The news that the creators of ‘Game Of Thrones’ are working on a new drama based around a fictional America, in which slavery was never criminalised, has not gone down well on social media.
On Wednesday (19 July), HBO announced new show ‘Confederate’, set in a fictional southern America in which slavery was never abolished.
The official announcement read: “‘Confederate’ chronicles the events leading to the Third American Civil War.
“The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution.
“The story follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone — freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall.”
Unsurprisingly, the new show has been met with a frosty reception on Twitter, with many calling for TV executives to come up with more roles for black actors than simply slaves and other oppressed individuals, while pointing out that many are still the victims of serious racism.
Others have suggested that with too many white executives in charge, there’s a lot of potential for the tricky subject to be tackled insensitively, particularly given critiques of ‘Game Of Thrones’ over similar issues in recent years.
The news comes as ‘Star Wars’ actor John Boyega specifically called out ‘Game Of Thrones’ in a recent interview, expressing his frustration that certain franchises weren’t pulling their weight when it comes to black representation.
‘Game Of Thrones’ will come to an end in 2018, with the penultimate series kicking off earlier this week here in the UK.
