This is, of course, the HBO TV series adaptation of the massively popular set of novels by George R.R. Martin. The best way that I can describe the story is if you take a bit of the Arthurian Legend and mix it with Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, you will end up with this. It is set on the massive continent of Westeros which is split into Seven Kingdoms, each ruled by a lord who answers to the King, who sits on the iron throne in Kings Landing. At the beginning of the story, the king is Robert Baratheon played by (Mark Addy). Ultimately, the story is about a threat to the kingdom by a group of undead called the White Walkers who are outside a huge wall that guards the seven kingdoms and is manned by the Night's Watch which is basically made up of criminals and non-nobles who are forced into indentured servitude, and a fight to rule the Seven Kingdoms by many different people who claim rightful title to the throne, including the family that was deposed from the throne and exiled from Westeros, the Targaryens.
The show has a very large ensemble cast (that is actually quite pared down from the number of characters in the books). Some of the actors were fairly well known before the series, such as Sean Bean, Ian Glen, and Lena Heady, and others such as Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, Kit Harrington, Peter Dinklage, Maise Williams, and Jason Momoa would become stars, because of the series. Some of the actors such as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Aidan Gillen, and Liam Cunningham were recognizable but not exactly well-known before the series.
The first season basically follows the story of the first novel, with Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell in the Northern region of Westeros being asked by the King to be the "King's Hand" which he agrees to mainly so that he can investigate the death of his mentor. The first season teases a coming war and has a lot of twists and turns packed into the relatively small amount of episodes. It is hard to go into much detail without giving away too much for the few who are reading this who have not seen it yet, but Martin is not shy about killing off characters, so you can be assured that not everyone makes it out alive.
For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD. There are a ton of extras including commentary tracks on seven of the ten episodes that feature various members of the cast and crew. There are also in-episode guides that pop up information about the show as you watch, a Complete Guide to Westeros that breaks down the family histories of the various ruling families, character profiles, a thirty-minute making-of documentary, a feature about adapting the book to the screen, a feature on the Night's Watch, a feature on the main title sequence, creating the Dothraki language, and an Anatomy of an Episode feature that you can play when watching the episode "A Golden Crown". So, there is a ton there if you like watching the bonus features.
Overall, the show is wonderful. It is well-written and very well acted. It is definitely an adult show as there is a lot of swearing and a ton of sexual content and nudity that leaves little to the imagination. So, if that would bug you, then you definitely will want to skip this. But, if you are into shows that have a medieval setting with a healthy mix of fantasy elements like magic and dragons, then this is definitely worth watching.
The show has a very large ensemble cast (that is actually quite pared down from the number of characters in the books). Some of the actors were fairly well known before the series, such as Sean Bean, Ian Glen, and Lena Heady, and others such as Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, Kit Harrington, Peter Dinklage, Maise Williams, and Jason Momoa would become stars, because of the series. Some of the actors such as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Aidan Gillen, and Liam Cunningham were recognizable but not exactly well-known before the series.
The first season basically follows the story of the first novel, with Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell in the Northern region of Westeros being asked by the King to be the "King's Hand" which he agrees to mainly so that he can investigate the death of his mentor. The first season teases a coming war and has a lot of twists and turns packed into the relatively small amount of episodes. It is hard to go into much detail without giving away too much for the few who are reading this who have not seen it yet, but Martin is not shy about killing off characters, so you can be assured that not everyone makes it out alive.
For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD. There are a ton of extras including commentary tracks on seven of the ten episodes that feature various members of the cast and crew. There are also in-episode guides that pop up information about the show as you watch, a Complete Guide to Westeros that breaks down the family histories of the various ruling families, character profiles, a thirty-minute making-of documentary, a feature about adapting the book to the screen, a feature on the Night's Watch, a feature on the main title sequence, creating the Dothraki language, and an Anatomy of an Episode feature that you can play when watching the episode "A Golden Crown". So, there is a ton there if you like watching the bonus features.
Overall, the show is wonderful. It is well-written and very well acted. It is definitely an adult show as there is a lot of swearing and a ton of sexual content and nudity that leaves little to the imagination. So, if that would bug you, then you definitely will want to skip this. But, if you are into shows that have a medieval setting with a healthy mix of fantasy elements like magic and dragons, then this is definitely worth watching.
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