Game of Thrones

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Transmitted:	April 2011 - Present
Country of origin:	USA
Genre:	Medieval fantasy
Starring:	Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heade, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,     Michelle Fairley, Emilia Clarke
Rating:	5/5
No. of seasons:	2 to date

The fantasy TV event of the decade, can it live up to all of the hype?

The plot:
In an indeterminate age, on an unnamed world, lies the land of Westeros.
Divided into seven kingdoms, each region is guarded fiercely, but each kingdom seeks to gain control of the others though, as the series begins, an uneasy truce seems to hold.
The ruler of each of the kingdoms has a keen desire: to claim the Iron Throne for their own, so that they can rule Westeros in its entirety.
As the families plot and plan, each eager to out-flank the other, an old threat emerges. North, beyond the great wall, White Warriors have been spotted by some, and their numbers seem to be growing.
With the dragons extinct, and the kingdoms divided, will anyone be able to stop the fresh menace if, eventually, it strikes?
And is it really true that Daenerys Targaryen’s blood runs thick with the genetic imprint of dragons?
Might she even be able to resurrect the mythical beasts, when the time is right?

I had my doubts.
It’s bloody great.
More swords and sandals than swords and sorcery, the fantastical elements are kept to a minimum; veiled hints and vague suggestions preferred over overt demonstration.
Though one of the most expensive TV shows of all time, the money is not spent entirely on special effects, for they are very few in number, instead being lavished on the talent, and on the location work and set design.
With a fantastic ensemble cast of genuine acting power, foremost amongst them Sean Bean, Michelle Fairley and Peter Dinklage, it seems the boards of theatres across the globe must be fairly empty when filming starts, for a veritable smorgasbord of true thespians are present.
Though an American series, the vast majority of the cast are British – a staple of the fantasy genre. Just look at Lord of the Rings –and it certainly does lend the faux medieval setting an air of credibility.
A HBO show, you know the production standards will be through the roof, and you also know that the audience will be treated with respect. No recaps, no spoon-feeding of any sort and, given that this is an adaptation of a fairly hefty piece of literature, expect denseness, convoluted narrative and multi-layered motivations on the part of the characters.
About as good as TV gets, this – I only dock a mark for the lack of hardcore dragon action! - season two has just finished State-side.
Can’t bloomin’ wait.

Find an episode guide here: