Is a ‘Thrones’ prequel on horizon?

By LYNN ELBER

AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES

When the last drop – or gallon – of blood is shed and an exultant victor has ascended to the Iron Throne, viewers may be split over how HBO’s fantasy saga ended but they’ll be joined in deprivation.

“What do you do without ‘Game of Thrones?”’ will be the lament heard after the May 19 finale, said media industry analyst Larry Gerbrandt. The question is even more critical to the pay-cable channel, which soared on dragon’s wings with its hugely popular, eight-season adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s novels.

Keeping subscribers on board means more than another hit, even one as globally dazzling as “Game of Thrones” proved to be. But it’s where HBO can start to protect its brand and position, observers say, an effort both demanded and compounded by an increasingly congested small-screen landscape and the expectations of the channel’s corporate owner since 2016, AT&T.

“I think they need a prestige show on this level to remain HBO,” Bill Carter, a media analyst for CNN and former reporter for The New York Times. But “more than ever, it’s really hard to find a hit show and to break through in this marketplace.”

Sunday’s season premiere underscored the point, with “Game of Thrones” drawing a series-high record of 17.4 million viewers on TV and streaming. It set a streaming record for HBO and reinforced its standing as one of television’s most popular shows.

The channel is well into the hunt for a worthy successor, with one possibility an untitled prequel to “Game of Thrones” created by Martin and Jane Goldman and starring Naomi Watts. Set to begin shooting a pilot in June, it’s among several potential “Thrones” spinoffs being weighed, with discussions at HBO about “how many is too many,” said programming chief Casey Bloys.

“We have high hopes” for the pilot, he said. “But I want to be clear, nobody is going into this thinking that we’re going to do a prequel and all of a sudden everybody who automatically watched ‘Game of Thrones’ is going to watch this. ... It’ll have a different feel and different rhythm. We’re not trying to do the same show again.”

That begs the question of what more HBO has to offer, he said. During a period in which “Game of Thrones” was off the air for scheduling reasons, series including “Westworld,” “Sharp Objects” and “Barry” proved strong draws, Bloys said.

“I’m not going to argue that we won’t miss ‘Game of Thrones.’ It’s been a fantastic show for us, but life does go on,” he said. He points to a deep bench of returnees, including Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon’s “Big Little Lies,” and newcomers including the graphic novel-based “Watchmen” from “Lost” producer Damon Lindelof. One marquee series that’s also in its final season: the much-admired comedy “Veep,” with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

With AT&T’s resources, HBO has stepped up production and will see a 50 percent increase in the number of original program hours this year, Bloys said, arguing that volume doesn’t preclude high quality: “There’s nothing in 2019 that we’re putting on the air because we’re trying to hit an hour count. ... We haven’t lowered any of our standards to reach a certain level of programming,” and there is no pressure to do otherwise from WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, he said.