Fantasy fans have been spoiled this year, with two of the genre’s biggest franchises dropping new shows.
Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon introduces viewers to the Targaryens 200 years before Daenerys was born, while Amazon’s The Rings of Power explores Tolkien’s fabled Second Age.
But which one is better? RadioTimes.com set out to find out, asking viewers on Twitter to vote for their favourite.
House of the Dragon came up on top, securing 41.2 per cent of the votes, while The Rings of Power came in second place with 30.7 per cent – and 28.1 per cent of voters said they loved both series.
Which is better?
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) September 2, 2022
Both franchises have dedicated fanbases, so it’s no surprise it was a close call. House of the Dragon premiered on 21st August to record-breaking viewing figures and adapts George R R Martin’s novel Fire and Blood, meaning there’s plenty of source material to draw from.
The Rings of Power, on the other hand, doesn’t adapt a specific work of Tolkien’s, but rather uses his references to the Second Age to create new stories.
Showrunner JD Payne told Vulture: “Tolkien talked about not creating Middle-earth but excavating it. We felt like we were discovering things that were already there. People have heard about it in montages and flashes, but these are massive untold stories.”
Read more on House of the Dragon:
- How to watch House of the Dragon – where can you stream?
- House of the Dragon: Targaryen family tree explained
- House of the Dragon planned to last three or four seasons
- When is House of the Dragon set? Game of Thrones timeline explained
- What is the Dance of the Dragons? House of the Dragon war explained
- Your guide to the dragons of House of the Dragon
- Game of Thrones books in order: A Song of Ice and Fire and more
Read more on The Rings of Power:
- Rings of Power release schedule: When are Lord of the Rings episodes out?
- How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order
- Meet the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- What is Valinor in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
- Who is Halbrand in The Rings of Power? Theories for Charlie Vickers’s character
- What are Harfoots? The Rings of Power Hobbits and history explained
- Who is Morgoth in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
- Who is The Stranger in The Rings of Power? Daniel Weyman role theories
- Who is Galadriel’s brother? Meet Finrod actor Will Fletcher
- Who is Galadriel actress Morfydd Clark in The Rings of Power?
- Who is Elrond actor Robert Aramayo in The Rings of Power?
- What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained
House of the Dragon is available every Monday on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW – sign up for Sky TV here. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available everyone Friday on Amazon Prime Video in the UK – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.
If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.
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