Though there was probably little doubt about the future of the series, HBO has set at ease the minds of what few worrywarts are out there by renewing Game Of Thrones, Veep, and Silicon Valley. This announcement comes right on schedule, as HBO provided the same extensions for the three shows in mid-April last year. The Game Of Thrones renewal comes after “months of negotiation,” which were more likely the result of working out the new schedule for its “tits and dragons” than any concerns over its popularity. HBO has, after all, conveniently arranged its preview weekend to include the season six premiere of the show in order to rack up subscribers and head off some of that piracy.
The announcement didn’t include the number of episodes that will comprise season seven of Game Of Thrones, a series that may only have 13 episodes left in its run. Just last week, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss told Variety that they planned to carry out two more seasons of the hit show, with seven episodes for season seven and six for season eight. That’s a few seasons shy of the “six years” HBO’s Michael Lombardo would like to wring out of the battle for the Iron Throne, but maybe they’ll reach a compromise that involves four seasons of three episodes, an intermittent schedule that’s sure to delight fans, just like Kit Harington protesting too much about Jon Snow’s “death.”
Veep and Silicon Valley received 10-episode orders with their renewals, which make for a sixth and fourth season for the shows, respectively. The additional seasons are all expected to premiere in 2017.