If you love fantasy fiction then
you know of the genius of George Raymond Richard Martin and his legendary ‘A
Song of Fire and Ice’, of which ‘A Game of Thrones’ is the first book. This
book was followed by ‘A Feast for Crows’ and ‘A Dance with Dragons’. Along its
journey the series has garnered a huge number of awards, including a number 1
ranking on the New York Times Bestseller list and a Locus Poll Award for Best
Fantasy Novel.
The series was adapted for
television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and is telecast by HBO. Called ‘A
Game of Thrones’, the show boasts of a predominantly British and Irish cast,
with principal shooting happening in Ireland, Iceland and Morocco, among other
places.
Fans of the books thrilled at the
chance of seeing it in an all new form and the program soon became a hit with
audiences and critics everywhere. Just like the book, it has been nominated for
and has won number of awards in the Golden Globes and the Emmys, including
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Best Television Series and Outstanding Drama
Series.
The show follows the struggle to
attain power and features seven families of high birth who try to vest control
from each other in the kingdom of Westeros. Picked up for seasons 2(A Clash of
Kings) and 3 (A Storm of Swords), each new season brings new additions to the
cast and more excitement for everyone.
The television series has stayed
true to the book according to the author himself and indeed authenticity is a
key element all through the show. The channel hired a language expert to help
explore Dothraki with its own unique vocabulary and grammar. When it comes to
filming, the series has been shot extensively in castles, quarries and forests
bringing more reality to the settings. Shooting took place in beautiful Malta
for Season1 and Croatia for Season 2. You will also see many different cultures
represented in the costumes of the characters, including Persian, Bedouin and
Japanese. Whether it is the armor constructed from bone or the dresses with
high necks the women sport or the wigs that take hours to set, every effort has
been taken to make sure that viewers are transported to another plane
altogether, including aging the clothes so that they look realistic even on
advanced TVs!
Another great point in its favor
is that ‘A Game of Thrones’ is an adaptation not of individual books but of the
entire series and thus the makers can take liberties like mixing and matching
scenes from the books as the script and scene might demand. The music, video
games, fashion, books and merchandise, including actions figures that the
series has spawned have been well received.
‘A Game of Thrones’ has also
gained invaluable praise, receiving high approval ratings for its universal
appeal, production quality, characterization and strong performances by the
youngest members of the cast. Watch an
episode today and you too will be caught up in the magic of this epic fantasy
brought to life.
This is a guest post by Mark Bennett of workwelltogether.com, a site that offers savings and current information on cable and internet. Click here, as well as Comcast.com services.
