Game of Thrones fans mourn end of epic fantasy - but Belfast eyes longer lasting legacy
Video report by ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar
While millions of fans of epic fantasy show Game of Thrones may be mourning the end of its eight-season run, in Belfast they're hoping for a longer lasting legacy.
The city has been home to hit show and from the exhibition of clothing and props, to the Game of Thrones location tours that allow you to meet the dogs who played the direwolves, courtesy of their owner William Mulhall, the fantasy epic has left its mark on the city.
An estimated 6,000 people were employed by the show during its decade in Northern Ireland.
Stephanie McCutcheon left Belfast to study in Manchester, then came back to what she thought was some temporary work on the new series when it arrived in her home city.
But she stayed on, rising through the ranks from a runner to assistant editor by the later series.
Yellow Moon Post Production where she works, has trebled in size to accommodate all the work that’s come in from other TV shows, in Belfast to take advantage of the skilled workforce created, on the job, by Game of Thrones.
Bosses at Screen Northern Ireland wanted Game of Thrones to do for Northern Ireland what Lord Of The Rings did for New Zealand.
Tens of millions of pounds have come in through tourism, and an estimated £250 million has been spent on making Thrones in the region.
With the Titanic studios expanded for the show, and the new Harbour studios opened Belfast has become a destination of choice for TV drama, like Line of Duty, and Syfy’s Krypton series.
Just two weeks after a rogue coffee cup was spied in Game of Thrones, eagle-eyed viewers last night spotted another gaffe in the finale.
This time, it was the turn of a plastic bottle to make an appearance.
Alert fans spotted the item during a tense diplomatic scene and saw it tucked away behind the boot of character Samwell Tarly.
The final episode of the show which has spanned eight series was watched by millions of die-hard fans in the UK who braved the 2am start.
ITV News spoke to Brenock O'Connor who played Olly in the show between 2014 and 2016.
His character was introduced originally as a one episode character, but was later kept on to provide more backstory.
He said: ''Game of Thrones is easily the best thing I've done.
''And possibly the best thing I ever will do. I peaked at 13.''
According to show bosses, 43 million people worldwide have watched each episode of season 8.
The series first aired in 2011 with much of the filming in Belfast and Northern Ireland. It's remained the HBO series' base throughout the run.
The finale has so far provoked a mixed reaction but those who spoke to ITV News during early hours screenings in Clapham, London, and Belfast, said they thought it was ''incredible'' and ''amazing''.
Another said: "It's over but it'll live on forever and it's the biggest TV show in the world and people will remember it.''
The water bottle cameo comes just two weeks on from the takeaway coffee cup which was perched next to Daenerys Targaryen during a banqueting feast at Winterfell in episode four of the final season.
That error prompted a deluge of memes on social media, as well as a mock apology from the show’s broadcaster HBO, that said in a statement: “The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea.”
HBO eventually edited out the coffee cup for later broadcasts and streaming versions of the episode. It is unknown whether they will do the same for this latest mistake.