12 Upcoming New HBO Series To Be Excited About
It's not TV, it's HBO - which of their new shows do you need to keep an eye out for?
There can be few content producers in the industry with an archive as lauded as that of HBO. If you’re talking greatest shows of all time, there are four or five shows from the network that can’t help but be in contention. It’s one of the most consistently successful creators of great material in modern times.
Recently, though, there has been a slight shift. The real HBO heavyweights have ended, or aren’t quite making the splash they once were. Game Of Thrones shuffled off our screens, and they’re still awaiting that next Sopranos or Wire, that next Best Show Ever candidate.
But even if HBO isn’t the be all and end all for amazing television that it once was, there’s no doubt they still come up with the goods on a regular basis. No network is able to attract the talent that HBO does, and few can match it for ambition.
That’s why when you hear that a new show is debuting on the network, you can’t help but get at least a little excited. Here are twelve of the most intriguing prospects coming to the channel in the next couple of years.
12. House Of The Dragon
The conclusion to Game Of Thrones was divisive, to say the least. While some accepted it as a perfectly decent conclusion, others felt it tarnished the legacy of one of the biggest TV phenomena ever. Whatever your feelings, no doubt both sets of fans will be primed for more Westeros action when HBO return to the well with Targaryen-led prequel House Of The Dragon.
It’ll be a while before this hits our screens so the details are up in the air, but a key point to remember is that this is at least partially based on George R R Martin’s Fire & Blood novel. Many thought that the decline of Thrones was due to a lack of source material to guide it along - fans can rest easy here knowing that Martin has laid out the blueprint for the next instalment.
He also acts as producer here, which, given the quality of the episodes he wrote for the original series, can only be a good thing. Prequels are a tricky proposition, but the Targaryen family was always one of the most interesting parts of Westeros lore, so it should be fascinating to explore that in greater depth.
The source material is presented as a Targaryen history, covering many generations of the incestuous dragon worshippers. House Of The Dragon may follow suit, emulating the format of anthology TV, with the cast replaced each season as we focus on a new era of Targaryens. It may choose to follow Aegon I’s conquest of Westeros, a key moment in the franchise’s mythology. Whatever route they decide to take, they certainly won’t be lacking for inspiration.