His Dark Materials is one of the biggest series ever to have been filmed in Wales. Cardiff-based Bad Wolf was one of the three production companies that collaborated on the BBC One and HBO offering, and this led to it securing numerous filming locations in the country.
The three-season series received positive reviews during its run, but it was hardly a cultural sensation like other HBO offerings such as Game of Thrones. Perhaps if the series had capitalised on the booming online casino industry for promotion it could have attracted more viewers.
Many Television Series Are Boosted by Online Casino Games
In the booming world of streaming, viewers are faced with arguably too much choice. For a series to stand out from the crowd, it helps if the creators to expand the franchise across other platforms. For example, the slots online at Paddy Power include games based on shows like Vikings. The thumbnail of the title uses the same symbols and font as The History Channel offering and the reels include symbols of the various characters from the series.
Casino players often come across slots based on television series and then this can encourage them to watch the show. Some of the most successful series of recent years have expanded into slot games and other related media, and this has allowed them to grow their audiences massively. HBO has had major hits in recent times, with Game of Thrones being a prime example. The studio knows all about the benefits of the franchise model, which is why it seems strange that it wasn’t used to boost His Dark Materials. Perhaps if there had been more related content to the fantasy series, it would have become one of HBO’s flagship titles.
Still Worth a Watch for Fans of Philip Pullman
Despite not being a massive household hit like other HBO offerings such as GOT and The Last of Us, His Dark Materials is still worth a watch. Indeed, it may not be the most commercially successful offering in the HBO catalogue, but it may one day go on to be regarded as one of its best fantasy titles. Indeed, it earned strong reviews from leading publications. The Guardian lauded Ruth Wilson’s performance in particular and also noted that the CGI was incredible.
Book readers will probably agree that no screen version can quite live up to Philip Pullman’s work, but His Dark Materials certainly puts a lot of work into recapturing the magic. The series was visually stunning, and the performances of the cast were exceptional. As the series progressed it managed to find its stride and the later seasons earned higher review scores than the first. Many critics said that the series was a better adaptation of Pullman’s work than The Golden Compass in 2007.
His Dark Materials had all the elements to be a smash hit in the modern streaming era where fantasy rules the roost. However, it never quite became a commercial success like many other HBO offerings. It seems that the creators missed a trick and should have used the online casino industry to promote it more.
