HBO and Bill Simmons are stealing a page right out of AMC's playbook. Borrowing from the cable network's strategy of capitalizing on their show's fandoms by airing post-show recap/analysis programming for THE WALKING DEAD and BREAKING BAD, HBO will be launching a GAME OF THRONES recap show in time for the start of Season Six.
AFTER THE THRONES will debut as a weekly program that approaches the popular series from both a humorous and sophisticated perspective, recapping the events of the latest GAME OF THRONES episode, explaining all the details of what happened where and to whom, while also speculating both seriously and absurdly about what may take place in future episodes.
Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan, of Simmons' new site The Ringer, will host the show. As for their credentials to do so in a meaningful fashion, the duo previously hosted Watch The Thrones as a podcast for the now-defunct Grantland and they currently host The Watch on Channel 33's podcast feed for The Ringer.
Hey… if it ain't broke, why fix it? Just find what other people are doing that people are watching, steal the concept and make it your own. Now, as long as get a show that doesn't shill quite like anything Chris Hardwick is attached to for AMC, we might have something interesting worth checking out.
AFTER THE THRONES will be available on Mondays on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, with airings on HBO to be announced closer to their premieres.
Season Six of GAME OF THRONES launches on HBO on April 24.