Both are big-budget sagas about the ruthless pursuit of power. Both combine exquisite production values with immense popularity. House of the Dragon – which started airing its second season last month on Foxtel – is the third-most “in-demand” television series in the world, according to data firm Parrot Analytics. (Game of Thrones, its antecedent, still tops the charts despite finishing in 2019.)
Shōgun, released in February and streaming on Disney+, is in the top 0.2 per cent. The tens of millions of people who have watched these shows undoubtedly include plenty of politicians, from Washington to Warsaw. This raises an intriguing question: might they learn something? And if so, which of the swords-and-scheming blockbusters offers a better guide to seeking power in real life?
