Winter ISN'T coming in 2018: shows to fill the 'Game of Thrones' void

The wait no doubt feels interminable for Game of Thrones fans who won't be getting their usual fix of Westeros action this year. 

Keen to ensure the show's final season doesn't disappoint, the showrunners are taking their time to carefully craft the six exceptional 90-minute episodes that'll conclude the saga. As a result, season 8 won't be on screens until 2019.

Here's what to watch in the meantime:

1. WESTWORLD SEASON 2

When the first season of HBO's Westworld premiered in 2016, it won widespread acclaim from the press and audiences alike. 

Part Western, part science fiction, the show is about an adult theme park where guests can live out their wildest fantasies by interacting with an array of incredibly human-like robots. It's all fun and games until the robots start to question the nature of their daily reality.

The second season is due to air in April on DStv.

WATCH | The trailer for Westworld season 2

2. YELLOWSTONE

The Western - back in vogue at the movies in recent years - will also be the theme of Yellowstone, a series starring Kevin Costner, that'll be starting in June.

Costner will play a ranch owner at war with land developers and politicians as he tries to keep hold of his land. 

WATCH | The trailer for Yellowstone

3. THE HANDMAID'S TALE SEASON 2

For viewers who prefer a dystopia to a Western, the second season of the multiple award-winning show The Handmaid's Tale starts in America in April; it'll be aired locally on DStv. 

Based on the book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, the drama is set in a near-future where an oppressive sectarian regime has taken power and is enforcing its totalitarian and archaic views. Women, called "Handmaids" are forced into sexual and child-bearing servitude.

WATCH | The trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season 2

4. THE TERROR

The Terror, a show combining historical reality with elements of fantasy, will premiere on DStv in April. 

Produced by Ridley Scott, it follows the story of a mid-19th-century British expedition to explore the Arctic. Trapped by ice and hazardous weather conditions, the crew becomes the target of a mysterious and dangerous creature.

Former Game of Thrones stars Ciaran Hinds (Mance Rayder) and Tobias Menzies (Edmure Tully) are on the cast. 

WATCH | The trailer for The Terror