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Game of Thrones
GenreMedieval fantasy
Created bySeries:
David Benioff
D. B. Weiss
Novels:
George R. R. Martin
Written byDavid Benioff
D. B. Weiss
Bryan Cogman
Jane Espenson
George R. R. Martin
Directed byTim Van Patten
Brian Kirk
Neil Marshall
Daniel Minahan
David Nutter
David Petrarca
Alik Sakharov
Alan Taylor
StarringSean Bean
Mark Addy
Michelle Fairley
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Lena Headey
Emilia Clarke
Iain Glen
Aidan Gillen
Harry Lloyd
Kit Harington
Richard Madden
Sophie Turner
Maisie Williams
Alfie Allen
Isaac Hempstead Wright
Jack Gleeson
Rory McCann
Peter Dinklage
Jason Momoa
ComposerRamin Djawadi[1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersDavid Benioff
D. B. Weiss
ProducersMark Huffam
Frank Doelger
Production locationsNorthern Ireland
Malta (Season 1)
Croatia (Season 2)
Iceland (Season 2)[2]
CinematographyAlik Sakharov
Marco Pontecorvo
Matthew Jensen
Camera setupArri Alexa
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesHBO, Created By, Management 360
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseApril 17, 2011 (2011-04-17) –
present

Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, the first of which is called A Game of Thrones, the television series debuted in the U.S. on April 17, 2011.[3] The production is based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland, and has also filmed in Malta, Croatia and Iceland. The show's cast is mainly British and Irish.

Highly anticipated since its early stages of development, the first season of Game of Thrones was very well received by viewers and critics.[4][5][6][7] The series was picked up for a second season on April 19, 2011, two days after its premiere.[8] It was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Drama Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards and Best Television Series - Drama at the 69th Golden Globe Awards; Peter Dinklage also won both ceremonies' Best Supporting Actor award (Emmy and Golden Globes). Other accolades include an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and an Emmy win for Outstanding Main Title Design.

Plot

Main article: List of Game of Thrones episodes
See also: Synopsis of A Song of Ice and Fire

The cable television series closely follows the multiple storylines of the A Song of Ice and Fire series,[9] and author Martin has stated that the show's pilot script was very faithful to his work.[10] Set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Game of Thrones chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the kingdom's noble families for control of the Iron Throne; as the series opens, additional threats from the snow and ice covered region north of Westeros and from the eastern continent across a narrow sea are simultaneously beginning to rise.[2]

Cast and characters

For a more comprehensive list, see List of characters in Game of Thrones.

Sean Bean leads the first season's cast as Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, patriarch of the Stark family. His wife, Catelyn Stark née Tully, is played by Michelle Fairley. Their children are Robb (Richard Madden), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson). Kit Harington plays Ned's bastard, Jon Snow, and Alfie Allen plays Theon Greyjoy, political hostage and ward of Lord Stark. King Robert Baratheon is played by Mark Addy, and his wife, Queen Cersei Lannister, is played by Lena Headey. Cersei has two brothers; her twin, Ser Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and the clever dwarf Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). Cersei's oldest child is Prince Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), and his bodyguard is Sandor "The Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann). Aidan Gillen plays Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, Master of Coin for King Robert's Small Council.

Across the Narrow Sea, Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys "Dany" Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) –exiled children of the previous king that King Robert overthrew – are on the run for their lives and trying to win back the throne. Dany is married to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), the leader of the Dothraki, for the promise of an army for Viserys. Iain Glen plays exiled knight Ser Jorah Mormont, who is sworn to help and protect the siblings.[11]

Production

See also: Season 1 and Season 2

Conception and development

The series began development in January 2007.[12] HBO, after acquiring the rights to the novels with the intent of turning them into an international cable television series, hired David Benioff and D. B. Weiss to write and executive produce the series, which would cover one novel's worth of material per season.[12] Initially, it was planned that Benioff and Weiss would write every episode save one per season, which author and co-executive producer George R. R. Martin was attached to write.[13][12] However, Jane Espenson and Bryan Cogman were later added to each write one episode of the first season.[2]

"The Sopranos in Middle-earth" is the tagline Benioff jokingly suggested for the television adaptation, referring to its intrigue-filled content and dark tone set in a fantasy world setting.[14] Traditional high fantasy is described as generally incidental to the series, with HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo finding the storytelling appealing rather than the low-key magic or the exotic milieu, in spite of the network's new developmental policy to "[take] shots at shows that we wouldn't have taken a shot at five years ago".[15][16]

The Game of Thrones's budget has been compared to that of Rome.[16] The pilot reportedly cost HBO between US$5 and 10 million,[15] and the total budget for the first season has been estimated at US$50–60 million.[17]

HBO hired expert language creator David J. Peterson from the Language Creation Society to develop the Dothraki language – "possessing its own unique sound, extensive vocabulary of more than 1,800 words and complex grammatical structure" – to be used in the series.[18] The first and second drafts of the pilot script, written by Benioff and Weiss, were submitted in August 2007[19] and June 2008,[20] respectively. While HBO found both drafts to their liking,[21][20] a pilot was not ordered until November 2008,[22][23] with the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike possibly delaying the process.[21]

Filming

Principal photography for the first season was scheduled to begin on July 26, 2010,[2] with the primary locations being the Paint Hall Studio in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast, Northern Ireland,[24] and the city of Mdina, Malta, a change in location from Morocco.[2]

For the second season, the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, was used instead of Malta for scenes in King's Landing and elsewhere.[25] Scenes set north of the Wall were filmed in Iceland, on the Vatnajökull glacier, in November 2011.[26]

Broadcast

Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011,[27] and on Sky Atlantic in Britain and Ireland on April 18, 2011.[28] It subsequently began airing in several other countries in summer 2011.

The second season is scheduled to begin airing in the U.S. on HBO on April 1, 2012.

Broadcasters carrying the show include:[29]

  •  Arab League - OSN Series
  •  Argentina – HBO
  •  Australia – showcase
  •  Austria – TNT Serie
  •  Bangladesh – HBO
  •  Belgium – beTV, Prime
  •  Bolivia - HBO
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina – HBO
  •  Brazil – HBO
  •  Bulgaria – HBO
  •  Canada – HBO Canada, Super Écran
  •  Chile – HBO
  •  Colombia – HBO
  •  Croatia – HBO
  •  Cyprus – NovaCinema 1, NovaCinemaHD
  •  Czech Republic – HBO
  •  Denmark – Canal+
  •  Dominican Republic – HBO
  •  Estonia – Fox Life, ETV
  •  Finland – Canal+ & YLE (2012)
  •  France – Orange Cinéma Séries
  •  Germany – TNT Serie
  •  Greece – NovaCinema 1, NovaCinemaHD
  •  Hungary – HBO
  •  China - HBO
  •  Hong Kong – HBO
  •  Iceland – Stöð 2
  •  India – HBO
  •  Republic of Ireland – Sky Atlantic
  •  Israel – Yes Oh
  •  Italy – Sky Cinema 1
  •  Latvia - Fox Life, LTV(2012), Sony TV Baltic
  •  Lithuania - Fox Life + BTV (2012)
  •  Macedonia – HBO
  •  Malaysia - HBO Asia
  •  Mexico - HBO
  •  Moldova – HBO
  •  Montenegro – HBO
  •  Netherlands – Ziggo or HBO Netherlands[30]
  •  New Zealand - SoHo
  •  Norway – NRK
  •  Pakistan – HBO
  •  Philippines – HBO
  •  Poland – HBO
  •  Portugal – Syfy
  •  Romania – HBO
  •  Russia – Fox Life
  •  Serbia – HBO
  •  Singapore – HBO Asia
  •  Slovakia – HBO
  •  Slovenia – HBO
  •  South Africa – M-Net
  •  Spain – Canal+
  •  Sweden – Canal+, SVT1
  •   Switzerland – SF zwei, TSR1
  •  Taiwan – HBO
  •  Thailand - HBO Asia
  •  Turkey – CNBC-e
  •  United Kingdom – Sky Atlantic
  •  Uruguay – HBO
  •  Venezuela – HBO
  •  Vietnam – HBO Asia

Other media and products

DVD and Blu-ray box set

The ten episodes of the first season of Game of Thrones will be published as a DVD and Blu-ray box set on 6 March 2012. The set will include extra background and behind-the-scenes material, but no deleted scenes, because almost all footage shot for the first season was used in the show.[31]

Soundtrack

The first season's soundtrack by composer Ramin Djawadi, written within about ten weeks of the show's premiere,[32] was released in June 2011.[33]

Internet content

An extension series called Thronecast: The Official Guide to Game of Thrones, presented by Geoff Lloyd and produced by Koink is made available on the Sky Atlantic website as well as through the UK iTunes store.[34] Each episode features episode analysis and a cast interview.[35]

Merchandise

HBO has licensed Dark Horse Deluxe to produce a range of Game of Thrones-themed merchandise, such as statues and action figures. The goods are set to be brought to the market by March 2012.[36]

Other works based on the series

See also: Works based on A Song of Ice and Fire

The series has also inspired other works.

  • The fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection by the fashion brand Helmut Lang was inspired by Game of Thrones.[37][38]
  • In March 2012, Wiley-Blackwell is set to publish Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper than the Sword (ISBN 978-1118161999). This entry in Blackwell's Pop Culture and Philosophy series, edited by Henry Jacoby and William Irwin, aims to highlight and discuss philosophical issues raised by the show and its source material.[39]

Reception

Anticipation for the series was described by various media outlets as very high, with a dedicated fan base closely following the show's development.[40][41] By April 2011, multiple entertainment news outlets had put it at the top of their lists of television events to look forward to in 2011.[4][5]

The majority of reviews for the show were very positive, with critics noting the high production value, the well-realized world, compelling characters, and giving particular note to the strength of the child actors.[6][7] Tim Goodman's review for The Hollywood Reporter stated, "a few minutes into HBO's epic Game of Thrones series, it's clear that the hype was right and the wait was worth it".[11] Mary McNamara from the Los Angeles Times called it "...a great and thundering series of political and psychological intrigue bristling with vivid characters, cross-hatched with tantalizing plotlines and seasoned with a splash of fantasy".[42] New York Post's Linda Stasi gave Thrones 3.5/4 stars stating, "The art direction, acting and incredible sets are as breathtaking as the massive scope of the series".[43] Many critics praised Peter Dinklage for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, with Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly stating, "...if Dinklage doesn't get an Emmy for his clever, rude Tyrion Lannister, I'll be gobsmacked"[7] and Mary McNamara from the Los Angeles Times stating, "If the man doesn't win an Emmy, heads should certainly roll".[42]

As of December 23, 2011, Game of Thrones has a Metacritic average of 79 out of 100 based on 28 critic reviews, categorized as "generally favorable", with a user score of 9.0 termed "universal acclaim".[44]

The series was listed on many "best of 2011" lists published by U.S. media, including that of the Washington Post and TIME.[45][46] Variety stated that "There may be no show more profitable to its network than "Game of Thrones" is to HBO. Fully produced by the pay cabler and already a global phenomenon after only one season, the fantasy skein was a gamble that has paid off handsomely."[47]

Ratings

The premiere episode attracted 2.2 million viewers its initial airing on April 17 in the U.S.,[48] and totalled 5.4 million viewers across multiple Sunday and Monday night airings.[49] It averaged 743,000 and reached a peak 823,000 in UK and Ireland on its April 18 premiere.[50][51] HBO announced that they would be commissioning a second season on the strength of the reception of the premiere episode.[8] By the final episode of the season, which aired June 20, the ratings had climbed to over 3 million.[52]

The show's Nielsen ratings were:

Season Timeslot (ET/PT) # Ep. Premiere Finale Aired Viewers
(in millions)
Date Premiere
Viewers
(in millions) 		Date Finale
Viewers
(in millions)
Season 1
Sundays 9:00pm
 10
April 17, 2011
 2.22[53]
June 19, 2011
 3.04[54] 2011 2.51
Season 2 10[55]
April 1, 2012
 -
June 3, 2012
 - 2012 [56] -

Awards

Game of Thrones was nominated for thirteen of the 2011 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. It won two, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Main Title Design. Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion, was named best supporting actor by the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Scream Awards and the Satellite Awards.

The following table provides an overview of the awards won by the show's first season. A table that also includes all nominations is available in the article dedicated to the season.

Year Award Category Winner
2011
Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (as Tyrion Lannister) for the episode "Baelor"
Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Hameed Shaukat, Kirk Shintani and Robert Feng
Scream Awards[57] Best TV Show
Best Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage
Breakout Performance - Female Emilia Clarke
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding New Program
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage

References

  1. ^ "Ramin Djawadi taking over 'Game of Thrones'". filmmusicreporter.wordpress.com. February 3, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e Martin, George R. R. (July 16, 2010). "From HBO". Not a Blog. LiveJournal.
  3. ^ "Game of Thrones Premiere Date Announced". HBO (Press release). January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (January 1, 2011). "10 TV Events to Look Forward to in 2011". Entertainment (1084). {{cite journal}}: More than one of |work= and |journal= specified (help)
  5. ^ a b Poniewozik, James (December 30, 2010). "Vacation Robo-Post: TV to Look Forward to in 2011". TIME. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Roush, Matt (April 15, 2011). "Roush Review: Grim Thrones Is a Crowning Achievement". Tvguide.com. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c Tucker, Ken (April 14, 2011). "Game of Thrones (2011)". EW.com. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Hibbard, James (April 19, 2011). "HBO renews 'Game of Thrones' for second season". Inside TV.
  9. ^ Martin, George R. R. (January 11, 2008). "HBO options Ice & Fire". Not a Blog. LiveJournal.
  10. ^ Martin, George R. R. (May 20, 2010). "June is Fast Approaching". Not a Blog. LiveJournal.
  11. ^ a b Goodman, Tim (April 15, 2011). "Game of Thrones review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c Fleming, Michael (January 16, 2007). "HBO turns Fire into fantasy series". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  13. ^ Benioff, David (November 19, 2008). "Hello from Benioff and Weiss". Westeros: The A Song of Ice and Fire Domain. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Kachka, Boris (May 18, 2008). "Dungeon Master: David Benioff". New York Magazine. Vol. 2008, no. May 26.
  15. ^ a b Hibberd, James (January 14, 2010). "HBO: 'Game of Thrones' dailies 'look fantastic'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2010. {{cite news}}: More than one of |work= and |newspaper= specified (help)
  16. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (January 8, 2010). "A Network Gets Its Bite Back". Entertainment (1084). {{cite journal}}: More than one of |work= and |journal= specified (help)
  17. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 14, 2011). "'Game of Thrones' by The Numbers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  18. ^ "Today in Fictional-Language News: HBO Speaks Dothraki". Time (Press release). April 12, 2010.
  19. ^ Hudson, Laura (August 14, 2007). "Talking with George R. R. Martin Part 2". Publishers Weekly.
  20. ^ a b Martin, George R. R. (June 13, 2008). "Ice & Fire on HBO". Not a Blog. LiveJournal.
  21. ^ a b Kirschling, Gregory (2007 November). "By George!". Entertainment Weekly. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (November 11, 2008). "Fantasy sits on Thrones". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  23. ^ "HBO orders fantasy pilot Thrones". THR.com. November 11, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  24. ^ "HBO to film TV pilot in Belfast, Northern Ireland" (Press release). Northern Ireland Executive. April 21, 2009.
  25. ^ "Dubrovnik filming locations revealed". Winter-is-coming.net. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  26. ^ "Iceland filming location revealed". winter-is-coming.net. October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  27. ^ "Game of thrones hitting screens on April 17th". TrailerDownload.net. November 20, 2010.
  28. ^ "HBO's epic fantasy Game of Thrones to air on Sky Atlantic HD the day after the US premiere". Sky.com/skyatlantic. February 22, 2010.
  29. ^ "International Game of Thrones airings". Winteriscoming.net. August 2, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  30. ^ Thijs van Soest. "'Kwaliteitszender HBO krijgt Nederlandse versie' - Cultuur - VK". Volkskrant.nl. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  31. ^ Hibberd, James (November 30, 2011). "'Game of Thrones' scoop: DVD release date, details, photos". EW.com. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  32. ^ Ryan, Maureen (February 2, 2011). "'Game of Thrones' Changes Its Tune, Hires New Composer". TV Squad. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  33. ^ "Game of Thrones Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  34. ^ [1][dead link]
  35. ^ "Thronecast: The Official Guide to Game of Thrones from Sky Atlantic HD". Sky Atlantic. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |country= ignored (help)
  36. ^ McCutcheon, David (November 10, 2011). "Game of Thrones Goods in the Works: Everything from action figures to magnets coming soon". IGN. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  37. ^ "Helmut Lang RTW Fall 2012". Women's Wear Daily. February 10, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  38. ^ Day, Patrick Kevin (February 16, 2012). "'Game of Thrones' inspires ... a high fashion line?". Los Angeles Times. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  39. ^ "Game of Thrones and Philosophy". westeros.org. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  40. ^ Gregory, Mathilda (July 23, 2010). "Is A Game of Thrones the most eagerly anticipated TV show ever?". The Guardian. UK.
  41. ^ Colins, Scott (August 8, 2010). "With 'Game of Thrones,' HBO is playing for another 'True Blood'". Los Angeles Times.
  42. ^ a b McNamara, Mary (April 15, 2011). "Swords, sex and struggles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  43. ^ Stasi, Linda (April 15, 2011). "Fantasy land -'Game of Thrones': battles, sex & incest". New York Post. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  44. ^ "Game of Thrones – Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. April 17, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  45. ^ See: "Thrones lands on tons of top TV shows of 2011 lists". Winter Is Coming (blog). Retrieved December 23, 2011.; Martin, George R.R. "Plaudits for GAME OF THRONES". Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  46. ^ Barney, Chuck (December 23, 2011). "Barney: The Top 10 (or 11) TV shows of 2011". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  47. ^ Levine, Stuart (December 27, 2011). "Cablers hit highs, lows, PR hurdles in 2011". Variety. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  48. ^ Updated: HBO Renews "Game of Thrones" For Second Season; Premiere Grossed 4.2 Million on HBO Sunday Night. TV by the Numbers. Zap2it.com. April 19, 2011.
  49. ^ "Game of Thrones premiere ratings released". Winter is Coming blog. April 2011.
  50. ^ "'Game of Thrones' A Hit Abroad, Sets Ratings Highs for U.K.'s Sky Atlantic". TV By The Numbers. Zap2It.com. April 19, 2011.
  51. ^ "HBO Re-commissions 'Game of Thrones'". Ireland: IFTN. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  52. ^ Seidman, Robert (June 21, 2011). "Updated: Ned Who? 'Game of Thrones' Soars To Ratings Highs in Season Finale". TV by the Numbers. Zap2It.com.
  53. ^ Seidman, Robert (April 19, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA, 'Storage Wars,' 'Ax Men,' 'Khloe & Lamar' + 'The Killing,' 'Breakout Kings,' 'Sam Axe,' 'Game of Thrones' & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  54. ^ Seidman, Robert (June 21, 2011). "Updated: 'Game of Thrones' Ratings: Season One". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  55. ^ Goldman, Eric (July 29, 2011). "Game of Thrones: Why Season 2 is Sticking to 10 Episodes". IGN. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  56. ^ Crider, Michael (September 26, 2011). "'Game of Thrones' Season 2 Teaser Trailer from 'Boardwalk Empire' Premiere". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  57. ^ "SCREAM 2011". Spike TV. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
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