HBO's highly anticipated sci-fi drama "Westworld" is deemed to be the best debut for the network ever since the premiere episode of the 2014 crime drama "True Detective." Reports indicate that the debut episode drew 3.3 million viewers which is considerably strong given its competition. However, it still doesn't come close to "Game of Thrones" season 6 premiere ratings which reportedly reached 23.3 million views.
Farthest Thing From "Game of Thrones"
Prior to "Westworld" premiere episode, there were talks that the series could be the next "Game of Thrones." While the drama has much promise in being a big hit, thematically, it is a far cry from George R.R. Martin's creation. The story of "Westworld" explores the future and foresees a world where people's idea of fun is a world without any laws and they can freely do what they want to humanoids known as "hosts."
It's a reality that explores how man can perfect technology to the extent that robots get to have emotions and the ability to recall and revolt against their makers.
"Westworld" Premiere Viewership Ratings And Response
Given the stiff competition from Netflix's "Luke Cage" which has been receiving positive online reviews, "Westworld" performed satisfactorily. Emotional reactions on Twitter were estimated to be 545 percent greater compared to the debut of "Vinyl" and 326 percent higher than the latest "The Leftovers" season.
Reports on Twitter reactions also reveal that of the 11,365 emotional tweets, 37 percent accounted for love and 18.1 percent for excitement, while 14 percent indicated the episode was good. The report continued that during the show's last five minutes, 117 Twitter reactions were posted every minute and that "addicted" reactions for the series were higher by 768 percent compared to the usual primetime show.
Given HBO's quest to find a new torch bearer after "Game of Thrones" concludes, this could be good news. The positive viewership that "Westworld" attracted means a huge thing to showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy after production delays and hitches during the making of the series.
Following the HBO tradition, it is not surprising that "Westworld" cinematography is top class. According to reports, the pilot's production budget amounted to $25 million and the ten-episode premiere season costs approximately $100 million. If "Westworld" continues to be a hit, HBO may have found another game changer in its backyard.
