Ratings Climb a Notch

[rgosche20]

Isn't it about time to give up on the TV show? The characters are now so significantly different that it's hard to consider it a part of a Song of Ice and Fire.

[J_Crews]

Isn't it about time to give up on the TV show? The characters are now so significantly different that it's hard to consider it a part of a Song of Ice and Fire.

Pfffffftttttttttttt!

Truly, among the stupider things I've ever read.

[OzorxOron]

Isn't it about time to give up on the TV show? The characters are now so significantly different that it's hard to consider it a part of a Song of Ice and Fire.

Nope.

[rgosche20]

Brienne the truly beautiful kingsguard killer is a lesser example of why I believe the show should be abondoned.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Brienne the truly beautiful kingsguard killer is a lesser example of why I believe the show should be abondoned.

Bye then.

Don't let the portcullis hit you on your way out.

[salt]

They don't sell advertising, but they do gain viewers for their other shows by putting them in front of captive audiences. 30-minute Entourage was typically 22-25 minutes long per episode. The Tudors on Showtime was typically 49-53 minutes. Yes, last season's episodes were longer on average; and, yes, these could be a little longer too. What I'm trying to say, though, is that it isn't some outrageous thing for them to be the length they've been this season so far. Their pretty much on par with other similar shows now, regardless of what they were last season.

Its not outrageous to make 52 minute shows (even when that includes 5 minutes of beginning/end credits and episode recaps), but its outrageous to think you can fit ACOK into 10 episodes of that length without the story and the pacing suffering. That's beyond the ability of just about any show runner. At the very least, the episodes should have been as long as they were last season, which adapted a significantly shorter book. We as the fans are feeling this, which is probably a big part of why the buzz on this forum, while generally positive, has noted a decline in quality from season 1. Thank goodness they're going to give ASOS the two seasons it needs.

[J_Crews]

Its not outrageous to make 52 minute shows (even when that includes 5 minutes of beginning/end credits and episode recaps), but its outrageous to think you can fit ACOK into 10 episodes of that length without the story and the pacing suffering. That's beyond the ability of just about any show runner. At the very least, the episodes should have been as long as they were last season, which adapted a significantly shorter book. We as the fans are feeling this, which is probably a big part of why the buzz on this forum, while generally positive, has noted a decline in quality from season 1. Thank goodness they're going to give ASOS the two seasons it needs.

Agreed.

[Padraig]

We as the fans are feeling this, which is probably a big part of why the buzz on this forum, while generally positive, has noted a decline in quality from season 1.

Well, this board is obviously going to be very sensitive to changes in the books. Its probably not the best judge of whether the story or pacing suffers because it has to be shoved into 10 episodes. Certainly S2 seems to be reviewed better in the general media.

And we have known S2 was going to cover aCoK for a while now, so we shouldn't be surprised by it. That's why some of the complaints are just stating the obvious.

As for episode length. It is a curious thing. I do wonder did they think one way to save budget for the big battle in E9 was shave a few minutes from the other episodes. I know some people would have choosen length over that battle but you can guarantee that others would have raged till infinity if the Blackwater wasn't huge. And will still rage, whatever HBO offers up. Just less now. Hopefully.

And also, S1 did require a lot more exposition than in S2. So while aCoK is a bigger book, S2 doesn't have to worry about making people aware of the world.

[boojam]

Its not outrageous to make 52 minute shows (even when that includes 5 minutes of beginning/end credits and episode recaps), but its outrageous to think you can fit ACOK into 10 episodes of that length without the story and the pacing suffering. That's beyond the ability of just about any show runner. At the very least, the episodes should have been as long as they were last season, which adapted a significantly shorter book. We as the fans are feeling this, which is probably a big part of why the buzz on this forum, while generally positive, has noted a decline in quality from season 1. Thank goodness they're going to give ASOS the two seasons it needs.

It's my speculation that D&D had more time to prepare season 1 even tho GOT has 73 chapters I believe the book has fewer pages.

COK has only 70 chapters but more pages and a hell of lot more elaboration.

One can solve the problem of having too much material for 10 episodes.

But I do think this season has suffered from not spending enough time with the teleplays, even if last year's source material was more managable... this season has a number of scenes that just don't look as well thought out. Maybe it just dramatically can't be done, if HBO's business model is to give only 10 episodes one maybe be doomed from the beginning, but I do think some things could have gone smoother.

Still the cast and production values have everybody beat. It has a look and feel unlike anything else on TV right now... or even any film I have seen recently.

I wish I knew what David Benioff and D.B. Weiss think right now, the DVDs of season showed me they had spotted seams and continuity that I had not. This year fans of the show are spotting seams that should have been obvious to D&D.

Who knows Episode 9 may make up for the whole season!

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

The good news is that book 3 will be split into 2 seasons so they'll have 20 episode to tell the story, that should help things a bunch.

[nubreed000]

the only thing that could draw away my interest in this show is if they resurrected Deadwood

YES! And add Carnivale to that as well.

[Mediumjon Umber]

Isn't it about time to give up on the TV show? The characters are now so significantly different that it's hard to consider it a part of a Song of Ice and Fire.

So Maester Luwin was wrong after all. All trolls aren't dead.

[The Knight of Flours]

I see the ratings for 'Old Gods And The New' were pretty much on par with the 3.9mil of 'Ghost' - so just about an equal highest ever.

[g.o.d]

for a heavily serialised show it's fraking outstanding

[Fez]

And it finally hit the milestone of a 2.0 share in the demo, I knew that was gonna happen soon (see post #2). I predict next week we hit 4 million for initial views.

[J_Crews]

Awesome news!

[CrypticWeirwood]

Any news on ratings over the last coupla weeks?

[Faint]

Any news on ratings over the last coupla weeks?

Ratings for initial airing for all episodes to date:

Episode 1: 3.86

Episode 2: 3.76

Episode 3. 3.77

Episode 4: 3.65

Episode 5: 3.90

Episode 6: 3.88

Episode 7: 3.69

Episode 8: pending

If I remember correctly, even though episode 7 ratings for the initial airing dropped off from the previous week, the total amont of viewers (counting the second airing that same night) remained the same as for episode 6 (i.e., roughly 4.7).

Regrettably though, the ratings never really rose over the course of the season. I was hoping the series might have a similar trajectory as True Blood over the course of its second season (i.e., 3.7 to 5.3), but alas . . .

[Jory]

Not enough positive momentum for it, really. Expect a big ratings rise next season, I think - ASoS is by far the best of the books so it should be, by far, the best of the seasons. If it's not, then they've really made a mistake.

[Faint]

Episode 8: 3.86

I was pleasantly surprised that Episode 8 saw a rise from last week. Hopefully these next two episodes do gangbusters. The Battle of the Blackwater should bring in viewers provided it is promoted well. At the very least, I expect one of the episodes, if not both, to cross the 4.0 barrier.