A 36-year-old Top 10 most expensive TV episodes revealed - and the eye-watering costs will be smashed in the early hours of tomorrow… when the long-awaited final episode of Game of Thrones fans set up petition to have eighth series remade finally hits our screens.
For more than three decades, the most-watched scripted telly drama in history was the finale of Korean War sitcom M*A*S*H.
But the thrilling HBO saga is set to blow that out of the water as the world tunes in to discover the fate of the medieval kingdom of Westeros and find out who will become king or queen.
The big-budget series has been breaking its own ratings records with just about every one of its final six-episode season.
With fans desperate to learn the ending without online spoilers, millions of UK fans will watch in real time at 2am.
Game of Thrones fans set up petition to have eighth series remade
Guinness Book of World Records editor Craig Glenday said: “We are very much expecting it to be a record. It has set a few records already as most pirated and most downloaded, so it’s only going to get more intense for the end of the season.
“We monitor with a company called Parrot Analytics for demand expression. TV is so different now – there’s almost no such thing as
TV so it looks at viewers, tweets, Facebook posts, illegal downloads, people who watch and rewatch.
“We definitely expect it to be the most-demanded TV show.
“The first episode of the series was watched by 54million on the first day alone and 17.5million on HBO on the first day.
“You compare that to M*A*S*H, where the last episode was 105.9million. I think more people will end up seeing this. I’m sure there will be more than 100million people watching it.”
One of the biggest issues facing fans has been spoilers – with the 19-hour time gap from the US and UK simulcast on Sky Atlantic till the replay at 9pm on Monday.
Some fans go to extreme lengths to cope – either staying up to watch the 2am simulcast, getting up early before work or avoiding friends and social media all day Monday.
Caroline Topping, 28, from Giffnock, who works in marketing, said: “I am a big fan and, for the final one, my fiance Simon and I will be getting up early Monday morning to watch it.
"It’s a ritual for us to watch it together. We’ll get up at half-four to watch it before work. I’m going to be one of the annoying people who everyone has to avoid.”
Business planning officer Craig Watt, 32, from Falkirk, will be staying up all night to watch the 80-minute spectacular along with its US transmission.
He said: “It’s a real shame that it’s going to be over but it had to come to an end at some point.
"I’m really looking forward to it and am staying up to watch it at 2am – I’m off the next day.
“We’re at the stage now where all the fan theories are getting ticked off or scrapped one by one.
“It’s the best show on TV right now.
“I’d read the books before it came on and I have a replica of the Longclaw sword used by Jon Snow.”
Sales shipping manager Kenny McKenzie, 27, from Doune, Perthshire, will be trying to avoid all mention of the show on Monday
until he and his pals and dogs gather for a special viewing party tomorrow night.
He said: “We have a group of friends who normally get together and meet in people’s houses and we have to spend the whole of Monday trying to avoid all spoilers on social media so we can watch it together.
“I read all the books. I’ve even got a House Stark bandana for my dog.
Top 10 most expensive TV episodes revealed - and the eye-watering costs
“I love it – it’s one of the first times that a sci-fi fantasy show like this has been made for an adult audience and it’s good to see it done the right way.
“It’s very brutal, with blood, battles, politics and sex – everything people want to see. The scale of it is huge, you just can’t avoid it.”
