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HBO Partners With Ex-ESPN Personality to Produce After-Show for Cable Net’s Biggest Hit

Apr 5, 2016  •  Post A Comment

HBO rolled out plans for a weekly after-show examining the pay-cable network’s biggest hit program, “Game of Thrones.” The new show, “After the Thrones,” premieres Sunday, April 24.

The show is the result of a partnership between HBO and former ESPN fixture Bill Simmons, with Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan set to host. Simmons, whose long tenure with ESPN was marked by controversies and battles with management, was behind the sports net’s Grantland online magazine until ESPN shut down the site last year and severed ties with Simmons.

Following airings of “After the Thrones” on the linear channel, episodes will be available on Mondays on HBO Now, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, along with other affiliate portals.

“Each week, ‘After the Thrones’ will recap the latest episode, explaining the who, what, when and where, exploring the complicated politics and history of ‘Thrones,’ and offering absurd and not-so-absurd theories about future episodes,” HBO says in an announcement. “Greenwald and Ryan will discuss the show as only they can.”

Greenwald and Ryan previously hosted Grantland’s “Watch the Thrones” podcast, and currently host “The Watch” on Channel 33’s podcast feed for Simmons’ new content site The Ringer.

The announcement notes: “Greenwald has established himself as one of America’s premier television critics, and is currently working on the book ‘How To Watch TV’ (Ecco Press). Ryan is the executive editor of The Ringer. The Watch was hailed as one of the best pop-culture podcasts on the Internet by Vulture and Entertainment Weekly.”

Simmons and BSMG President Eric Weinberger are executive producing “After the Thrones,” with Ryan and Greenwald serving as co-executive producers.

chris ryan (L)-andy greenwald-after the thrones-hbo

Chris Ryan, left, and Andy Greenwald — “After the Thrones” (HBO)

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