Boardwalk Empire is debuting on September 19, so with the prohibition era action-drama for the Fall and the medieval fantasy of Game of Thrones in the Spring, we should be all set until True Blood comes back next summer. There should also be no dearth of vampire films released until then for those truly addicted to the bloodsucking genre.

We will bring you more information on Game of Thrones as it becomes available.

February 27th Update

HBO has just greenlit its latest series, the medieval fantasy drama A Game of Thrones. Cast in the big budget pilot is Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings trilogy), Lena Headey (Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Black Hawk Down), and a bunch of actors who I’ve seen around but are by no means household names. For the complete confirmed cast check out this fan-made youtube video.

Written by George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones is the first novel in the massively successful A Song of Fire and Ice series. With five books out and Martin promising the arrival of two more in the future, the A Song of Fire and Ice series is like Harry Potter for adults. Except for the fact that it has more in common with The Sopranos than it does with everyone’s favorite bespectacled wizard. A Game of Thrones promises to be a potent mix of The Tutors and The Sopranos. What do I mean by this? Well, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the series, AGOT deals with themes that would make even the most seasoned Nip/Tuck fan blush. Cuckoldry, incest, eroticism, murder, bloody succession, betrayal, adolescent paralysis, are the themes that come to mind, but try to keep in mind that all of these topics are wrapped in a veneer of gore and mutilation. Sounds awesome!

The plot surrounding A Game of Thrones is as convoluted as it is intriguing, and plays out like an extravagantly bloody and sexual game of chess. Seven noble families compete with one another for control over the magical land of Westernos. The story begins with the King of Westernos, Robert Baratheon, asking his old friend Eddard Stark to join his cabinet as his chief advisor. Eddard suspects that his predecessor was murdered so he is understandably reluctant to join the Baratheon team, but Eddard’s wife convinces him to enlist so that he can figure out what happened to former “Hand of the King”. Things quickly descend into a tangled web of deception, murder, carnage, and manipulation.

A Game of Thrones seems to be the logical successor to the HBO series Rome and The Sopranos. Rome was quality. It had huge production values, subtle and not so subtle characters but always with dynamic performances, and beautiful cinematography. The problem was that the show cost way too much and the ratings weren’t anything to brag about. The Sopranos hit just the right note of family intricacies combined with mob-based brutality. After 6 seasons, however, the show had runs its course. With the absense of The Sopranos and Rome, shows that were essentially about powerful clubs murdering and butchering their competition, A Game of Thrones has some big shoes to fill. Hopefully it won’t disappoint and we will get to see a full seven seasons to encompass all seven books. If George R. R. Martin can finish the final two books in time . . .

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