Well, we lost another one.
Congratulations to the cast members of BOARDWALK EMPIRE. Great show, I think. The second season was even better than the first. Love Steve Buschemi as Nucky especially.
Got to give it to us. We lose only to the best: MAD MEN, HOMELAND, BOARDWALK EMPIRE.
It’s an honor just be nominated.
(And it was nice to see so many of our cast members there. They’re partying now, I don’t doubt. Wish I was there.)
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If it’s an honor just to be nominated — and it is, it is — the cast and crew of HBO’s GAME OF THRONES is being honored all over the world.
CONGRATULATIONS to our wonderful costume designer, Michele Clapton, nominated by the Costume Designer’s Guild for outstanding achievement in the category of Period/ Fantasy Television.
CONGRATULATIONS to Aiden Gillen, Michele Fairley, Brian Kirk, Mark Huffam, and Ronan Hill and his sound post production team, who earned nominations in this year’s Irish Film & Television Awards as (respectively) best supporting actor (TV), best lead actress (TV), best director (TV), television drama, and sound (film/ tv drama).
http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0110/ifta.html
And CONGRATULATIONS to our crack visual effects team, nominated by the Visual Effects Society for awards in three categories.
All our nominees face formidable competition, but win or lose, it is great to get this kind of recognition from peers in the industry. And it’s proof positive of what a great team Dan and David and HBO have assembled to bring GAME OF THRONES to you.
http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0110/ifta.html
Break a leg, guys and gals. Hell, break a whole bunch o’ legs.
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The Directors Guild has announced this year’s nominations for its annual award, and I’m delighted to report that Tim Van Patten has been nominated for his direction of our first episode, “Winter Is Coming.”
http://www.dga.org/Awards/Annual.aspx#drama
Van Patten faces some tough competition, sharing the ballot with Michael Cuesta (HOMELAND), Vince Gilligan (BREAKING BAD), Patty Jenkins (THE KILLING), and Michael Waxman (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), but I’ll be pulling for him… to win the award, and to come back and direct some more episodes for us in future (though BOARDWALK EMPIRE is keeping him plenty busy).
With this DGA nomination, and the SAG and WGA nominations previously reported here, it means that GAME OF THRONES has been recognized by all three of the major Hollywood guilds.
Pretty damn cool.
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… HBO has scheduled the second season debut for APRIL 1 (no foolin’).
Promotions are already underway. While I was travelling, two new “Making Of” videos were released by HBO. I think you’ll like ’em.
CROATIA
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ART DIRECTION
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Sad to say, I was not able to visit any of the sets this season while the shoot was going on (I wanted to, but after spending so much of the summer and fall on the road promoting A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, I needed to stay home and get some writing done), so most of this is as new to me as it is to you. I’m thrilled. Season two looks as though it will be a feast for the eyes.
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So I’m back from LA, once more catching up and digging out.
If you watched the Golden Globe telecast on Sunday, you already know that GAME OF THRONES lost out to HOMELAND in the Best TV Drama category. Ah, well. It IS an honor just to be nominated, of course, and HOMELAND is an excellent series and a very worthy winner. My congrats to their cast and crew… especially to my old friends (scary to realize just how old) Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, the showrunners. Back in the dawn of time, when Vincent ruled the underworld and dinosaurs roamed the earth, Alex and Howard and I all worked together on the writing staff of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. If we had to lose, I’m glad it was to “the Lads” and their show.
And GOT had its taste of victory too: Peter Dinklage won for Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. A well deserved win over a stellar group of actors.
So… one win, one loss, but a great day, even for those of us who were “differently victorious” (to steal a line from Michael Cassutt). I got to walk the red carpet with my lady Parris, meet Paul Giamatti and Steve Buscemi, visit with Amy Poehler, party with David and Dan and Peter and Emilia and Bryan, not to mention lovely Lisa Bonet and sensational Stana Katic. And Jason Momoa almost twisted my head off. ((I really need to find some way to bring Khal Drogo back from the dead, I do, I do)) That doesn’t happen every day.
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It’s awards season in Hollywood, and I’m out in Los Angeles in the thick of it.
On Friday I attended the American Film Institute luncheon with David (Benioff), Dan (Weiss), Emilia (Clarke), Jason (Momoa) and other stalwarts from HBO, where GAME OF THRONES was honored as one of the ten outstanding television shows of 2011.
This afternoon it’s the Golden Globes, given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The AFI luncheon was a relaxed affair, since we already knew that we were getting the award before turning up. The Globes are an altogether different proposition; like the Emmys (and the Hugos), they’re nail biters, where all the nominees sweat it out until the envelope is torn open. (And the bigger celebrities also need to worry about what host Ricky Gervais might say about them). GAME OF THRONES is up for best drama against some pretty tough competition. BOARDWALK EMPIRE and HOMELAND are the two favorites going in… but GOT is very popular overseas, so maybe we have a shot at an upset. Peter Dinklage is also nominated, for supporting actor… he’s a strong contender, I think.
So… tune in tonight, and keep your fingers (and toes) crossed.
((And yeah, the Giants are playing the Packers at the same time. Very annoying of them to schedule it like that. Go G-Men!! Go Eli! Cruz, Cruz, Cruuuuz!))
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Who, me?
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2011-12-29/george-r-r-martin-is-author-of-the-year-2011/52256412/1
Hot damn.
What fine intelligent gentlefolk they are at USA TODAY.
Forgive me, whilst I blush prettily.
If I had a football to hand, I would gladly spike it.
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The end of the year draws nigh, which means it is time for everyone and his sister to release their list of the year’s best this-and-that.
I’m thrilled to say that in almost all the lists of the best television shows of 2011, HBO’s GAME OF THRONES is turning up.
To wit:
ROLLING STONE !“ 1/5/12 issue
!œ2011 Season: Why We Watched!
Rob Sheffield
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92740
Rolling Stone lists Ned Stark’s execution on !œGame of Thrones! as one of the highlights of the 2011 television season.
PEOPLE WEEKLY !“ 12/26/11 issue
!œTop ten shows!
Tom Gliatto
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92925
!œGame of Thrones! ranks third in Gliatto’s list of 2011’s best TV.
TV GUIDE !“ 12/19/11 issue
!œMatt Roush’s Top 10!
Matt Roush
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92918
Roush awards !œGame of Thrones! fifth place in his list of the year’s best television
TIME !“ 12/19/11
!œThe Best of 2011: Television!
James Poniewozik
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92794
!œGame of Thrones! makes TIME’s list of the top ten shows of 2011.
HITFIX !“ 12/13/11
!œTV Top 10 of 2011: The Best 10 (or 11) Overall Shows!
Alan Sepinwall shares his top 11 TV shows of 2011, which includes Game of Thrones.
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/tv-top-10-of-2011-the-best-10-or-11-overall-shows
The Washington Post -12/11/11
!œBest of 2011: Television!
Hank Stuever
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92820
!œGame of Thrones! makes The Washington Post’s list of the year’s top television shows.
NEWSDAY !“ 12/11/11
!œPlaying it to the hilt!
Verne Gay
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92816
!œGame of Thrones! makes it onto Newsday’s roundup of the year’s top five TV shows.
AFI TV Top 10 !“ 12/11/11
!œGame of Thrones, Homeland Crack AFI’s TV Top 10!
The American Film Institute’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2011 lists Game of Thrones.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118047333?refcatid=13
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/12/11/afi-top-10-tv-list-2011-game-of-thrones-louie/
http://www.hitfix.com/articles/game-of-thrones-homeland-crack-afis-tv-top-10
THE ATLANTIC WIRE !“ 12/12/11
!œThe Best Television of 2011!
Game of Thrones lands on The Atlantic’s list of Top TV shows of 2011.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2011/12/best-television-2011/46048/
TIME – 12/7/11
!œThe Top 10 TV Episodes of 2011: The Best and the Rest!
TIME compiles a list of the top 10 TV episodes of the year, which includes Game of Thrones’ !˜Baelor’. Honorable mention goes to !˜The Wolf and the Lion.’
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/12/07/the-top-10-tv-episodes-of-2011-the-best-and-the-rest/
!œThe Top 10 TV Series of 2011: The Best and the Rest!
Game of Thrones makes TIME’s list of 2011’s best TV series.
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/12/07/the-top-10-tv-series-of-2011-the-best-and-the-rest/
TVology – 12/6/11
!œOlogy Presents: The 10 Best Shows Ever 2011!!
Ology ranks Game of Thrones as one of the best shows in 2011.
http://www.ology.com/tv/ology-presents-10-best-tv-shows-ever-2011
My hat is off to David Benioff, Dan Weiss, our amazing cast and crew, and all the great folks at HBO who helped make the first season of GAME OF THRONES such a success.
And the best is yet to come…
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Cyanide Studios and Atlus Entertainment have just unveiled a trailer for their forth-coming GAME OF THRONES videogame RPG. If you missed the official premiere and presentation in Paris,
here’s a look.
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I’ll be the first to admit that I have not played a lot of videogames myself. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them; rather, I enjoy them too damned much. Parris often says that Sid Meier owes her, seeing as how I lost a novel to RAILROAD TYCOON and another one to PIRATES. But looking at this, I can’t help be impressed by how far game graphics have come.
I haven’t played the game myself yet, but the Cyanide gang has visited me a couple of times in Santa Fe to give us presentations, and discuss details of game play and background. They are presenting original stories here, with characters of their own creation, but it was important to them (and to me) that they get the look and feel of Westeros right, and I think they have. Their enthusiasm and passion for this project is palpable.
This preview has me very excited. It’s another way to visit Westeros, for those of you who can’t get enough, and maybe the game will even help fill some of those long years between books.
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Beware.
Reading A GAME OF THRONES may lead to… fantasy.
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/game-of-thrones-is-%27fantasy-gateway-drug%27-201111044505/
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