Game of Thrones

2011

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss adapted George R.R. Martin's novels into eight seasons that ran from 2011 to 2019, with rival houses fighting over a throne while something far worse gathers in the north. Its early reputation came from a willingness to kill characters the audience had been trained to think were safe. Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, and Sophie Turner anchor an enormous cast. It became the largest show on television and its final season remains one of the most argued about endings in the medium.