'Game of Thrones' has used 12,137 hairpieces and 4,000 gallons of fake blood

As the show rolls through its climactic season, here are some numbers from HBO that illustrate its massive production scale -- and staggering growth.

US viewership (in millions)

It's hard to imagine now, but it took a while for the series to grow into the cultural phenomenon it's become. Some people initially dismissed it as another swords-and-sorcery fantasy series before mainstream viewers began to recognize its broader appeal.

Season One (2011) -- 9.3

Season Two (2012) -- 11.6

Season Three (2013) -- 14.4

Season Four (2014) -- 19.1

Season Five (2015) -- 20.2

Season Six (2016) -- 25.7

Season Seven (2017) -- 32.8

Weeks of post-production per season

In the first season, the special effects were simpler, fewer and farther between. In later seasons, as Daenerys' dragons grew and the series' producers staged epic battles, they became more complicated and spectacular.

Season One -- 17

Season Two -- 21

Season Three -- 20

Season Four -- 21

Season Five -- 22

Season Six -- 24

Season Seven -- 30

Season Eight -- 42

Thousands of extras, wigs and gallons of blood

10 -- countries where the show has filmed

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Malta, Spain, Croatia, Iceland, United States, Canada and Scotland.

207 -- countries where the show is broadcast

12,986 -- extras used in Northern Ireland, the show's primary filming location

12,137 -- wigs and hairpieces used over the show's eight seasons

7 -- prototypes used to develop Daenerys' wig color and style

6 -- shooting stages at Titanic Studios in Belfast

They have housed the interiors of Winterfell, Castle Black, High Hall of the Eyrie, the Sky Cells in the Eyrie, the Hall of Faces, the House of Black and White, the Great Sept of Baelor, the Great Pyramid of Meereen's Throne Room and the iconic King's Landing Throne Room.

40 -- VFX (visual effects) companies who have worked on imagery for the show

They are in 13 far-flung countries, including China, India, New Zealand and the US.

52,000 -- bags of paper snow used over the eight seasons

4,000 -- gallons of artificial blood used over the eight seasons

132 -- Emmy nominations for the show (it has won 47 Emmys)

More than 5 million -- tweets about Sunday's Season 8 premiere, the most ever for a "Game of Thrones" episode

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