Game Of Thrones : "If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention"

Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is A Game of Thrones (1996). The show was both produced and filmed in Belfast and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Filming locations also included Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, and Spain. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019, with 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons.

Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, Game of Thrones has a large ensemble cast and follows several story arcs. One arc is about the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and follows a web of alliances and conflicts among the noble dynasties, either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence from it. Another focuses on the last descendant of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty, who has been exiled to Essos and is plotting a return to the throne. A third story arc follows the Night's Watch, a brotherhood defending the realm against the fierce peoples and legendary creatures of the North.

Game of Thrones attracted a record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, and international fan base. Critics praised the series for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity and violence (including sexual violence) was criticized. The final season, especially its last four episodes, received significant criticism for its condensed story and creative decisions, with many considering it a disappointing conclusion. The series received 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most by a drama series, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Its other awards and nominations include three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, a Peabody Award, and five nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. Many critics and publications have named the show as one of the best television series of all time.

1. First things first, it's very geeky. It's got kings and knights, crowns and swords, dragons and ghosts. Medieval drama is a genre we get precious little of on television (or in movies, for that matter), and Game of Thrones has nearly 10 hours of it. Plus, the series of books boasts fans who are as serious about the happenings in Westeros – where most of the book's action takes place – as any hardcore Trekkie or Star Wars geek is about those sagas.

2. The story is compelling. Befitting an incredibly popular series, the books are packed with chapter after chapter that abruptly end in cliffhangers. The dialogue is often funny, acerbic and sometimes even heart-breaking. Though the books are as thick as phone directories, the story moves quickly, and it's almost guaranteed to surprise you. In all my years of reading, seldom has a plot twisted so suddenly that I am shocked enough to say something like "Holy —-" out loud. A Song of Ice and Fire has done that to me many times, and HBO's adaptation looks to follow.

3. The characters come first. Even if you're not someone who likes fantasy, you will enjoy Game of Thrones, because it's not so much a fantasy tale as it is an outstanding character-driven drama that just happens to be set in a fantasy setting. Westeros, the land where the series takes place, is a dog-eat-dog place where most people are playing the angles and looking out for themselves. The end result is a very tangled web of deceit, power plays and intrigue, which should make for an infinitely watchable show.

4. Game Of Thrones is based on really great writing. Martin weaves an incredibly complex story that encompasses thousands of miles, dozens of characters and a history that spans thousands of years. Yet, it's easy to follow and just as compelling to read. To tempt you further, Martin was called "the American Tolkien" by Time Magazine. This is mentioned not to start a flame war or suggest he is the be-all, end-all of fantasy, but to illustrate how good his writing is. Further, Martin is credited, along with executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss, as a writer of the series.

5. HBO does a better job at this kind of thing than anyone else. Look at the track record: If there's one thing HBO does better than anyone else, it's original dramas. Band of Brothers, The Sopranos, The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, John Adams, Six Feet Under, True Blood – this list only scratches the surface of the great dramas HBO has brought to the small screen. What's more, with some of the mature content in Game Of Thrones, it's tough to imagine the show being on network television or anywhere else.

6. All signs point to faithful adaptation. Martin has been deeply involved with the production since the beginning and – if you read Martin's blog - his excitement is contagious. Plus, the set photography, the images of the cast, the behind-the-scenes vignettes and, most recently, the wallpaper images that depict some of the major locations of the story all show that the series creators really understand what the book is about. That will, hopefully, lead to very good things. Heck, the producers even hired someone to invent an authentic language for the Dothraki. It seems no shortcuts are being taken.

7. The series was given a proper budget. With estimates at nearly $60 million for 10 episodes, expect big things on the small screen. And while GoT's budget is somewhat average for a big production series, the fact that HBO committed these resources toward an unproven show says a lot about the network's confidence of success. Early shots of sets, special effects and the cast show the money is being well spent.