The Witcher Showrunner Explains Why the First Season Is Only 8 Episodes

Netflix's The Witcher has seemingly appealed to a number of fans, but that doesn't mean there aren't questions out there from folks about the choices made in the first season. There's the timelines, of course, but that's just the tip of the iceberg, and the questions from fans stem all the way down to the fundamentals like, why did the first season only have eight episodes? Well, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has an answer for that.

"The number of episodes is based on the story we're telling, our sense of what an audience will watch (and finish), and the budget," Hissrich wrote during her recent AMA on Reddit. "When you're starting a show, and don't know if it will be a success, more episodes generally means that you get to spend less money on every episode. So we knew we didn't want to do that. Eight felt like the magic number."

"We're approaching S2 in a similar way we did with S1: what are the stories Sapkowski was telling, and why?" she continued. "What building blocks do we need to set up future stories? Is there anything we missed from S1 that we want to include? And what will work on television? For instance -- no one wants to see Triss have diarrhea for three episodes. So what are we trying to glean from that in the books, and how do we present that onscreen?"

What do you think of Netflix's The Witcher? Are you looking forward to Season 2? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Here's how Netflix describes the series:

"Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together."

The first eight-episode season of Netflix's The Witcher is available to stream on the platform now. It has already been renewed for a second season. Lauren S. Hissrich serves as showrunner. It stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the latest and greatest adaptation right here.