other economic factors involved in a show’s fate, but typically the higher-rated series are renewed and the lower-rated ones are cancelled.

What do you think? Do you like the House of the Dragon TV series on HBO? Should it be cancelled or renewed for a second season?

*8/26/22 update: HBO has renewed the House of the Dragon TV series for a second season.