Game of Thrones: music in complex TV

Journal article

Abstract:: The past thirty years of American TV has seen the rise of what television scholar Jason Mittell terms ‘Complex TV’. Exemplified by The Sopranos (HBO) and The X-Files (Fox), these are TV series that prioritise narrative complexity, balancing between serial and episodic storytelling modes. These shows do not prioritise self-contained, stand-alone episodes that can be easily rerun in any order. Instead, they assume a regular and dedicated viewership that allows them to adopt continuing storylines over the course of a season, sometimes several seasons. This article explores the role that music plays in this serialized form, using Ramin Djawadi’s score for Game of Thrones as its focus. I argue that complex TV uniquely combines four characteristics that impact on how music functions: first, the existence of multiple narratives, sometimes with hundreds of named characters; second, catering to multiple regular viewerships with different expected levels of engagement; third, extended running hours allowing for nuanced and sustained character development; and fourth, encouraging narrative innovation in order to keep viewers engaged. I suggest eight ways in which Djawadi’s music is shaped by the demands of the medium, arguing that Djawadi’s music is central to the show’s unprecedented success, and crucial for helping viewers to orientate themselves within the Game of Thrones world.

Files:: BroadAAM2020.pdf

(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 1.3MB, Terms of use)

Copyright holder:: board of trustees of the University of illinois
Notes:: This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available from University of Illinois Press at: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/751015

Licence:: Terms and Conditions of Use for Oxford University Research Archive

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