[Televisionary]

Looking for all of our coverage of HBO's Game of Thrones in one place? Look no further. At The Daily Beast's Newsmaker page for Game of Thrones , you find all of our collected coverage of Game of Thrones , including: Game of Thrones for Dummies, my in-depth glossary and character gallery for the uninitiated; George R.R. Martin's two Curator features, in which he picks Top 10 Fantasy Films and Top 10 Science Fiction Films; my initial preview feature; my behind the scenes feature, 10 Secrets From HBO's Game of Thrones , and much more. Finally, my advance review of the first six episodes of Game of Thrones can be found here . Game of Thrones begins Sunday at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Attention, Game of Thrones uninitiated: you've come to the right place. HBO's new fantasy series Game of Thrones creates a massive world with its own jargon and a ton of characters. Over at The Daily Beast, check out my latest feature, " Game of Thrones for Dummies," (I didn't pick the hed!) in which I break down the objects, people, places, and curiosities of Westeros and beyond in a Game of Thrones glossary for those who don't know who the hell the Kingslayer is, what in God's name a wilding is, or why they keep saying "Winter is coming." Plus, there's also an embedded character gallery accessible here , which breaks down 20 of the major characters of Game of Thrones into easily digestible profiles, with character descriptions, likes/dislikes, weapons, family relations and more... including quotes from Emilia Clarke (Daenerys), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), and Kit Harington (Jon Snow). And don't worry, those of you who

Game of Thrones , HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's first book in his bestselling series A Song of Ice and Fire , premieres April 17th on HBO. In anticipation, Martin curates his 10 favorite fantasy films of all time , from Ladyhawke and Raiders of the Lost Arc to the Lord of the Rings trilogy at The Daily Beast. For Martin's previous Curator feature of his favorite science-fiction films, read this . For my interview with Martin; the show's creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; and Sue Naegle, the entertainment president of HBO, read this feature . Fans of the books should also read "10 Secrets of HBO's Game of Thrones," to find out about casting direwolves, forging the Iron Throne, creating the Dothraki language, and many other behind-the-scenes details. And you can read my review of the first six episodes of Game of Thrones here . (Minor spoilers, only.) Did your favorite make the list? What's your take on GRRM's favorite science fi

Fans of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," adapted by HBO as Game of Thrones , already know the novels inside and out. I go behind the scenes to offer 10 secrets from the HBO drama, launching April 17. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature (which is for the die-hard fans of the novels as well as those looking for some behind-the-scenes details about the HBO production), entitled " Game of Thrones : 10 Secrets About HBO's Adaptation," in which I speak to George R.R. Martin, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Dothraki language developer David Peterson (and get an exclusive translation of a key phrase), weapons master Tommy Dunne, set designer Gemma Jackson, head animal trainer Jim Warren, HBO entertainment president Sue Naegle, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, set decorator Richard Roberts, and supervising prop maker Gavin Jones. Among the topics discussed: Martin's unseen cameo from the original pilot, the crystal blade that the White Walkers

HBO is about to unveil an ambitious adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy novel Game of Thrones , the first book in a seven-novel series entitled "A Song of Ice and Fire." Over at The Daily Beast, it's the first of two Game of Thrones -centric features today, this one a broad overview of the series and intended to be hugely accessible for newbies to the series who haven't read the books. (There are no real spoilers within, though I do explain why you need to be watching.) In my latest feature, entitled " Game of Thrones Comes to HBO," I speak to George R.R. Martin; the show's creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; and Sue Naegle, the entertainment president of HBO, about the ruthlessly addictive show. Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

There are few new series as widely anticipated or as closely watched as that of HBO's gorgeous and gripping Game of Thrones , which premieres later this month amid a flurry of promotion, from food trucks and sneak peeks to skyscraper-sized billboards in major cities. Winter is coming, it seems, and just in the nick of time. Based on the novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones arrives with its brutality and vision very much intact. Adapted by executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss, this is a staggering adaptation of a monumental literary achievement, a densely-plotted fusion of fantasy and potboiler political thriller with a deeply cinematic scope. For those unfamiliar with the underlying material, Game of Thrones revolves around the power games enacted by a group of lords and ladies in a feudal society that's vaguely reminiscent of our own Dark Ages. But in this world, where seven kingdoms are uneasily bound together int

Missed last night's preview of Game of Thrones , premiering later this month on HBO? Fret not, as you can catch the first few minutes of the amazing pilot episode--written by David Benioff and Dan Weiss and directed by Tim Van Patten, below. I'm curious to know: What do you think of the footage shown? Does it match up to your expectations and your imagination of George R.R. Martin's epic novel series? Did it set the stage for the epic story to follow? And, most importantly, will you be tuning in on April 17th? Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17 at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Game of Thrones , HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s first book in his bestselling series "A Song of Ice and Fire," premieres April 17th—and the network is showing the first 15 minutes of the first episode this Sunday. In anticipation, Martin curates his 10 favorite science-fiction films, from The Road Warrior to Blade Runner at The Daily Beast . (And be sure to check back next week, when Martin curates his favorite fantasy films in Part Two of this two-part feature.) Did your favorite make the list? What's your take on GRRM's favorite science fiction films? Head to the comments section to discuss and debate. Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Yes, spring is finally here (or thereabouts, anyway), and that brings warmer weather and, very fortunately, a slew of new and returning television series. Over at The Daily Beast, you can check out my latest feature, "15 Reasons to Watch TV This Spring," which includes a look at such series as Mildred Pierce, Game of Thrones, The Borgias, The Kennedys, Camelot, The Killing, Body of Proof, Upstairs Downstairs, and returning series such as Nurse Jackie, The United States of Tara, Treme, Doctor Who, Top Chef: Masters, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the NBC premiere of the final season of Friday Night Lights . What are you most excited about that arrives on the airwaves between now and May? Head to the comments section to discuss.

HBO has today unveiled the official poster for its upcoming launch of Game of Thrones , kicking off Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. Depicting Ned Stark (Sean Bean) on the Iron Throne, it's a stark (heh) use of imagery that highlights the violent nature of the show's plot and the war that threatens to overtake the land of Westeros. When men play at the game of thrones, who will win and who will pay the heaviest price? The poster's tagline? "You Win Or You Die." Fitting, no? You can check out a larger version of the poster below... Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17th on HBO.

Winter is coming a little earlier than expected... HBO will give Game of Thrones fans a chance to catch 15-minutes of the April 17th series premiere a few weeks early, with a one-time airing on April 3rd at 9 pm ET/PT. The 15-minute teaser, or "exclusive preview" in HBO parlance, will air on HBO's linear channel just once, before it's made available the following day on HBO.com, HBO on Demand, and via the premium cable channel's subscriber-only online service, HBO Go. The series itself, meanwhile, is slated to kick off its ten-episode season on Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. The full press release from HBO can be found below. HBO PRESENTS 15-MINUTE GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW APRIL 3 HBO will present – for the first time – a sneak peek of the first 15 minutes of the first episode of a new series when GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 3 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Following this one-time-only play, GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW will be

I have traveled to Pentos and the Inn at the Crossroads. Thanks to HBO (and Campfire)'s new immersive experience The Maester's Path, I've accrued the first link in my maester's chain. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you haven't read George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones," the first in the author's multi-volume novel series which is about to hit the airwaves next month as HBO's Game of Thrones . Last week, I tweeted that I had received an ornate wooden box from HBO containing scrolls, vials of various scents (from incense and pear brandy to wood beams and salt harbor). Following the instructions (lovingly embodied in a series of hand-tied scrolls), I was directed to mix the scents to create two blends, each one embodying two locations within the world of Game of Thrones . Pear brandy, wooden beams, and crusty bread combined to form the heady perfume of the Inn at the Crossroads, while salt harbor, incense, and spice market

"My brother has his sword and I have my mind." - Tyrion HBO has released its newest teaser trailer for its upcoming adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones , launching April 17th. (Yes, I'm sure your calendars are marked. Get your lemon cakes ready.) Unlike the staggering trailer that the pay cabler unveiled last weekend at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour--which I'm still hoping they release online soon--this teaser is more atmospheric than anything else, playing up the visual of the Iron Throne as a backdrop for the characters themselves, each of whom gets the chance to whisper a single line of dialogue that sums up their characters' inner struggles. Provocative and eye-catching, yes, but it doesn't quite have the snap and sparkle of the one that HBO showed at their Game of Thrones session. I do love, however, that they looked to offer a primer on the diverse characters of the show, setting up the central conflicts and the

The date we've been waiting for is finally here. HBO today announced a launch date for Game of Thrones , its adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novels. That date? April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. (The pay cable network also announced the start date for its upcoming Kate Winslet-led miniseries Mildred Pierce , which will air its first installment on March 27th. The sizzle reel they showed made the mini look insanely amazing.) As for Game of Thrones , I watched the 15-minute clip reel that HBO assembled and think that it looks extraordinary. Entire scenes have been reshot since the original pilot I saw last summer and several roles (in addition to the two major ones) have been recast. I also sat down with George R.R. Martin and David Benioff and Dan Weiss earlier today as a few of us joined the author and the series' executive producers for a series of roundtable discussions. More on that to come! Stay tuned.

No better time than Monday morning for a mega-video roundup. In this case, you find below a roundup from last night's gorgeous selection of HBO goodies, including the 15-minute behind-the-scenes look at the pay channel's upcoming Game of Thrones , two trailers for Season Five of Big Love (including the somber "Winter" trailer with the wives and Bill in the snow), the teaser for Kate Winslet-led miniseries Mildred Pierce , and the HBO 2010 Imagine campaign, which itself has some scenes from their upcoming series. Whew. Look at it as the perfect holiday present in video form. Inside Game of Thrones Big Love Season Five "Winter" Trailer Big Love Season Five Tease HBO 2010 Image Mildred Pierce

Winter is coming... While the premiere of HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones might still be several months off, the pay cabler has continued to pique viewers' interest... as well as the obsessive zeal of the fans of George R.R. Martin's novel series on which the series is based. Last night, HBO premiered a new teaser trailer--the second thus far--for Game of Thrones , which is set to launch early next year. I'm extremely curious to see the redone pilot and subsequent episodes as the original pilot--which I viewed back in May--knocked my socks off in the best possible way. Given some recasting and reshoots, I'm confident that the production team has taken the already fantastic pilot to even more dizzying levels of accomplishment. Without further ado, here's the teaser trailer: If that's not enough to strike your fancy, HBO also offered a behind the scenes featurette on the making of Game of Thrones , focusing on the production of the ambitious fantasy serie

HBO teased a fifteen-second clip of its upcoming George R.R. Martin series Game of Thrones to critics on the final day of the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour. At the executive session earlier this afternoon, the pay cabler declined to name an exact launch date for Game of Thrones but indicated that it would premiere in Spring 2011, possibly as early as March. "It's about a quest for power and a quest for the kingdom," said Michael Lombardo, HBO president of programming, about the series, which is based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. "It was an easy answer," said Richard Plepler about picking up the project to series, considering it's a genre that HBO isn't typically known for and which isn't usually a favorite of Plepler or Lombardo. "It wasn't the genre that we responded to, it was the storytelling," he continued. In other HBO-related news: True Blood : Alan Ball's involvement in upcoming drama

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello is reporting that James Tupper ( Mercy ) has joined the cast of ABC's Grey's Anatomy , where he is set to recur as trauma counselor Andrew Perkins, who is "brought in to help Seattle Grace recover from that nightmarish season-ending bloodbath" and who will appear in at least two episodes next season. ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) The Chicago Tribune 's Maureen Ryan has some dish on the casting--and recasting--going on at HBO's upcoming fantasy drama Game of Thrones . "Varys, the calculating spymaster for the king of Westeros, will be played by UK actor Conleth Hill," writes Ryan. "The role of Waymar Royce has been recast due to a scheduling issue. Jamie Campbell-Bower had played the role in the pilot but when the producers decided to do reshoots of his scenes, Campbell-Bower was unavailable. The role of Royce will now be played by Ro

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Another one bites the dust: Melina Kanakaredes is the latest star to leave their CBS drama series, following in the footsteps of A.J. Cook, Eddie Cibrian, and Liz Vassey. Kanakaredes, who has starred on CBS' CSI: NY for six seasons, has announced that she will not be returning for a seventh go-around as Detective Stella Bonasera. "We hoped Melina would return to CSI: NY for another season, but we respect her decision to move on," said CBS Television Network and CBS Television Studios in a joint statement released yesterday. "Her amazing talent and invaluable contribution to the success of the series are greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. She will forever remain a friend to the network and studio and we wish her the very best." ( E! Online's Watch with Kristin ) Meanwhile, yesterday's rumor appears now to be a fact: Sela Ward is joining CSI: NY , following Kanakaredes' departure. ( Ent

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Rand Ravich's ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats , which recently received an order for six additional scripts, will be completely reconceived, with nearly all of the original cast--including series leads Tom Cavanagh and Alicia Witt and supporting players Derek Webster, Alex Solowitz, and Raoul Trujillo--getting the axe. (Only Robert Patrick will remain.) Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, meanwhile, has some further insight into the decision made by ABC. "People have been divided on Cavanagh's performance, while Patrick has been almost universally hailed as the pilot's scene stealer," she writes. "I hear ABC brass like the idea of Edgar Floats and the central character but the project is being re-conceived, with the six additional scripts still being written." [Editor: seeing as Edgar Floats was my favorite broadcast pilot of the development cyc