Karsa Orlong Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 The HBO series based on George R.R. Martin's brilliant books starts in the US on 17th April and in the UK on Sky Atlantic the following day. Watch the first 14 minutes of the opening episode here: HBO Official Site Slightly dodgy acting aside, it starts just like the book and looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) aw you reminded me of this series I wanted to forget! GRR Martin's brilliant but he gets negative brownie points for not finishing the series. hmm I wonder if I can watch these though Edited April 5, 2011 by vinay87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) GRR Martin's brilliant but he gets negative brownie points for not finishing the series. Totally agree, Vinay! But, on the positive side, the next book is out in July and maybe - if the tv show is a success - it'll put pressure on him to get it finished I see the first book has been re-issued with Sean Bean on the cover, as Eddard Stark sitting on the Iron Throne. I'm still wondering, though, why it's now called 'Game of Thrones' instead of 'A Game of Thrones', like it always has been until now Edited April 5, 2011 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I've seen the trailers & it does look good plus I'm a fan of Sean Bean so I'll be watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladd Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Well one result of this tv series is I finally got round to starting the book. I hope to finish it before the series starts. Maybe by the time I get to the new book the next one will be out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) Totally agree, Vinay! But, on the positive side, the next book is out in July and maybe - if the tv show is a success - it'll put pressure on him to get it finished Oh! It's coming in July? Thanks for the info! That's fine and all but I hate what he's done with the last book, splitting one book in half by the viewpoint sucks! That way we don't get to find out what has happened to Jon Snow until the next book, which should come out in oh ten years or so, give or take three years. Edit: I just read that he's extended aDwD such that it extends alongside and beyond his last book. Whew. I still pray he finishes this soon. He's going to lose interest if he waits much long. If he hasn't already. Edited April 5, 2011 by vinay87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 Tonight, then I'm excited but slightly worried - I really hope they don't mess it up. For me, a lot of its success or failure is going to rest on the younger actors, particularly the one playing Arya. She and Tyrion are my favourite characters in the books so they'd better get them right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I've seen the trailers & it does look good plus I'm a fan of Sean Bean so I'll be watching. Just checked to see what time it comes on and the info on it.....(adult scenes!!!) Sean Bean !!! mmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Just watched the first episode tonight - I'll deffo be tuning in for the rest of the series! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladd Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Really enjoyed it, had to give my wife a quick history of the characters so she could follow the story. Her biggest reaction was with Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister in the tower, she said "But they're brother and sister". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Was good, hope the wee guy who was pushed survives . Was a bit 'adult scenes' right enough. Kenny did comment on it's only 9.30! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) I think I'm probably a bit too much of a fan of the books to be objective about it - but I thought it was brilliant Oh yes, I had a few minor gripes (small things that seemed to have been changed for no reason, and Arya didn't seem tomboy-ish enough to me, but maybe that'll change), but the acting was actually pretty good (you could almost feel the actors settling into the roles as it went on), it looks fabulous and the opening titles and theme tune were marvellous. I thought the actor playing Jon Snow was terrific, and Peter Dinklage was spot on as Tyrion. I suppose some might have found it a bit slow, and I had guessed a while ago exactly where it would end (it was just as much a gasp-in-shock moment as it was in the book ), but blimey, this was just the first episode. Knowing what happens from now on (assuming they don't mess it up!) it can only get better and better Quite enjoyed the programme about George Martin that was on before it, too (and the fact that it was Joe Abercrombie interviewing him!) I hope it'll get more people to go out and buy the books Edited April 19, 2011 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amesy Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) I think I'm probably a bit too much of a fan of the books to be objective about it - but I thought it was brilliant Oh yes, I had a few minor gripes (small things that seemed to have been changed for no reason, and Arya didn't seem tomboy-ish enough to me, but maybe that'll change), but the acting was actually pretty good (you could almost feel the actors settling into the roles as it went on), it looks fabulous and the opening titles and theme tune were marvellous. I thought the actor playing Jon Snow was terrific, and Peter Dinklage was spot on as Tyrion. I suppose some might have found it a bit slow, and I had guessed a while ago exactly where it would end (it was just as much a gasp-in-shock moment as it was in the book ), but blimey, this was just the first episode. Knowing what happens from now on (assuming they don't mess it up!) it can only get better and better Quite enjoyed the programme about George Martin that was on before it, too (and the fact that it was Joe Abercrombie interviewing him!) I hope it'll get more people to go out and buy the books ^^ What he said ^^ Edited April 19, 2011 by Amesy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I've seen a lot of press about this series (mainly because of the Lovely Sean ) but I don't have Sky Atlantic so hope it eventually might make it to a freeview channel By the way, has the Lovely Sean been eating rather a lot of pies? He looked a bit bloated - not like his svelte Sharpe days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I do reckon he's looking a bit beefier as he ages - more bearlike and solid. Still, it seems to suit the role - perhaps he put on weight specially for it? I love that it's filled with a welath of British talent too - great stuff! A combination of well-known faces and lesser-known stars of the future, which is always good. I'm definitely seriously considering trying the books too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladd Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Good news http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-renewed/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Good news http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-renewed/ Wheeeeeeeee! They must have really liked the following episodes to have done that so fast. I hope the show keeps/builds its audience, rather than losing it. There's bound to be a bit of a drop-off in viewers next week, given some of the complaints I've been reading about the sex/nudity, and it's one of those shows where - if you miss an episode or come to it later on - you'd be totally lost. I wonder what the budget will be like for subsequent seasons. This one cost about $50 million, I believe, and the settings/action only get bigger in the following books. HBO will have to be very brave to keep making it if it's not a big hit - they dumped Rome because it cost too much, didn't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-season-two-2/ HBO brass got on the phone with EW to talk about their decision to renew Game of Thrones after one episode. Below, HBO co-president Richard Plepler and programming president Michael Lombardo answer some of your burning questions from our comment boards: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What made you decide to renew Thrones? MICHAEL LOMBARDO: It’s a great show that only gets better with every episode, and when it ends you’re left wanting more. On a creative level, it was screaming for another season. We absolutely had an expectation that this would be a slow [ratings] build. It’s challenging for people who’ve decided it’s not a genre for them. The word of mouth has been great and we don’t even have OnDemand numbers yet. We thought it was a great starting place. RICHARD PLEPLER: It’s a quintessential HBO show — it has a passionate connection with a big part of our audience. Whether the final number is 7 or 8 million viewers, it doesn’t take anything away from the addictive quality of the show for a large chunk of our audience. How many episodes is the second season? ML: It’s such a challenging show to produce. They don’t have a writing staff — it’s just the two of them [exec producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss]. The idea is to do ten of them again, and that’s what they want to do, to maintain the quality of their work. When will season two premiere? ML: We don’t want people to wait more than a year. This is a production challenge. You have to start every season anew [adding more locations]. RP: Same time, next year. When will production start? ML: The producers are scouting locations for second season now. That’s all to be discussed. When is the first season DVD being released? RP: Generally, it becomes available immediately before, or immediately after, the second season starts — but we haven’t had those conversations yet. And with the advent of HBO Go, people will be able to watch this when they want, how they want. If Thrones ratings stay right where they are now, are you happy? RP: Yes, absolutely. With the VOD and multiplex, we’re going to get substantially over 6 million [viewers]. True Blood‘s numbers were nowhere near that [the first season]. It’s a strong show for us. The best thing we have going for us is word of mouth, that’s the biggest driver you can get. The Twitter action this morning is tremendous. This is only going to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzenthlay Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Really enjoyed it, had to give my wife a quick history of the characters so she could follow the story. Her biggest reaction was with Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister in the tower, she said "But they're brother and sister". My other half had the exact same reaction, only with a few exclamation points behind it I massively enjoyed the first episode. I'm especially impressed with Daenerys, who is one of my favourite characters on the show. And the Imp. And Jaime, for some reason he is exactly how I pictured. Can't wait for the next installment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 (edited) I've lost count now of how many times I've watched the opening credits. I didn't notice at first that the appropriate house banner comes up beside each actor's name. I'm also wondering if the map will change to reflect the locations in each episode. And I love the theme tune. HBO are the masters of opening title sequences Also (obviously don't watch either of these if you want to stay completely spoiler free!): Episode 2 preview Making Game of Thrones (25 min behind the scenes) Edit: I've just finished re-reading the book and reviewed it here Edited April 22, 2011 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Was good, hope the wee guy who was pushed survives . Was a bit 'adult scenes' right enough. Kenny did comment on it's only 9.30! I thought it was good too but our DS2 who's 13 watched it as well & I kept wanting to rush over & put my hand over his eyes at certain scenes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 I thought it was good too but our DS2 who's 13 watched it as well & I kept wanting to rush over & put my hand over his eyes at certain scenes It's definitely not for kids Having rewatched the first episode a couple of times I'd started to have some misgivings about the show. The pacing was all wrong, they've added scenes that were totally unnecessary, the consummation of Dany and Drogo's marriage was just wrong the way they filmed it. Possibly just 'pilot episode syndrome', possibly just seeing one of my favourite books interpreted by someone else, possibly just that they tried to cover too much ground to get to that scene at the end. I dunno. Anyway, I thought episode two was much, much better. The pacing felt more natural and the atmosphere was better as a result. Arya's starting to come into her own (and her scenes were pretty much as on the page iirc - yay for Needle!) and I always loved the relationship between Jon Snow and Tyrion, which they've captured quite well. Had to laugh at breakfast with the Lannisters Is it me, or does it look like the boy who's playing Joffrey has got a face made out of plastic. I already hate him. Good to see more of Sandor 'Dog' Clegane this episode, too, and our first glimpse of Ilyn Payne. Thought the second attempt on Bran's life was well done and, again, as on the page. Poor Lady Dany's first couple of scenes still don't look right on screen - they're much better explained in the book - but the final scene where she tells Drogo she wants to look at his face finally starts to redress the balance, imo. Oh! And the map changed during the opening titles to reflect the new setting (Vaes Dothrak) in this episode I have renewed faith after this ep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 It's definitely not for kids Glad I read this before we watched episode 2, we banished him to the computer till it was over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzenthlay Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Karsa, I'm so impatient for Dany to come into her own. I've seen some youtube footage of her that looks amazing! I think Sansa is every bit as weak and stupid as I imagined, and I'm excited to see how her character develops. And Arya just kicks so much ass. So. Much. I had to hide when Stark killed Lady. For a second I didnt remember, and thought it would be Arya's wolf that got murdered. Thank the heavens it wasn't. Also, Joffrey is disgusting - they cast him just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 (edited) Karsa, I'm so impatient for Dany to come into her own. I've seen some youtube footage of her that looks amazing! I think Sansa is every bit as weak and stupid as I imagined, and I'm excited to see how her character develops. And Arya just kicks so much ass. So. Much. I had to hide when Stark killed Lady. For a second I didnt remember, and thought it would be Arya's wolf that got murdered. Thank the heavens it wasn't. Also, Joffrey is disgusting - they cast him just right. Hi Hyzenthlay I agree, once Dany's story gets moving it will be brilliant. Re Sansa - I did like the way she started shouting at Cersei and Joffrey when she realised Lady was going to get killed. Like Dany, once her story gets going it'll be really good. It's interesting that they've aged all the younger characters by three years. I can see why they've done it, but it might actually have a negative effect on Sansa, cos her dreams of fairytale princes and romances don't seem as believable coming from someone that bit older. Arya, yeah, Maisie Williams is perfect in that role, now that we've got to see her actually do something. Arya's my favourite character in the book (along with Tyrion) so I'm really glad they've got those two actors spot on. On rewatch, was I the only one slightly perturbed that Ned didn't seem to pay any attention to Bran before leaving Winterfell? I mean, he sat on the bed and talked to Catelyn but didn't even glance at Bran, did he? Not long now until things start to get really interesting Edited April 27, 2011 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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