Taking a page from AMC's book, HBO has announced the creation of a Game of Thrones after show that will air once a week during the sixth season of HBO's hit fantasy show.
Called After the Thrones, the show will recap the latest Game of Thrones episodes by breaking down the "who, what, when and where" of each episode. The show will also discuss "absurd and not-so-absurd" theories about future episodes and explore the sometimes complicated politics and history of Westeros.
Hosting will be Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan. The two men previously hosted Grantland's Watch the Thrones podcast as well as currently host The Watch for The Ringer. As stated by HBO in their press release, Greenwald is one of America's "premier television critics," while Ryan is executive editor of The Ringer.
Given the massive success of AMC's post-The Walking Dead talk show Talking Dead, it's no surprise that HBO would want to create something similar for Game of Thrones. The fantasy series is HBO's most popular show, and one that naturally generates plenty of discussion on the Web following the release of each episode. Given the show's sometimes intricate plots, large number of characters and wealth of fictional history, a show further examining the latest episode and serving as a guide for viewers certainly seems like a no-brainer. It will also likely translate to easy ratings.
After the Thrones will arrive on HBO Go, HBO Now and HBO On Demand on Mondays, following new episodes of Game of Thrones on Sunday. It's unclear if the show will air immediately after the new episode on HBO proper, as the press release states "playdates on the main HBO channel will be announced as they are confirmed." However, it seems a given the show would air right after the latest episodes, given Talking Dead's success doing the same.
The show is the first of a new partnership between HBO and Bill Simmons. Simmons will serve as executive producer on the show, with Ryan and Greenwald serving as co-executive producers.
The sixth season of Game of Thrones arrives on April 24.
