Fantasy tv is dying. Here's why.

Summary

The video script discusses the decline of high-budget fantasy TV shows, attributing it to the unrealistic expectations set by Game of Thrones' success. It reviews four major contenders attempting to fill the void left by Game of Thrones: Wheel of Time, The Witcher, Rings of Power, and House of the Dragon. Despite their efforts, none have achieved the same level of acclaim. The script suggests that the era of expensive fantasy TV is fading due to streaming services prioritizing profitability over quality, leading to a shift towards cheaper content production.

Takeaways

• 📺 The script discusses the decline of high-budget fantasy TV shows and the challenges faced by the industry.
• 🔍 It highlights how streaming services are shifting their focus from expensive fantasy productions to more cost-effective content like reality TV.
• 🎭 The script mentions four key contenders that were expected to be the next 'Game of Thrones': 'Wheel of Time', 'The Witcher', 'Rings of Power', and 'House of the Dragon'.
• 📉 'Wheel of Time' had a mixed reception and was criticized for its pacing and budget issues.
• 🚫 'The Witcher' faced fan backlash over adaptation choices and saw its lead actor, Henry Cavill, exit the series.
• 📈 'Rings of Power' had a high production cost but failed to capture a large audience or maintain viewer interest across seasons.
• 🐉 'House of the Dragon' suffered from budget cuts and creative differences, leading to an unfinished feeling in its second season.
• 💸 The script points out that streaming services are no longer profitable and are cutting costs, which impacts the production quality of fantasy shows.
• 📚 It suggests that the era of TV shows based on fantasy novels might be ending, as the business model returns to normal and fantasy is not as welcome.
• 🎨 The narrator expresses a personal love for the fantasy genre and suggests that animation might be a cost-effective way to adapt fantasy novels for the screen.
• 📸 The script ends with a personal note from the narrator about their interest in photography and a promotion for Skillshare.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the decline of high-budget fantasy TV shows and the challenges faced by the industry in replicating the success of 'Game of Thrones'.

What does the speaker attribute the decline of fantasy TV shows to?

The speaker attributes the decline to high production costs, streaming service models that are not profitable, and a shift in focus towards cheaper to produce content like reality TV.

Which four fantasy TV shows does the speaker discuss in the script?

The speaker discusses 'The Wheel of Time', 'The Witcher', 'Rings of Power', and 'House of the Dragon'.

Why does the speaker believe 'Game of Thrones' was so successful?

The speaker suggests 'Game of Thrones' was successful because it was different and fresh at the time, and it benefited from a unique moment in television history.

What is the 'reality check era' mentioned in the script?

The 'reality check era' refers to the current state of the streaming industry where streamers are raising prices, increasing ads, and focusing on cheaper content production, leading to a decline in high-budget fantasy TV shows.

What was the budget for the first season of 'Game of Thrones'?

The budget for the first season of 'Game of Thrones' was about 6 million per episode.

How does the speaker describe the adaptation of 'The Wheel of Time'?

The speaker describes 'The Wheel of Time' as feeling rushed, looking like a CW show, and having a generally good capture of the book's feel despite some mistakes.

What issue does the speaker have with 'Rings of Power'?

The speaker criticizes 'Rings of Power' for its lackluster reception, huge lore changes, and a storytelling style that leaves both die-hard fans and casual viewers unsatisfied.

Why did the second season of 'House of the Dragon' face criticism?

The second season of 'House of the Dragon' faced criticism due to its slow pace, repetitive scenes, plot conveniences, and a lack of forward momentum, making it feel like filler.

What does the speaker suggest as a potential solution for the high costs of fantasy TV production?

The speaker suggests that animation could be a potential solution for making fantasy TV shows cheaper to produce.

What hobby does the speaker mention they have been exploring?

The speaker mentions they have been exploring photography as a new hobby.

Outlines

00:00

📺 The Decline of Fantasy TV Shows

The paragraph discusses the fall from grace of fantasy TV shows, particularly in the wake of the highly anticipated but ultimately disappointing final season of 'Game of Thrones'. It highlights the 'fantasy boom' that began with the success of 'Game of Thrones' and how networks and streamers sought to replicate this success with shows like 'Wheel of Time', 'The Witcher', 'Rings of Power', and 'House of the Dragon'. The paragraph also touches on the high expectations set by 'Game of Thrones' and the challenges these shows faced in meeting viewer demands, including budget constraints, rushed production, and a shift in the industry towards more profitable, less ambitious content.

05:00

📉 The Struggles of Fantasy Adaptations

This paragraph delves into the specific struggles of the fantasy adaptations mentioned, such as 'Wheel of Time', which improved in its second season but was still criticized for its pace and production quality. 'The Witcher' faced fan backlash and lost its lead actor, while 'Rings of Power' suffered from a lack of audience engagement despite its high budget. 'House of the Dragon' saw a decline in viewership and criticism of its pacing and plot conveniences. The paragraph also discusses the broader industry trends, including the streaming service model's shift towards less expensive content and the impact of budget cuts and corporate decisions on the quality and production of these shows.

10:01

📸 Exploring New Creative Outlets

The final paragraph shifts focus from the decline of fantasy TV to the speaker's personal exploration of new hobbies, particularly photography. They discuss their enjoyment of Skillshare, a learning platform for creatives, and mention the various classes available for skills like film, illustration, and animation. The speaker encourages viewers to try Skillshare with a free trial offer and thanks their patrons for their support. The paragraph ends on a personal note, wishing viewers happiness and love in their lives.

Keywords

💡Fantasy Genre

The fantasy genre is a style of literature, film, television, and video games that commonly uses magic, supernatural elements, and imaginary worlds. In the video, the fantasy genre is discussed as a significant part of television's history, with shows like 'Game of Thrones' leading a boom in the genre. The video explores how various shows have tried to capture the same success, indicating the fantasy genre's impact on the entertainment industry.

💡Game of Thrones

'Game of Thrones' is a fantasy television series that became a cultural phenomenon. The video uses it as a benchmark for the success of fantasy shows. It discusses how other series have tried to replicate its formula, highlighting the show's influence on the genre and the high bar it set for subsequent fantasy TV series.

💡Streaming Services

Streaming services are platforms that deliver content over the internet. The video mentions streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which have been instrumental in the production and distribution of fantasy series. The discussion indicates how these platforms have been searching for the next big fantasy hit, shaping the landscape of fantasy TV shows.

💡Budget Cuts

Budget cuts refer to the reduction of allocated funds for a project. In the context of the video, budget cuts are mentioned as a reason for the decline in quality and production value of some fantasy shows. The script specifically discusses how HBO had to cut episodes of 'House of the Dragon' due to financial constraints, affecting the narrative and viewer experience.

💡IP (Intellectual Property)

An Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. The video discusses various IPs like 'The Wheel of Time' and 'The Lord of the Rings', which have been adapted into TV series. The script uses these IPs to illustrate the high stakes and expectations when adapting well-known fantasy works for television.

💡Viewership

Viewership refers to the number of people watching a particular show or program. The video script mentions a decline in viewership for certain fantasy series, indicating a shift in audience interest and the challenges these shows face in retaining viewers, which is crucial for their success and continuation.

💡Rings of Power

Rings of Power refers to the television series 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power', an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings'. The video discusses the series as an example of a high-budget fantasy show that has not met expectations, despite the popularity of the source material, illustrating the challenges of adapting beloved IPs for television.

💡House of the Dragon

'House of the Dragon' is a prequel series to 'Game of Thrones'. The video uses it as an example of a show that started strong but faced issues in subsequent seasons, possibly due to corporate interference and budget cuts. It reflects the impact of external factors on the creative process and the final product of fantasy TV series.

💡Cancellation

Cancellation, in the context of television, refers to the termination of a TV series. The video script mentions the cancellation of shows and the challenges faced by the fantasy genre, indicating a broader trend where shows that do not meet certain benchmarks are discontinued, affecting the genre's presence on TV.

💡Reality Check Era

The term 'Reality Check Era' is used in the video to describe a shift in television programming towards more cost-effective content, such as reality TV, and away from high-budget fantasy series. It signifies a change in the industry's approach to content production, where the focus is on profitability and viewer retention, rather than investing in expensive, ambitious shows.

💡Skillshare

Skillshare is mentioned in the video as a platform for learning various creative skills, including photography, which the presenter has taken up as a hobby. It serves as an example of how individuals can explore and develop their interests outside of the fantasy TV genre, suggesting alternative avenues for creative fulfillment.

Highlights

The cancellation of the 9th and 10th episodes of House of the Dragon Season 2 is a notable event in the fantasy TV genre.

Shows are being canceled, stars are dropping out, and viewership is plummeting, indicating a shift in the fantasy TV landscape.

The fantasy boom started with the rise of Game of Thrones in 2015, leading to a surge in fantasy genre TV shows.

Streaming services are now hunting for the next big fantasy show after the success of Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones set a high bar for success, not just in quality but also in viewership and cultural impact.

Wheel of Time was an early contender to be the next big fantasy show, with a high budget and beloved source material.

The Witcher had star appeal and a successful video game adaptation, making it a strong contender.

Amazon's Rings of Power was a massive gamble, with a high price tag and the potential to be the next big hit.

House of the Dragon was HBO's attempt to fill the vacuum left by Game of Thrones, with high expectations.

None of the new fantasy shows have reached the heights of Game of Thrones in terms of critical acclaim or popularity.

The decline of high-budget adult fantasy TV is not just due to the genre but also the changing TV industry.

Streaming services are now focusing on cheaper to produce content, affecting the production of high-budget fantasy shows.

The slow pace and lack of forward momentum in House of the Dragon Season 2 led to a feeling of filler content.

George R.R. Martin disavowed the direction of House of the Dragon in a now-deleted blog post.

Budget cuts and strikes have forced shows to reduce episodes, affecting the quality and storytelling.

The future of fantasy on TV may lie in cheaper production methods, such as animation.

The era of high-budget fantasy TV seems to be ending, with a return to more traditional TV business models.

The author's personal interest in photography and the use of Skillshare for learning new creative skills.

Transcripts

hi everyone today you're watching man

carrying fantasy psych it's over it's so

over bro you like your little stories

about kings and queens each other too

bad it's time to eat your government

mandated Netflix True Crime slop what

happened how did we get from this to

this sorry this blank screen is a visual

representation of the n9th and 10th

episodes of H of the Dragon season 2 why

because they don't exist because of

reasons I will get to later in this

video that you're watching uh right

exactly right now shows canceled Stars

dropping out mean words spoken and

viewership plummeting I mean it's hard

to remember that it wasn't always like

this there once was a beautiful moment

in television a moment called 2015 if

you're like me you've been witnessed to

an exciting time in the fantasy genre

they're calling it the fantasy boom with

the unexpected rise of Game of Thrones

TV networks and streamers got wise to

the fact that fantasy is an awesome

genre and that it can work very well in

serialized form but with every boom

comes a bust no I said bust thank you

and while I don't think we're fully at

that point we're defin on our way there

is a culprit here and no it isn't that

Game of Thrones shat the bed in its

final season a season so bad even I know

what happens in it I haven't even

watched the show I just started reading

the books for this month because I'm

addicted to showing up late to parties

point is it's stin and since then

streaming services have been hunting for

the next big fantasy show but not just a

fantasy show oh no no and here's the

first part of the problem Game of

Thrones raised the bar a little too high

not in terms of quality but success

Network Executives instead of looking

for a sustainable long-term solution

wanted the white whale the next Game of

Thrones we had some early contenders um

I'd say roughly uh four but not all of

them could be the chosen one let's go

through them right now on Who Wants to

be the next Game of Thrones contestant

number one in my mind Wheel of Time was

the fantasy fans adaptation beloved

Source material long neglected getting

the high budget Amazon treatment with a

a genuine movie star there's a million

books and it is finished part Lord of

the Rings part Dune and entirely insane

kind of a logical choice for an unmined

IP contestant number two The Witcher had

the star appeel and the Netflix branding

and also went for game of thrones's dark

tone and already had a successful video

game adaptation I always had a sense

that this had the most going for it

contestant number three Amazon's massive

gamble after purchasing the rights to

the Lord of the Rings for something like

a hundred billion trillion trillion

dollars Jeff Bezos was challenging the

gods with a show almost too big to fail

it had to work right I mean it cost the

most but there were promising signs too

like unknown showrunners who were

reportedly toen obsessive to me this was

the riskiest but it had the most

potential contestant number four finally

HBO's answer to the vacuum they created

they had a million George R Martin

stories in the works but this took

precedent this was another gamble in a

way you know betting millions of dollars

that there was still Goodwill toward

this IP that's the question huh so there

they are you know the four contestants

let's see who the winner is the next

Game of Thrones

is I'm drawing this out so much because

you know the answer everyone knows the

answer it was rings of

power just kidding it was none of them

so no fantasy show has reached the

critical and popular Heights of Game of

Thrones but has any show really I mean

that's the thing not to sound like

Debbie Downer but in the year 2024 it's

starting to feel like that era of TV is

Gone Forever part two to understand the

broader death of fantasy TV let's look

back at our contestants and see how they

fared Wheel of Time wasn't the worst

case scenario some people really love it

and it certainly got better in the

second season I have my own opinions if

you've got an hour to spare problem with

dissecting a TV show over something like

a novel is that so many external factors

go into the sex or failure of a project

was it clumsy riding and a rushed Pace

or did Amazon simply demand fewer

episodes and crunch the budget people

underestimate how many useless

Executives just stand around and make

dumb decisions all day yeah Wheel of

Time feels rushed it looks like a CW

Show and huge mistakes were made but it

generally captures the feel of the books

generally then why didn't it reach that

level of Game of Thrones in Zack Baron's

GQ article on the making of the show he

writes for the first season of Thrones

HBO spent about 6 million in episode a

number that steadily climbed from there

Amazon in The Wheel of Time starting at

Upward of a reported 10 million per

episode simply put expectations for

Fantasy have changed this isn't the days

of Merlin anymore the budget is going to

affect actor locations each episode

needs to feel like a movie as a result

we get shorter and shorter Seasons these

are Hefty books and to put even one of

these things into Eight Episodes is

pushing it the result is a rushed Pace

convoluted plotting and characters we

don't have time to care about do you

guys really think they'd give 14 Seasons

to cover this 14 book series I'd be

surprised if we got anything past three

The Witcher is a show I honestly never

cared about I mean I'm happy it has fans

but it seemed like from the start it was

a mixed bag fans of the book were angry

over choices in the adaptation and it

sounds like the angry fans included the

star of the show Henry caval himself who

exited the series under mysterious

circumstances to be replaced by Liam

Hemsworth for the third and fourth

season it seems like the star power

wasn't enough to keep this show popular

I think it had good numbers for sure but

it wasn't water cooler TV which brings

us to rings of powers lackluster

everything only about half as many US

households watched the season 2 premiere

as did the series opener over their

first 3 days of release the first season

cost $715 million and even though the

second season is doing well by Amazon

standards it isn't capturing viewers

attention only 37% of viewers in the US

watched season 1 to completion the fact

that they're losing viewers in season 2

is a bad sign you know I could talk a

lot about why this show doesn't work but

mainly I want to ask who is this for

token fans are horrified by the huge

lore changes and casual fans are bored

to death by the almost Wikipedia style

storytelling Amazon can only adapt stuff

in The Lord of the Rings but everything

in this show is told in more depth in

the sarion a property they don't even

own also Amazon put all their faith into

virtually untested showrunners who

themselves admit that making the show

was a massive learning experience at one

point the showrunners asked mentor and

former boss JJ Abrams to call Amazon to

put in a good word which kind of makes

sense the show suffers incredibly from a

storytelling tactic called the mystery

box which has been been championed by JJ

Abrams over the years basically you give

the audience a mystery to be answered

even if it's something simple and you

run with it doesn't even matter what the

mystery is rings of power has quite a

few mainly is that Sauron is that Sauron

is that Sauron is that saon you you get

the point if you want an extensive

breakdown and a great video about this

show hello future me has the king of

them all let's bring it all back home to

HBO or I guess Max now even though I

never watched Game of Thrones I've

become a huge fan of House of the Dragon

the first season was beautiful and

tragic and Patty Constantine gave the

perform perance of a lifetime it seemed

like it was pretty popular but then

season 2 arrived and the cracks started

to show the slow but steady Pace has

become glacial repetitive scenes plot

conveniences and a lack of forward

momentum made for a season that felt

like filler yeah there were great

moments but by the end it felt like

nothing had meaningfully changed on top

of that George RR Martin disavowed the

direction of the show on a now deleted

blog post so what's going on did the

writers just suddenly lose their talent

or did the corporate people do something

yeah yeah it was the corporate people

Warner Brothers Discovery under the

reign of David zaslav suffering

tremendously and is forced to slash

budgets left and right it's hard

everyone's suffering except David zaslav

himself who made $49 Million last year

because of budget cuts and the actors

and writer strikes the show was forced

to cut the last two episodes which would

have included very climactic battles

this is why the season feels just kind

of unfinished but don't worry we'll get

to see the rest of it very soon in 2026

let's stop for a second and make some

conclusions these four shows have been

interesting case studies to see how an

industry attempts to recreate an anomaly

first you get a well-known IP then you

throw money at it the end the decline of

high budget adult fantasy TV isn't just

because of the fantasy genre it's

because of TV itself the streaming

service model which revolutionized the

industry is now killing it here's the

secret streaming was never profitable it

was propped up by novelty by big Tech's

willingness to destroy yet another

industry with the promise of something

better only to give you a worse version

of what you already had it's like uber

and ride share apps what if we made

taxis but it's just random independent

contractors using their own Vehicles

making next to nothing Uber lost money

in order to destroy an existing business

model similarly streaming destroyed a

profitable business model in order to

make a worse product how many 22 episode

series do you see anymore I mean I could

go on forever about this I made a video

going deeper into this topic already

I'll just say that fantasy is in the

crosshairs in this new era let's call

this era the reality check era in the

reality check streamers are raising

prices increasing ads and focusing on

cheap to produce content such as reality

TV basically it's becoming Network TV

again fantasy never really thrived in

that landscape fantasy as we've come to

expect it is expensive as to

produce if you want movie quality

dragons don't expect much more than six

or eight episodes and if these fantasy

shows aren't bringing Prestige or huge

viewerships then like what's the point

from a business perspective you're

already seeing this attitude shift HBO

forcing their Flagship series to cut two

episodes because of budget is crazy

similarly the witchers ending after its

fourth season if not sooner in the near

future only proven IPS will be gracing

the small screen no matter how needless

and unwanted wanted uh there's no longer

the same money or energy to create

gamechanging fantasy when Game of

Thrones came out it was different and

fresh just like many of the shows of

that Golden Era the business is going

back to normal and fantasy was never

really welcome in that time so what do

we do now I love fantasy as a genre and

I think TV is a perfect way to adapt

fantasy novels which are often long as

hell perhaps we find a way to make

fantasy cheap to make even though

animation isn't particularly cheap it's

cheaper than any of these shows and

seems like an obvious Avenue if my

beloved Stormlight Archive got adapted

as an animated series I would be

happy moral of the story

fantasy it's not your fault I love you

fantasy and if you aren't destined to

stay on the small screen at least we see

you on the big one probably and in books

of course but books are not a visual

medium what is a visual medium

photography and what is my new favorite

hobby photography even though I'm am

only a novice at photography and I am

still the master of transitions in

outdoor photography see shoot and share

the beauty around you by Min te I've

been exploring photography through a

lens I've never seen through enjoying

the word play and it's only one of a

number of great classes I've been

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just having fun going through the the

catalog the first 500 people people to

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cool get started today don't miss out

thank you for watching everyone I put a

lot of uh effort into these longer

videos so I appreciate um you these are

our loyal patrons many of whom are brand

new now that I started reading Game of

Thrones and vlogging it two bucks for

everything on the patreon anyways just

wanted to say that and thank the patrons

thank you skillshare and thank you the

viewer for being there for me Paris

social I hope you are happy and loved in

your life and have a very lovely day

bye-bye