It holds the record for total Emmy Award wins for a scripted television series (surpassing the record of 37 wins held by Frasier since 2004) and for most Emmy nominations for a drama series, with 161. R. Martin set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more on battles, political intrigue, and the characters, believing that magic should be used moderately in the epic fantasy genre. According to Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times, the scene caused outrage, in part because of comments by director Alex Graves that the scene became "consensual by the end". The lighting, or lack of light, in darker scenes has been a recurring point of criticism since season six of the series. The show has reportedly been censored or banned for sexual or violent content in countries like China, [297] [298] India, [299] [300] Iran, [301] Jordan, [302] Singapore, [303] Turkey, [304] [305] United Arab Emirates, [306] and Vietnam.

In December 2020, three more castings were announced: Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen. Fear's jokey comment encapsulated one of the biggest fan criticisms about the "Game of Thrones" premiere: The show is so visually dark that viewers can't even see what's happening on screen. In April 2016, the showrunners' plan was to shoot 13 more episodes after the sixth season: seven episodes in the seventh season and six episodes in the eighth.I’ve loved working with him, and if the Seven Gods and HBO are kind, I hope to keep on working with him for years to come on this new successor show. Surely there is some other setting that would brighten up the inside of Bran Stark's cave, or heighten the contrast between Cersei Lannister's robes and the shadowy chambers of her prison cell. Casey Bloys, HBO's president of programming, said at a Television Critics Association event "the petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show but it wasn't something we seriously considered". House of the Dragon: Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Everything to Know About the Game of Thrones Prequel". Northern Ireland Screen, a UK government agency financed by Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund, helped fund Game of Thrones.

The first and second drafts of the pilot script by Benioff and Weiss were submitted in August 2007 [52] and June 2008, [53] respectively. Much of the criticism after the series finale was centered around the handling of the female character storylines. Fully produced by the pay cabler and already a global phenomenon after only one season, the fantasy skein was a gamble that has paid off handsomely. For the fifth season, HBO added Canadian-based Image Engine and US-based Crazy Horse Effects to its list of main visual-effects producers. With other fantasy series, it has been cited as a reason for an increase in the purchase (and abandonment) of huskies and other wolf-like dogs.

The Guardian said there was the "rushed business" of the plot which "failed to do justice to its characters or its actors".

Ned also has an illegitimate son, Jon Snow ( Kit Harington), who, along with his scholarly friend, Samwell Tarly ( John Bradley), serve in the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont ( James Cosmo).Others associated with House Stark include Ned's ward Theon Greyjoy ( Alfie Allen), Ned's vassal Roose Bolton ( Michael McElhatton), and Roose's illegitimate son, Ramsay Snow ( Iwan Rheon). Critics have praised the series for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity and violence (including sexual violence) has been subject to criticism.