2. Its Riding On The Success Of Game Of Thrones
In a good way. Can you imagine a big budget drama series being made about vikings ten years ago? Or even five? After years of period dramas mostly based on Shakespeare and Austen the huge popularity of Game of Thrones has sent period dramas back a few centuries with dramas like the BBCs The White Queen where youre more likely to run into Gregor Clegane than Mr Knightly. For the most part these are good shows in their own right but theres no denying that the combination of sex, swords and (some form of) sorcery is catering to the hordes of A Song of Ice and Fire fans looking elsewhere for their fantasy fix in the decades long wait for the next book.