What if HBO series only lasts a few seasons?

[Uncle Grandpa]

First off, I am so looking forward to the HBO series I think I am driving my wife crazy. Just watched the first 15 minutes of the pilot and thought it was incredible. But I was just wondering, what you all think will happen if the series only lasts a few seasons. It's quite possible that it may not last long enough to have a season for each of the books (which I'm guessing is their plan). It's very possible they may have to cobble together an ending to the TV series before the books are finished. It's probably a little too early to speculate, but do you all think they've got an ending planned if they have to finish it before the books are all out? And would said ending give some insight to the planned ending of the books?

Also, assuming it continues to the end of the books, does AFFC get it's own season? I'm just not sure a television audience would be as forgiving if they've put in 3 seasons of a series and then the 4th season has none of their favorite characters. Granted, I'd love to have to had waited just 1 year to get back to the main characters as opposed to the 7 we've waited so far.

Anyway, just a few things I was thinking about last night.

 

[Wiggum]

I'm not to worried about it either way.

I'd rather have a couple seasons of incomplete awesome than no awesome at all.

 

[Uncle Grandpa]

Oh, I totally agree. Like I said I am so looking forward to the series I can't wait. Just curious.

 

[The Imp]

Welcome to the forum Uncle Grandpa

HBO has sunk a lot of money into GOT, both in production and promotion. We know the stories are good and that there will be new viewers who have never read the books as well as avid readers of the books. I think that the first 3 seasons will be hits. The fourth could be problematic, but I suspect that AFFC and ADWD will be meshed together for purposes of television. Lastly, While a book per season sounds right, it may not be the right way to parcel out the books in relation to the seasons.

In the short term, if by some chance that the season bombs and it's dropped after two seasons, don't expect a resolution of the whole series at the end of the second season.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I agree with Imp, if its cancelled because of bad ratings (I really hope not), then the chances are that there will be no real resolution. Any number of 'good' series end that way.

If they catch up with the books, always a possibility then who knows? With GRRM on board and having input into the show there will be some continuity and a probable authentic feel, but at the same time he is not going to want to give away the ending of the whole book series.

Yeah, AFFC and ADWD will be meshed into a chronological order, rather than reading order, or maybe even into a fashion that works better on the screen.

They altered LOTR in a similar way bringing part of ROTK into the TT movie just for fluidity and it worked well.

 

[Ursa major]

The series will last as long as it lasts. If it is cancelled before it has translated all of the extant books to the screen, the story will continue in those books. The ending of the story is in GRRM's hands, not HBO's.

The worst circumstances (neither at all likely, thankfully) are:

• that HBO would want to wrap everything up at the end of whichever is their last season, spoiling the story for those fans who would otherwise find out what happens through the books; why would they bother?
• that HBO would try to cut the budget to keep the show going; I can't see this being possible (not with all the new characters in AFFC**) and I doubt that their accountants would let them do this.

** - Another plus point for AFFC

 

[The Imp]

I agree with Imp, if its cancelled because of bad ratings (I really hope not), then the chances are that there will be no real resolution. Any number of 'good' series end that way.

If they catch up with the books, always a possibility then who knows? With GRRM on board and having input into the show there will be some continuity and a probable authentic feel, but at the same time he is not going to want to give away the ending of the whole book series.

Yeah, AFFC and ADWD will be meshed into a chronological order, rather than reading order, or maybe even into a fashion that works better on the screen.

They altered LOTR in a similar way bringing part of ROTK into the TT movie just for fluidity and it worked well.

Good point about LOTR, and although he too heat from "purists", I think it worked well.

It was interesting watching the 15 minute GOT preview the other night, and seeing how they chose to establish Arya as a "tomboy". In one very short scene where Sansa is sewing perfectly, and Arya almost sews her hand to her leg, and another short scene where Bran is having trouble shooting and Arya scores a bulleseye from behind where Bran was standing,, Arya is described as well as she was with the words written in AGOT. In the book, the sewing scene actually happened, the arrow scene never did, but IMO they were still true to the story.

Based on how well received GOT has been so far, and how heavily HBO has been promoting it, it's probably alreadyguaranteed to be picked up for a second season. knowing what i know about ACOK and ASOS, viewership will increase, not diminish. Based on ADWD, season 4 COULD be problematic, so again, the idea of combining AFFC and ADWD might make a lot of sense, assuming ADWD will be the book we think/hope it will be.

 

[Wiggum]

If it continues to that point (fingers crossed) I agree, Feast will be swallowed up, and digested into, Storm and Dance.

 

[Boaz]

First off... I am driving my wife crazy.

Congratulations. And... Welcome! By the way, does your name confuse native English speakers?

It's probably a little too early to speculate, but do you all think they've got an ending planned if they have to finish it before the books are all out?

I cannot believe that HBO would catch and pass GRRM in the series... actually, now that you've brought it up, I can... Oh, crap! Uh, well, err, I suppose GRRM thought of this a long time ago and has a contingency plan. But with the actor's holdouts and writer's strikes, I'll keep my expectations for GRRM to finish first.

And I suspect that GRRM and HBO have thought out the AFFC/ADWD seasons problem. I think the most logical thing to do would be to not do it the GRRM way, i.e. combine the first halves of AFFC and ADWD into season four and the second halves into season five.

I'd rather have a couple seasons of incomplete awesome than no awesome at all.

As usual, you've succintly summed up my thoughts.

They altered LOTR in a similar way bringing part of ROTK into the TT movie just for fluidity and it worked well.

Nagigi flswughbrrrr xcywlnwawa.... Sorry, I just swallowed my tongue.

Good point about LOTR, and although he too heat from "purists", I think it worked well.

Shlaugrbraelu phragigiga... My apolgies, my tongue seems to want to do backflips.

You guys are really pushing my buttons!

 

[Gry Wnd]

4.5 Mil and episode... Probably won't last to the series completion. However if it does I suspect the season per episode model will be gone sometime around season 3.

1. ASOS is too long for even 10 episodes. Red wedding a mid season finally? At 4.5 mil and episode I doubt they start extending seasons (assuming they would have to do it again for ADWD). Season 4 would have to be a mixture of ASOS, AFFC, and ADWD.

2. GRRM would need the time to finish.


I'm guessing (and this is only if by some miracle this show becomes a labor of love for HBO) that it would take at least 9 seasons to tell the story. Assuming he gets it done in 7 books

I Bran, link for the AGOT show discussion please? Anyone else?

Only 4 more days!!

 

[Uncle Grandpa]

I cannot think of any series I have looked forward to more than this one. While I don't have many of your insights into the series I am currently finishing up ASOS for the 2nd time and these really do get better with each reading. Hoping to finish up AFFC just in time for ADWD. Cannot wait!!! I think it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. While I do agree that any of this series is better than none of it, I do hope they don't just end it abruptly. That would be a little disappointing, but I do find it very possible that the series schedule could easily surpass the books if things continue the way they have been.

Anyway, still looking forward to this so much. Gonna be freakin' awesome!!!!

 

[Uncle Grandpa]

Congratulations. And... Welcome! By the way, does your name confuse native English speakers?

Thanks for the warm welcome, by the way. I've actually been lurking about for a good while, but just had to get in on this.

Also, oddly enough, the name only confuses my mother......go figure?

 

[Raven]

Hey Boaz, long time no see.

I cannot believe that HBO would catch and pass GRRM in the series... actually, now that you've brought it up, I can... Oh, crap! Uh, well, err, I suppose GRRM thought of this a long time ago and has a contingency plan.

Actually, you're sort of right. GRRM has mentioned in interviews that the show runners know enough to be able to finish the main plotlines, which makes them very rare people indeed. AFAIK, only one or two other people in the world know that much.

My impression is that mostly they have been told this so that they can avoid unwitting continuity errors, but I suppose it could also come into play if, as the OP suggests, the series gets cancelled in circumstances where Benioff and Weiss get the chance to round plotlines off.

We're quite unlikely to get the number of seasons it'll require to do the whole series, even allowing for the fact that the series is not going to follow the books faithfully. Nine is a reasonably conservative estimate, and the chances of keeping the cast together than long are small IMO. So I doubt that the 'catching up' scenario is likely.

Re: changes, I think it's likely that some events may be brought forward from later books. In fact I'd expect many more changes than in LOTR. Characters and plotlines are going to have to be dropped and/or altered, and that will sometimes screw with the timing and order of events. But that's life. Just bear in mind that an adaptation is by definition an alternative version.

 

[Tragedy]

Dare I say it would be best for them to wrap the show by the end of SoS?

It is the pretty much the end of a major plotline (and presumably what most people watching the series are watching it for) and it leaves enough interest for people to go pick up the books.

 

[biodroid]

I would say if the show gets cancelled and that's speculative thinking because we have no control over the networks airing it, then at least we (still need to read the rest of AGOT) have the books which started it all. I don't think the show would fully realise the emotional content that GRRM has put into his books.

 

[The Imp]

Dare I say it would be best for them to wrap the show by the end of SoS?

It is the pretty much the end of a major plotline (and presumably what most people watching the series are watching it for) and it leaves enough interest for people to go pick up the books.

HBO will "wrap it up" if it isn't finacially feasible to continue. It will be based on ratings. Nothing else.