HBO's Watchmen: 10 Big Questions We Need Answers To
2. Will It Replace Game Of Thrones?
Realistically, this is the only question HBO cares about. Critical acclaim is nice, but nothing spells success like money in the bank. Though no one’s prepared to jinx it, this is Watchmen’s real job. Game Of Thrones is the hit of the decade, and considering the violence, fantasy themes and complex plots, that’s more than a little unexpected.
Will Watchmen be able to replicate it? The odds say no, but then that’s not really the standard it should be held to. Last year, Matt Groening’s Disenchantment was criticised by some for not living up to The Simpsons or Futurama. It wasn’t particularly fair to judge a new show against two of the greatest in the medium, and it won’t be fair on Watchmen to judge it against Game Of Thrones either.
It likely won’t pull in the frankly astronomical numbers Game Of Thrones boasts, especially not in the first season. But long term, that has to be its aim.
In order to do that, the show has to hit the ground running. The names attached will lead to pressure from the start; everyone involved will be hoping it shoulders it.