Holiday weekend TV in the U.S. generally consists of reruns and bargain bin movies (mostly starring Vince Vaughn) being played on repeat while people are off celebrating with family and friends.
However, HBO plans on bucking the trend this year by airing a new Game of Thrones episode on Memorial Day weekend, holiday or not.
This news comes as a surprise as it's the first time the series has done this, but there are probably several reasons for this change.
One of the first reasons is that the television viewing audience for Game of Thrones is international. Sure, there's a holiday in the U.S., but that's just one country in a large world that watches the series. There will be more than enough viewers around to watch.
There's also the fact that fans will watch the series live on that weekend, regardless of the holiday. Game of Thrones fans are rabid and it's hard enough waiting seven days for an episode. Thankfully, HBO won't make us wait 14 days.
Of course, watching doesn't even have to occur at home anymore. Thanks to HBO Go and HBO Now, fans of Game of Thrones can watch that Memorial Day weekend episode when and where they like. Television viewing is now a mobile experience, something that doesn't depend on specific dates and times.
WinterIsComing.net suggests that HBO also doesn't want to split the season into two parts by taking a break right after its sixth episode. Because HBO started the series later in the year than previous seasons, the break wouldn't come after a good cliffhanger and just doesn't make sense in the grand scheme of things.
Whatever the reasoning, though, this news is good for fans of the series who have trouble waiting between episodes especially with this season taking a departure from the George R.R. Martin book series that it's based upon (and perhaps even spoiling books to come).
Game of Thrones airs on HBO on Sunday nights. And if you happen to have plans for Memorial Day weekend and you're busy barbecuing or laying on a beach somewhere, you can catch it on HBO Go and HBO Now.
[Photo Credit: HBO]
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