Game of Thrones (2011)

HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy novels ran for eight seasons (73 episodes) from 2011 to 2019 and became the most watched series in HBO history, with the final season drawing 44.2 million viewers per episode in the US alone. It proved that epic fantasy — a genre previously considered unfilmable at scale — could command mainstream audiences and prestige television budgets exceeding $15 million per episode. It won 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most of any drama series.