'Game of Thrones' showrunners reveal why final season is taking so longSep 18 (AZINS) Game of Thrones was indeed the big winner at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards as the fantasy drama took home the award for 'outstanding drama series.

Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took the stage to commemorate the occasion, with Benioff specifically calling out the author of the hugely popular book series, reported Variety.

"Writing for these actors behind us is the honour of a lifetime," he said. "But we didn't invent these characters. That was George R.R. Martin. The show could not be, without the mad genius of George."

During backstage interviews when the showrunners were asked why audience love the show, he said, "Westeros doesn't belong to anybody. Nobody has a history of family in Westeros. Nobody is personally connected to it, and that means that everybody can be equally connected to it."

They also revealed why the final season is taking so long to air.

Benioff said, "Because it's the biggest thing we have ever done. Even though it's six episodes, it took us a full year of either prepping it or shooting it. It's quite extraordinary what this crew and cast have created. When people see it, they are going to understand why it took so long. Nobody has gone on vacation. The last season is far beyond of what all we have attempted before. I hope it will be worth it."

Speaking about the ending of an era, Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage who also won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, said that the show changed lives. And in the case of Dinklage, it was hard for him to say goodbye after developing roots in Ireland.

"I met my wife in this show, so in that way, it gave me my future family and my life from here on. You could not ask for a better job in your twenties than to be acting in Game of Thrones. It's been the most amazing thing," said Kit Harington aka Jon Snow at the backstage interview.

Emilia Clarke said, "Really similar path except for the wife bit! It's given me my entire career, my life as I know it now. I am incredibly lucky."

Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base. It has been acclaimed by critics, particularly for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity and violence (including sexual violence) has been criticised.

The series has received 46 Primetime Emmy Awards, including 'Outstanding Drama Series' in 2015, 2016, and 2018, more than any other primetime scripted television series.

Its other awards and nominations include three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, a 2011 Peabody Award, and five nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series- Drama.

The series will conclude with its eighth season premiering in 2019.