HBO 2011-19There was no bigger television show in the 2010s than HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy novels. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the fantasy epic pulled viewers into the cutthroat world of Westeros, a land rife with myths, legends, warring families and magical dragons. It was an enormous undertaking and a feat: Despite its relatively humdrum ending, “Game of Thrones” redefined television with its depictions of violence, sex and gore, and with its frank assessment of what it takes to rule. The series examined the universal lust for power, and within its spectacle drew complex portraits of the people who would tear the world apart for their chance to sit atop the coveted Iron Throne.
