鈥楪ame of Thrones鈥�: Why it might be premiering later this year
'Game of Thrones' has often debuted sometime in April, but HBO's programming schedule might mean the show is being pushed back. The fact that HBO's most popular show doesn't debut in the fall is another sign of the waning popularity of the traditional September-to-May TV schedule.
'Game of Thrones' has often debuted sometime in April, but HBO's programming schedule might mean the show is being pushed back. The fact that HBO's most popular show doesn't debut in the fall is another sign of the waning popularity of the traditional September-to-May TV schedule.
Winter might be coming a little later this year.聽
Based on new premiere dates released by HBO, some industry watchers are guessing that HBO鈥檚 hit fantasy series 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� might be premiering its new season later than usual.
鈥淭hrones鈥� usually debuts on the cable network sometime in April (though one season, its third, arrived extra-early, debuting on March 31). However, HBO has also announced when some of its other shows will debut, and so fans are thinking 鈥淭hrones鈥� might be pushed back to make room for these other shows. HBO knows the program will have an audience, after all.
HBO鈥檚 show 鈥淰inyl,鈥� which is executive-produced by director Martin Scorsese and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and centers on a record label president in the 1970s, will debut on Feb. 14. It will air on Sundays at 9 p.m., traditionally 聽the 鈥淭hrones鈥� timeslot, but HBO has reportedly said 鈥淰inyl鈥� will run for 10 episodes like many of its other shows, through April 17. It would be odd for the network to switch 鈥淰inyl鈥� to a new time slot for one or two weeks, especially if executives are no doubt hoping the new show will find an audience.聽
Meanwhile, half-hour comedies 鈥淕irls鈥� and 鈥淭ogetherness鈥� are reportedly returning the week after 鈥淰inyl鈥� debuts and will air on Sundays, with "Girls" leading at 10 p.m., so it doesn鈥檛 look like HBO would be considering a move to 10 p.m. for 鈥淭hrones.鈥澛�
The popularity of HBO, other cable networks, and streaming services means the September-to-May TV schedule model is increasingly irrelevant. A cable channel like HBO embraces a year-round programming schedule 鈥� for example, HBO saved one of its most high-profile shows, 鈥淭rue Blood,鈥� for the summer in years past, with the show avoiding the traditional network fall-to-spring schedule for "True" altogether. The HBO show 鈥淭he Leftovers鈥� returned this fall, with the program having debuted earlier this month, but 鈥淟eftovers鈥� is no more important to the network鈥檚 lineup than any other show. In fact, 鈥淭hrones鈥� could currently be called the crown jewel of the network, with the fantasy drama having become HBO鈥檚 most popular program of all time.
Other cable networks and streaming services have also embraced this year-round model. Showtime debuted the new season of its drama 鈥淧enny Dreadful鈥� this past May and aired the rest of the episodes during the summer. Netflix has released a new season of its drama 鈥淗ouse of Cards鈥� in February for the past few years and debuted the first season of its comedy 鈥淯nbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,鈥� which was co-created by Tina Fey, this past March.