Backlash Over "Game of Thrones" Showrunners' New Show Begins

It's been less than 24 hours since HBO announced a new series from the showrunners of Game of Thrones, and it's already inspired anger from all corners of the internet. Surprisingly, they didn't even need to cast Ed Sheeran.

HBO gave the green light to Confederate, a new series from D.B. Weiss and David Benioff about an alternate history in which slavery never ended because the southern states successfully seceded from the Union. This leads to a Third American Civil War and a cross section of characters fighting across the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone.

Considering the current ease with which Americans discuss issues of slavery, racism and civil rights, this will probably fly right under the radar. Oh, there's already a backlash? Right, that makes sense.

Taking to Twitter, many have already commented on the show, particularly the potentially dangerous imagery and subject matter of a series like this from writers already known for their, let's say, less than delicate handling of sex, violence and race. Needless to say, the buzz is not positive, and it's drawing very few defenders.

if hbo is really going to make a godawful show about confederate slaves in an alt-2017 let me save you the trouble here is what happens pic.twitter.com/u5ycC5t2IS

— DOCFUTURE (@topherflorence) July 19, 2017

I don't care if it is done tastefully as possible.

The VERY premise is DISGUSTING.

Especially now.

Who are you pandering to?

— Unfazed (@unfazed_post) July 19, 2017

The fandom for the new #HBO show #Confederate is gonna be Tragic. Can you imagine how much harmful imagery they're gonna produce? pic.twitter.com/P9xbxfQQtv

— Zora Neale Hustlin' (@MarsinCharge) July 19, 2017

Confidential to HBO: Nobody on here thinks #Confederate is a good idea.

— David M. Perry (@Lollardfish) July 19, 2017

These guys seem to stir a controversy without even trying.

This recent one comes hot on the heels of Weiss and Benioff irritating most of Westeros with an appearance from pop-singer Ed Sheeran on the season premiere of Thrones. Sheeran, who played a sweet singing soldier, quit Twitter for several days following his appearance. Though unconfirmed, many speculate that he left over criticism his cameo. After all, he has criticized Twitter in the past. "I go on it and there's nothing but people saying mean things," Sheeran said. "Twitter's a platform for that."

James Podeswa, the Sheeran episode's director, said of Sheeran: "He is one of the nicest guys in the world, and he really is one of the guys. He’s lovely, he’s a team player, he wants to do a good job, he takes direction, he’s very open. He’s a big fan of the show and he was really excited to be a part of it. I think his lovely voice was used to great effect and he just has a really nice presence. He blends into the world of the show in a nice way where if you didn’t have all these associations with him and his musical career, nobody would even blink about his presence on the show."

The Internet, by and large, however, had one word for this and the new show: