Despite its nature as a big-budget, fantasy book-series adaptation, Game Of Thrones has consistently proved to be so much more than just a nerd's wet dream. The demographic tuning into the on-screen adaptation of George R. R. Martin's marvellous creation is now as expansive as Westeros itself. The first week of June 2014 saw the show snatch the record of most watched HBO TV drama from The Sopranos, averaging 18.4 million viewers per episode (a figure which excludes the worldwide online audience). This begs the question, how did a fantasy-drama - not a typically popular TV genre - come to be one of the world's best-loved shows? In terms of escapism, no TV series provides a momentary break from real life quite like GOT does. Graphic sex and violence is blended expertly with a tightly woven narrative, a narrative which incorporates romance, politics and morality. High-brow meets low-brow in a strictly adult setting, meaning the show caters for lovers of cheap thrills just as adeptly as it does so for literary-types craving complexity and ingenuity. Inspiring new fans of fantasy everywhere and making a huge mark on modern popular culture, GOT is now a household name right across the globe and it isn't simply the best show of our time, but the greatest televised series in history. And here's why...