Game of Thrones - Wikipedia Game of Thrones This article is about the television series. For the novel in the series A Song of Ice and Fire, see A Game of Thrones. For other uses, see A Game of Thrones ( disambiguation ). Game of Thrones Genre Fantasy Serial drama Created by David Benioff D.B. Weiss Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin Starring see List of Game of Thrones characters Theme music composer Ramin Djawadi Opening theme `` Main Title '' Composer ( s ) Ramin Djawadi Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 7 No. of episodes 67 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) David Benioff D.B. Weiss Carolyn Strauss Frank Doelger Bernadette Caulfield George R.R. Martin Location ( s ) Northern Ireland Croatia Iceland Spain Malta Morocco Scotland Canada United States Running time 50 -- 80 minutes Production company ( s ) Television 360 Grok ! Television Generator Entertainment Startling Television Bighead Littlehead Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution Release Original network HBO Picture format 1080i ( 16 : 9 HDTV ) Audio format Dolby Digital 5.1 Original release April 17, 2011 ( 2011 - 04 - 17 ) -- present Chronology Related shows After the Thrones Thronecast External links Website Production website Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. 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. It is filmed in Belfast and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and the United States. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and its seventh season ended on August 27, 2017. The series will conclude with its eighth season premiering in 2019. Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, Game of Thrones has several plot lines and a large ensemble cast but centers on three primary story arcs. The first story arc centers on the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms and follows a web of alliances and conflicts among the dynastic noble families either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence from the throne. The second story arc focuses on the last descendant of the realm 's deposed ruling dynasty, exiled and plotting a return to the throne. The third story arc centers on the longstanding brotherhood charged with defending the realm against the ancient threats of the fierce peoples and legendary creatures that lie far north, and an impending winter that threatens the realm. Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base. It has been acclaimed by critics, particularly for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity and violence ( including sexual violence ) has been criticized. The series has received 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015 and 2016, more than any other primetime scripted television series. Its other awards and nominations include three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation ( 2012 -- 2014 ), a 2011 Peabody Award, and four nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama ( 2012 and 2015 -- 2017 ). Of the ensemble cast, Peter Dinklage has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( 2011 and 2015 ) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Series, Miniseries or Television Film ( 2012 ) for his performance as Tyrion Lannister. Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Diana Rigg, and Max von Sydow have also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for their performances in the series. Contents 1 Background 1.1 Setting 1.2 Themes 1.3 Inspirations and derivations 2 Cast and characters 3 Production 3.1 Conception and development 3.2 Casting 3.3 Writing 3.4 Adaptation schedule 3.5 Filming 3.6 Directing 3.7 Technical aspects 3.8 Costumes 3.9 Makeup 3.10 Visual effects 3.11 Sound 3.12 Title sequence 3.13 Music 3.14 Language 3.15 Effect on location 4 Availability 4.1 Broadcast 4.2 Home video 4.3 Copyright infringement 4.4 IMAX 5 Reception and achievements 5.1 Cultural influence 5.2 Critical response 5.2. 1 Sex and violence 5.3 Fandom 5.4 Awards and accolades 5.5 Viewer numbers 6 Other media and products 6.1 Video games 6.2 Merchandise and exhibition 6.3 Accompanying material 6.4 Spin - offs 7 References 8 External links Background Main article : List of Game of Thrones episodes See also : Synopsis of A Song of Ice and Fire Power and violence are central themes of Game of Thrones, and the number of weapons made for the series ( some of which are shown here ) reflects this. Setting Main article : World of A Song of Ice and Fire Game of Thrones is roughly based on the storylines of A Song of Ice and Fire, set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos. The series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the realm 's noble families for the Iron Throne, while other families fight for independence from it. It opens with additional threats in the icy North and Essos in the east. Showrunner David Benioff jokingly suggested `` The Sopranos in Middle - earth '' as Game of Thrones ' tagline, referring to its intrigue - filled plot and dark tone in a fantasy setting of magic and dragons. In a 2012 study of deaths per episode, it ranked second out of 40 recent U.S. TV drama series ( with an average of 14 ). Themes Main article : Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire The series is generally praised for what is perceived as a sort of medieval realism. George R.R. Martin set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more on battles, political intrigue, and the characters, believing that magic should be used moderately in the epic fantasy genre. Martin has stated that `` the true horrors of human history derive not from orcs and Dark Lords, but from ourselves. '' A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle between good and evil, which Martin says does not mirror the real world. Just like people 's capacity for good and for evil in real life, Martin explores the questions of redemption and character change. The show allows the audience to view different characters from their perspective, unlike in many other fantasies, and thus the supposed villains can provide their side of the story. Benioff said, `` George brought a measure of harsh realism to high fantasy. He introduced gray tones into a black - and - white universe. '' In early seasons, under the influence of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, main characters were regularly killed off, and this was credited with developing tension among viewers. Later seasons, however, critics pointed out that certain characters had developed `` plot armor '', attributing this to the show 's deviating from the books and becoming more of a traditional television series. The series also reflects the substantial death rates in war. Inspirations and derivations Although the first season closely follows the events of the first novel, later seasons have made significant changes. According to David Benioff, the show is `` about adapting the series as a whole and following the map George laid out for us and hitting the major milestones, but not necessarily each of the stops along the way ''. Tom Holland of The Guardian believes that the novels and their adaptations base aspects of their settings, characters, and plot on events in European history. Most of Westeros is reminiscent of high medieval Europe, from lands and cultures, to the palace intrigue, feudal system, castles, and knightly tournaments. A principal inspiration for the novels is the English Wars of the Roses ( 1455 -- 85 ) between the houses of Lancaster and York, reflected in Martin 's houses of Lannister and Stark. The scheming Cersei Lannister evokes Isabella, the `` she - wolf of France '' ( 1295 -- 1358 ) ; Isabella and her family ( particularly as portrayed in Maurice Druon 's historical - novel series, The Accursed Kings ) were also a main inspiration for Martin. Holland further proposes that other historical antecedents of series elements include Hadrian 's Wall ( which becomes Martin 's Wall ), the legend of Atlantis ( ancient Valyria ), Byzantine Greek fire ( `` wildfire '' ), Icelandic sagas of the Viking Age ( the Ironborn ), the Mongol hordes ( the Dothraki ), the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337 -- 1453 ) and the Italian Renaissance ( c. 1400 -- 1500 ). The series ' popularity has been attributed, in part, to Martin 's skill at fusing these elements into a seamless, credible version of alternate history. Martin acknowledges, `` I take ( history ) and I file off the serial numbers and I turn it up to 11. '' Cast and characters Main article : List of Game of Thrones characters Peter Dinklage ( Tyrion Lannister ) has led the principal cast since the second season Game of Thrones has an ensemble cast estimated to be the largest on television ; during its third season, 257 cast names were recorded. In 2014, several actor contracts were renegotiated to include a seventh - season option, with raises which reportedly made them among the highest - paid performers on cable TV. In 2016, several actor contracts were again renegotiated, reportedly increasing the salary of five of the main cast members to £ 2 million per episode for the last two seasons, which would make them the highest paid actors on television. The main cast is listed below. Lord Eddard `` Ned '' Stark ( Sean Bean ) is the head of House Stark, whose members are involved in plot lines throughout most of the series. He and his wife, Catelyn Tully ( Michelle Fairley ), have five children : Robb ( Richard Madden ), the eldest, followed by Sansa ( Sophie Turner ), Arya ( Maisie Williams ), Bran ( Isaac Hempstead - Wright ) and Rickon ( Art Parkinson ), the youngest. Ned 's illegitimate son Jon Snow ( Kit Harington ) and his friend, Samwell Tarly ( John Bradley ), serve in the Night 's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont ( James Cosmo ). The Wildlings living north of the Wall include young Gilly ( Hannah Murray ), and warriors Tormund Giantsbane ( Kristofer Hivju ) and Ygritte ( Rose Leslie ). Others associated with House Stark include Ned 's ward Theon Greyjoy ( Alfie Allen ), his vassal Roose Bolton ( Michael McElhatton ), and Bolton 's bastard son, Ramsay Snow ( Iwan Rheon ). Robb falls in love with the healer Talisa Maegyr ( Oona Chaplin ), and Arya befriends the blacksmith 's apprentice Gendry ( Joe Dempsie ) and the assassin Jaqen H'ghar ( Tom Wlaschiha ). The tall warrior Brienne of Tarth ( Gwendoline Christie ) serves Catelyn and, later, Sansa. In King 's Landing, the capital, Ned 's friend King Robert Baratheon ( Mark Addy ) shares a loveless marriage with Cersei Lannister ( Lena Headey ), who has taken her twin brother, the `` Kingslayer '' Ser Jaime Lannister ( Nikolaj Coster - Waldau ), as her lover. She loathes her younger brother, the dwarf Tyrion Lannister ( Peter Dinklage ), who is attended by his mistress Shae ( Sibel Kekilli ) and the sellsword Bronn ( Jerome Flynn ). Cersei 's father is Lord Tywin Lannister ( Charles Dance ). Cersei also has two young sons : Joffrey ( Jack Gleeson ) and Tommen ( Dean - Charles Chapman ). Joffrey is guarded by the scar - faced warrior, Sandor `` the Hound '' Clegane ( Rory McCann ). The king 's Small Council of advisors includes the crafty Master of Coin Lord Petyr `` Littlefinger '' Baelish ( Aidan Gillen ) and the eunuch spymaster Lord Varys ( Conleth Hill ). Robert 's brother, Stannis Baratheon ( Stephen Dillane ), is advised by foreign priestess Melisandre ( Carice van Houten ) and former smuggler Ser Davos Seaworth ( Liam Cunningham ). The wealthy Tyrell family is represented at court by Margaery Tyrell ( Natalie Dormer ). The High Sparrow ( Jonathan Pryce ) is the capital 's religious leader. In the southern principality of Dorne, Ellaria Sand ( Indira Varma ) seeks vengeance against the Lannisters. Across the Narrow Sea, siblings Viserys ( Harry Lloyd ) and Daenerys Targaryen ( Emilia Clarke ) -- the exiled children of the last king of the original ruling dynasty, who was overthrown by Robert Baratheon -- are running for their lives and trying to win back the throne. Daenerys has been married to Khal Drogo ( Jason Momoa ), the leader of the nomadic Dothraki. Her retinue includes the exiled knight Ser Jorah Mormont ( Iain Glen ), her aide Missandei ( Nathalie Emmanuel ) and the sellsword Daario Naharis ( Michiel Huisman ). Production Conception and development Showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff created the series, wrote most of its episodes and directed several. In January 2006, David Benioff had a phone conversation with George R.R. Martin 's literary agent about the books he represented, and became interested in A Song of Ice and Fire as he had been a fan of fantasy fiction when young but had not read the books before. The literary agent then sent the first four books of A Song of Ice and Fire to Benioff. Benioff read a few hundred pages of the first novel, A Game of Thrones, shared his enthusiasm with D.B. Weiss and suggested that they adapt Martin 's novels into a television series ; Weiss finished the first novel in `` maybe 36 hours ''. They pitched the series to HBO after a five - hour meeting with Martin ( a veteran screenwriter ) in a restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard. According to Benioff, they won Martin over with their answer to his question, `` Who is Jon Snow 's mother ? '' I had worked in Hollywood myself for about 10 years, from the late ' 80s to the ' 90s. I 'd been on the staff of The Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. All of my first drafts tended to be too big or too expensive. I always hated the process of having to cut. I said, ' I 'm sick of this, I 'm going to write something that 's as big as I want it to be, and it 's going to have a cast of characters that go into the thousands, and I 'm going to have huge castles, and battles, and dragons. -- George R.R. Martin, author Before being approached by Benioff and Weiss, Martin had had other meetings with other scriptwriters, most of them wanting to turn it into a feature film. Martin, however, deemed it `` unfilmable '' and impossible to be done as a feature film, stating that the size of one of his novels is as long as The Lord of the Rings, which had been adapted as three feature films. Similarly, Benioff also said that it would be impossible to turn the novels into a feature film as the scale of the novels is too big for a feature film and dozens of characters would have to be discarded. Benioff added, `` a fantasy movie of this scope, financed by a major studio, would almost certainly need a PG - 13 rating. That means no sex, no blood, no profanity. Fuck that. '' Martin himself was pleased with the suggestion that they adapt it as an HBO series, saying that he `` never imagined it anywhere else ''. `` I knew it could n't be done as a network television series. It 's too adult. The level of sex and violence would never have gone through. '' The series began development in January 2007. HBO acquired the TV rights to the novels, with Benioff and Weiss as its executive producers, and Martin as a co-executive producer. The intention was for each novel to yield a season 's worth of episodes. Initially, Martin would write one episode per season while Benioff and Weiss would write the rest of the episodes. Jane Espenson and Bryan Cogman were later added to write one episode apiece the first season. The first and second drafts of the pilot script by Benioff and Weiss were submitted in August 2007 and June 2008, respectively. Although HBO liked both drafts, a pilot was not ordered until November 2008 ; the 2007 -- 2008 Writers Guild of America strike may have delayed the process. The pilot episode, `` Winter Is Coming '', was first shot in 2009 ; after a poor reception in a private viewing, HBO demanded an extensive re-shoot ( about 90 percent of the episode, with cast and directorial changes ). The pilot reportedly cost HBO $5 -- 10 million to produce, while the first season 's budget was estimated at $50 -- 60 million. In the second season, the show received a 15 - percent budget increase for the climactic battle in `` Blackwater '' ( which had an $8 million budget ). Between 2012 and 2015, the average budget per episode increased from $6 million to `` at least '' $8 million. The sixth - season budget was over $10 million per episode, for a season total of over $100 million and a series record. Casting Nina Gold and Robert Sterne are the series ' primary casting directors. Through a process of auditions and readings, the main cast was assembled. The only exceptions were Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean, whom the writers wanted from the start ; they were announced as joining the pilot in 2009. Other actors signed for the pilot were Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen and Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon. Addy was, according to showrunners Benioff and Weiss, the easiest actor to cast for the show, being that his audition was on point. Some of the characters in the pilot were recast for the first season : Catelyn Stark was initially played by Jennifer Ehle, but the role was recast with Michelle Fairley. Daenerys Targaryen was also recast, with Emilia Clarke replacing Tamzin Merchant. The rest of the first season 's cast was filled in the second half of 2009. Although many of the cast returned after the first season, the producers had many new characters to cast for each of the following seasons. Due to the large number of new characters, Benioff and Weiss postponed the introduction of several key characters in the second season and merged several characters into one or assigned plot functions to different characters. Some recurring characters were recast over the years ; for example, Gregor Clegane was played by three different actors, while Dean - Charles Chapman who played Tommen Baratheon also played a minor Lannister character. Writing George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, is a series co-executive producer and wrote one episode for each of the first four seasons. Game of Thrones used seven writers in six seasons. Series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the showrunners, write most of the episodes each season. A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin wrote one episode in each of the first four seasons. Martin did not write an episode for the later seasons, since he wanted to focus on completing the sixth novel ( The Winds of Winter ). Jane Espenson co-wrote one first - season episode as a freelance writer. Bryan Cogman, initially a script coordinator for the series, was promoted to producer for the fifth season. Cogman, who wrote at least one episode for the first five seasons, is the only other writer in the writers ' room with Benioff and Weiss. Before his promotion, Vanessa Taylor ( a writer during the second and third seasons ) worked closely with Benioff and Weiss. Dave Hill joined the writing staff for the fifth season after working as an assistant to Benioff and Weiss. Although Martin is not in the writers ' room, he reads the script outlines and makes comments. Benioff and Weiss sometimes assign characters to particular writers ; for example, Cogman was assigned to Arya Stark for the fourth season. The writers spend several weeks writing a character outline, including what material from the novels to use and the overarching themes. After these individual outlines are complete, they spend another two to three weeks discussing each main character 's individual arc and arranging them episode by episode. A detailed outline is created, with each of the writers working on a portion to create a script for each episode. Cogman, who wrote two episodes for the fifth season, took a month and a half to complete both scripts. They are then read by Benioff and Weiss, who make notes, and parts of the script are rewritten. All ten episodes are written before filming begins, since they are filmed out of order with two units in different countries. Benioff and Weiss write each of their episodes together, with one of them writing the first half of the script and the other the second half. After that they begin with passing the drafts back and forth to make notes and rewrite parts of it. Adaptation schedule Benioff and Weiss originally intended to adapt the entire, still - incomplete A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels for television. After Game of Thrones began outpacing the published novels in the sixth season, the series was based on a plot outline of the future novels provided by Martin and original content. In April 2016, the showrunners ' plan was to shoot 13 more episodes after the sixth season : seven episodes in the seventh season and six episodes in the eighth. Later that month, the series was renewed for a seventh season with a seven - episode order. As of 2017, seven seasons have been ordered and filmed, adapting the novels at a rate of about 48 seconds per page for the first three seasons. Season Ordered Filming First aired Last aired Novel ( s ) adapted Refs Season 1 March 2, 2010 Second half of 2010 April 17, 2011 June 19, 2011 A Game of Thrones Season 2 April 19, 2011 Second half of 2011 April 1, 2012 June 3, 2012 A Clash of Kings and some early chapters from A Storm of Swords Season 3 April 10, 2012 July -- November 2012 March 31, 2013 June 9, 2013 About the first two - thirds of A Storm of Swords Season 4 April 2, 2013 July -- November 2013 April 6, 2014 June 15, 2014 The remaining one - third of A Storm of Swords and some elements from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons Season 5 April 8, 2014 July -- December 2014 April 12, 2015 June 14, 2015 A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons and original content, with some late chapters from A Storm of Swords and elements from The Winds of Winter Season 6 July -- December 2015 April 24, 2016 June 26, 2016 Original content and outline from The Winds of Winter, with some late elements from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons Season 7 April 21, 2016 August 2016 -- February 2017 July 16, 2017 August 27, 2017 Original content and outline from The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring Season 8 July 30, 2016 October 2017 -- Mid 2018 2019 2019 The first two seasons adapted one novel each. For the later seasons, its creators see Game of Thrones as an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire as a whole rather than the individual novels ; this enables them to move events across novels, according to screen - adaptation requirements. Filming The Azure Window at Ras - id - Dwerja, on Gozo, was the site of the Dothraki wedding in season one. Principal photography for the first season was scheduled to begin on July 26, 2010, and the primary location was the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Exterior scenes in Northern Ireland were filmed at Sandy Brae in the Mourne Mountains ( standing in for Vaes Dothrak ), Castle Ward ( Winterfell ), Saintfield Estates ( the Winterfell godswood ), Tollymore Forest ( outdoor scenes ), Cairncastle ( the execution site ), the Magheramorne quarry ( Castle Black ) and Shane 's Castle ( the tourney grounds ). Doune Castle in Stirling, Scotland, was also used in the original pilot episode for scenes at Winterfell. The producers initially considered filming the whole series in Scotland, but decided on Northern Ireland because of the availability of studio space. The first season 's southern scenes were filmed in Malta, a change in location from the pilot episode 's Moroccan sets. The city of Mdina was used for King 's Landing. Filming was also done at Fort Manoel ( representing the Sept of Baelor ), at the Azure Window on the island of Gozo ( the Dothraki wedding site ) and at San Anton Palace, Fort Ricasoli, Fort St. Angelo and St. Dominic monastery ( all used for scenes in the Red Keep ). The walled city of Dubrovnik became King 's Landing in season two. Filming of the second season 's southern scenes shifted from Malta to Croatia, where the city of Dubrovnik and nearby locations allowed exterior shots of a walled, coastal medieval city. The Walls of Dubrovnik and Fort Lovrijenac were used for scenes in King 's Landing and the Red Keep. The island of Lokrum, the St. Dominic monastery in the coastal town of Trogir, the Rector 's Palace in Dubrovnik, and the Dubac quarry ( a few kilometers east ) were used for scenes set in Qarth. Scenes set north of the Wall, in the Frostfangs and at the Fist of the First Men, were filmed in November 2011 in Iceland : on the Vatnajökull glacier near Smyrlabjörg, the Svínafellsjökull glacier near Skaftafell and the Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik on Höfðabrekkuheiði. Third - season production returned to Dubrovnik, with the Walls of Dubrovnik, Fort Lovrijenac and nearby locations again used for scenes in King 's Landing and the Red Keep. Trsteno Arboretum, a new location, is the garden of the Tyrells in King 's Landing. The third season also returned to Morocco ( including the city of Essaouira ) to film Daenerys ' scenes in Essos. Dimmuborgir and the Grjótagjá cave in Iceland were used as well. One scene, with a live bear, was filmed in Los Angeles. The production used three units ( Dragon, Wolf and Raven ) filming in parallel, six directing teams, 257 cast members and 703 crew members. Ballintoy Harbour was Lordsport on the Iron Islands. The fourth season returned to Dubrovnik and included new locations, including Diocletian 's Palace in Split, Klis Fortress north of Split, Perun quarry east of Split, the Mosor mountain range, and Baška Voda further south. Thingvellir National Park in Iceland was used for the fight between Brienne and the Hound. Filming took 136 days and ended on November 21, 2013. The fifth season added Seville, Spain, used for scenes of Dorne, as well as Córdoba. The sixth season, which began filming in July 2015, returned to Spain and filmed in Navarra, Guadalajara, Seville, Almeria Girona and Peniscola. Filming also returned to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Filming of the seven episodes of season 7 began on August 31, 2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast, with other filming in Iceland, Northern Ireland and many locations in Spain. Spain filming locations included Seville, Cáceres, Almodovar del Rio, Santiponce, Zumaia and Bermeo. The series also filmed in Dubrovnik, which is used for location of King 's Landing. Filming continued until the end of February 2017 as necessary to ensure winter weather in some of the European locations. Directing Each ten - episode season of Game of Thrones has four to six directors, who usually direct back - to - back episodes. Alan Taylor has directed seven episodes, the most episodes of the series. Alex Graves, David Nutter, Mark Mylod and Jeremy Podeswa have directed six each. Daniel Minahan directed five episodes, and Michelle MacLaren, Alik Sakharov, and Miguel Sapochnik directed four each. Brian Kirk directed three episodes during the first season, and Tim Van Patten directed the series ' first two episodes. Neil Marshall directed two episodes, both with large battle scenes : `` Blackwater '' and `` The Watchers on the Wall ''. Other directors have been Jack Bender, David Petrarca, Daniel Sackheim, Michael Slovis and Matt Shakman. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have directed two episodes together but only credited one each episode, which was determined after a coin toss. Technical aspects Alik Sakharov was the pilot 's cinematographer. The series has had a number of cinematographers, and has received seven Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single - Camera Series nominations. Oral Norrey Ottey, Frances Parker, Martin Nicholson, Crispin Green, Tim Porter and Katie Weiland have edited the series for a varying number of episodes. Weiland received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single - Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series in 2015. Costumes The costumes of Ygritte, Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane reflect the harsh climate in which they are worn. Dresses worn at the royal court in King 's Landing indicate their wearers ' wealth and status. Functional weapons and armor, like Brienne of Tarth 's ( left ), were manufactured for the series. Michele Clapton was costume designer for Game of Thrones ' first five seasons before she was replaced by April Ferry. Clapton will return to the show as costume designer for the seventh season. The costumes used in the show drew inspiration from a number of sources, such as Japanese and Persian armour. Dothraki dress resembles that of the Bedouin ( one was made out of fish skins to resemble dragon scales ), and the Wildlings wear animal skins like the Inuit. Wildling bone armor is made from molds of actual bones, and is assembled with string and latex resembling catgut. Although the extras who play Wildlings and the Night 's Watch often wear hats ( normal in a cold climate ), members of the principal cast usually do not so viewers can distinguish the main characters. Björk 's Alexander McQueen high - neckline dresses inspired Margaery Tyrell 's funnel - neck outfit, and prostitutes ' dresses are designed for easy removal. All clothing used is aged for two weeks so it appears realistic on high - definition television. About two dozen wigs are used for the actresses. Made of human hair and up to 2 feet ( 61 cm ) in length, they cost up to $7,000 each and are washed and styled like real hair. Applying the wigs is time - consuming ; Emilia Clarke, for example, requires about two hours to style her brunette hair with a platinum - blonde wig and braids. Other actors, such as Jack Gleeson and Sophie Turner, receive frequent hair coloring. For characters such as Daenerys ( Clarke ) and her Dothraki, their hair, wigs and costumes are processed to appear as if they have not been washed for weeks. Makeup For the first three seasons, Paul Engelen was Game of Thrones ' main makeup designer and prosthetic makeup artist with Melissa Lackersteen, Conor O'Sullivan and Rob Trenton. At the beginning of the fourth season Engelen 's team was replaced by Jane Walker and her crew, composed of Ann McEwan and Barrie and Sarah Gower. Visual Effects For the series ' large number of visual effects, HBO hired British - based BlueBolt and Irish - based Screen Scene for season one. Most of the environment builds were done as 2.5 D projections, giving viewers perspective while keeping the programming from being overwhelming. In 2011, the season - one finale, `` Fire and Blood '', was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. Because the effects became more complex in subsequent seasons ( including CGI creatures, fire, and water ), German - based Pixomondo became the lead visual - effects producer ; nine of its twelve facilities contributed to the project for season two, with Stuttgart the lead. Scenes were also produced by British - based Peanut FX, Canadian - based Spin VFX, and U.S. - based Gradient Effects. `` Valar Morghulis '' and `` Valar Dohaeris '' earned Pixomondo Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in 2012 and 2013, respectively. For season four, HBO added German - based Mackevision to the project. The season - four finale, `` The Children '', won the 2014 Emmy Award for Visual Effects. Additional producers for season four included Canadian - based Rodeo FX, German - based Scanline VFX and U.S. - based BAKED FX. The muscle and wing movements of the adolescent dragons in seasons four and five were based largely on those of a chicken. Pixomondo retained a team of 22 to 30 people which focused solely on visualizing Daenerys Targaryen 's dragons, with the average production time per season of 20 to 22 weeks. For the fifth season, HBO added Canadian - based Image Engine and U.S. - based Crazy Horse Effects to its list of main visual - effects producers. Sound Unusual for a television series, the sound team receives a rough cut of a full season and approaches it as a ten - hour feature film. Although seasons one and two had different sound teams, one team has been in charge of sound since then. For the show 's blood - and - gore sounds, the team often uses a chamois. For dragon screams, mating tortoises and dolphin, seal, lion and bird sounds have been used. Title sequence Main article : Game of Thrones title sequence The series ' title sequence was created by production studio Elastic for HBO. Creative director Angus Wall and his collaborators received the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Main Title Design for the sequence, which depicts a three - dimensional map of the series ' fictional world. The map is projected on the inside of a sphere which is centrally lit by a small sun in an armillary sphere. As the camera moves across the map, focusing on the locations of the episode 's events, clockwork mechanisms intertwine and allow buildings and other structures to emerge from the map. Accompanied by the title music, the names of the principal cast and creative staff appear. The sequence concludes after about 90 seconds with the title card and brief opening credits indicating the episode 's writer ( s ) and director. Its composition changes as the story progresses, with new locations replacing those featuring less prominently or not at all. Music Main article : Music of Game of Thrones Ramin Djawadi composed the Game of Thrones score. The music for the series was composed by Ramin Djawadi. The first season 's soundtrack, written in about ten weeks before the show 's premiere, was published by Varèse Sarabande in June 2011. Soundtrack albums for subsequent seasons have been released, with tracks by the National, the Hold Steady and Sigur Rós. Djawadi has composed themes for each of the major houses and also for some of the main characters. The themes may evolve over time, as Daenerys Targaryen 's theme started small and then became more powerful after each season. Her theme started first with a single instrument, a cello, and Djawadi later incorporated more instruments for it. Language The Westerosi characters of Game of Thrones speak British - accented English, often ( but not consistently ) with the accent of the English region corresponding to the character 's Westerosi region ; Eddard Stark ( Warden of the North ) speaks in actor Sean Bean 's native northern accent, and the southern lord Tywin Lannister speaks with a southern accent, while characters from Dorne speak English with a Spanish accent. Characters foreign to Westeros often have a non-British accent. Although English is the common language of Westeros, the producers charged linguist David J. Peterson with constructing Dothraki and Valyrian languages based on the few words in the novels ; Dothraki and Valyrian dialogue is often subtitled in English. It has been reported that during the series these fictional languages have been heard by more people than the Welsh, Irish, and Scots Gaelic languages combined. Effect on location Game of Thrones is funded by Northern Ireland Screen, a UK government agency financed by Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund. As of April 2013, Northern Ireland Screen gave the show £ 9.25 million ( $14.37 million ) ; according to government estimates, this has benefited the Northern Ireland economy by £ 65 million ( $100.95 million ). Tourism Ireland has a Game of Thrones - themed marketing campaign similar to New Zealand 's Tolkien - related advertising. Invest NI and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board also expect the series to generate tourism revenue. According to Arlene Foster, the series has given Northern Ireland the most non-political publicity in its history. The production of Game of Thrones and other TV series also boosted Northern Ireland 's creative industries, contributing to an estimated 12.4 - percent growth in arts, entertainment and recreation jobs between 2008 and 2013 ( compared with 4.3 percent in the rest of the UK during the same period ). Tourism organizations elsewhere reported increases in bookings after their locations appeared in Game of Thrones. In 2012, bookings through LateRooms.com increased by 28 percent in Dubrovnik and 13 percent in Iceland. The following year, bookings doubled in Ouarzazate, Morocco ( the location of Daenerys ' season - three scenes ). Game of Thrones has been attributed as a significant factor in the boom of tourism in Iceland that had a strong impact on its economy. Tourist numbers increased by 30 % in 2015, followed by another 40 % in 2016, with a final figure of 2.4 million visitors expected for 2016, which is around seven times the population of the country. Availability Broadcast Game of Thrones is broadcast by HBO in the United States and by its local subsidiaries or other pay television services in other countries, at the same time as in the U.S. or weeks ( or months ) later. The series ' broadcast in China on CCTV, begun in 2014, was heavily edited to remove scenes of sex and violence in accordance with a Chinese practice of censoring Western TV series to prevent what the People 's Daily calls `` negative effects and hidden security dangers ''. This resulted in viewer complaints about the incoherence of what remained. Broadcasters carrying Game of Thrones include Showcase in Australia ; HBO Canada, Super Écran and Showcase in Canada ; HBO Latin America in Latin America ; SoHo and Prime in New Zealand, and Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Home Video The ten episodes of the first season of Game of Thrones were released as a DVD and Blu - ray box set on March 6, 2012. The box set includes extra background and behind - the - scenes material but no deleted scenes, since nearly all the footage shot for the first season was used in the show. The box set sold over 350,000 copies in the first week after release, the largest first - week DVD sales ever for an HBO series, and the series set an HBO - series record for digital - download sales. A collector 's - edition box set was released in November 2012, combining the DVD and Blu - ray versions of the first season with the first episode of season two. A paperweight in the shape of a dragon egg is included in the set. DVD - Blu - ray box sets and digital downloads of the second season became available on February 19, 2013. First - day sales broke HBO records, with 241,000 box sets sold and 355,000 episodes downloaded. The third season was made available for purchase as a digital download on the Australian iTunes Store, parallel to the U.S. premiere, and was released on DVD and Blu - ray in region 1 on February 18, 2014. The fourth season was released on DVD and Blu - ray on February 17, 2015, and the fifth season on March 15, 2016. The sixth season was released on Blu - ray and DVD on November 15, 2016. Beginning in 2016, HBO began issuing Steelbook Blu - ray sets which include both Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and Dolby Atmos audio options. Copyright infringement Game of Thrones has been widely pirated, primarily outside the U.S. According to the file - sharing news website TorrentFreak, Game of Thrones has been the most - pirated TV series since 2012, which means it has held the record for six years in a row. Illegal downloads increased to about seven million in the first quarter of 2015, up 45 percent from 2014. An unnamed episode was downloaded about 4,280,000 times through public BitTorrent trackers in 2012, roughly equal to its number of broadcast viewers. Piracy rates were particularly high in Australia, and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich issued a statement condemning Australian piracy of the series in 2013. Delays in availability apart from HBO and its affiliates before 2015 and the cost of subscriptions to these services have been cited as causes of the series ' illegal distribution. According to TorrentFreak, a subscription to a service for Game of Thrones would cost up to $25 per month in the United States, up to £ 26 per episode in the UK and up to $52 per episode in Australia. For `` combating piracy '', HBO said in 2013 that it intended to make its content more widely available within a week of the U.S. premiere ( including HBO Go ). In 2015, the fifth season was simulcast to 170 countries and to HBO Now users. On April 11, the day before the season premiere, screener copies of the first four episodes of the fifth season leaked to a number of file - sharing websites. Within a day of the leak, the files were downloaded over 800,000 times ; in one week the illegal downloads reached 32 million, with the season - five premiere alone ( `` The Wars to Come '' ) pirated 13 million times. The season - five finale ( `` Mother 's Mercy '' ) was the most simultaneously shared file in the history of the BitTorrent filesharing protocol, with over 250,000 simultaneous sharers and over 1.5 million downloads in eight hours. For the sixth season, HBO did not send screeners to the press, so as to prevent the spread of unlicensed copies and possible spoilers. Observers, including series director David Petrarca and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, said that illegal downloads did not hurt the series ' prospects ; it benefited from `` buzz '' and social commentary, and the high piracy rate did not significantly translate to lost subscriptions. According to Polygon, HBO 's relaxed attitude towards piracy and the sharing of login credentials amounted to a premium - television `` free - to - play '' model. At a 2015 Oxford Union debate, series co-creator David Benioff said that he was just glad that people watched the show ; illegally downloaded copies of the show sometimes interested viewers enough to buy a copy of the show, especially in countries where the show was not televised. Co-creator D.B. Weiss had mixed feelings, saying that the show was expensive to produce and `` if it does n't make the money back, then it ceases to exist ''. However, he was pleased that so many people `` enjoy the show so much they ca n't wait to get their hands on it. '' In 2015, Guinness World Records called Game of Thrones the most - pirated television program. IMAX Beginning on January 23, 2015, the last two episodes of season four were shown in 205 IMAX theaters across the United States ; Game of Thrones is the first TV series shown in this format. The show earned $686,000 at the box office on its opening day and $1.5 million during its opening weekend ; the week - long release grossed $1,896,092. Reception and achievements Game of Thrones was highly anticipated by fans before its premiere, and has become a critical and commercial success. According to The Guardian, by 2014 it was `` the biggest drama '' and `` the most talked about show '' on television. Cultural influence Although Game of Thrones was dismissed by some critics before it began, its success has been credited with an increase in the popularity of fantasy themes. On the eve of the second season 's premiere, a CNN.com blog post by Joel Williams read, `` After this weekend, you may be hard pressed to find someone who is n't a fan of some form of epic fantasy '' and cited Ian Bogost as saying that the series continues a trend of successful screen adaptations beginning with Peter Jackson 's 2001 The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the Harry Potter films establishing fantasy as a mass - market genre ; they are `` gateway drugs to fantasy fan culture ''. Its success in the face of its genre was attributed by writers to a longing for escapism in popular culture, frequent female nudity and a skill in balancing lighthearted and serious topics ( dragons and politics, for example ) which provided it with a prestige enjoyed by conventional, top - tier drama series. The series ' popularity increased sales of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels ( republished in tie - in editions ), which remained at the top of bestseller lists for months. According to The Daily Beast, Game of Thrones was a favorite of sitcom writers and the series has been referred to in other TV series. With other fantasy series, it has been cited for an increase in the purchase ( and abandonment ) of huskies and other wolf - like dogs. Game of Thrones has added to the popular vocabulary. The first season 's scene in which Petyr Baelish explains his motives ( or background ) while prostitutes had sex in the background gave rise to the word `` sexposition '' for providing exposition with sex and nudity. `` Dothraki '', the series ' nomadic horsemen, was ranked fourth in a September 2012 Global Language Monitor list of words from television most used on the Internet. In 2012, the media used `` Game of Thrones '' as a figure of speech or comparison for situations of intense conflict and deceit, such as the 2012 United States Supreme Court decision regarding healthcare reform legislation, the Syrian Civil War and the ousting of Bo Xilai from the Chinese government. `` Khaleesi '' has increased in popularity as a name for baby girls in the United States. In the novels and the TV series, the word is a title meaning the wife of a Khal ( warlord ) in the Dothraki language held by Daenerys Targaryen, and not actually a name. Critical response Season Critical response Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic 89 % ( 34 reviews ) 80 ( 28 reviews ) 96 % ( 34 reviews ) 90 ( 26 reviews ) 97 % ( 43 reviews ) 91 ( 25 reviews ) 97 % ( 43 reviews ) 94 ( 29 reviews ) 5 95 % ( 52 reviews ) 91 ( 29 reviews ) 6 95 % ( 30 reviews ) 73 ( 9 reviews ) 7 95 % ( 43 reviews ) 77 ( 12 reviews ) Game of Thrones has received critical acclaim, although the series ' frequent use of nudity and violence has been criticized. Its seasons have appeared on annual `` best of '' lists published by The Washington Post ( 2011 ), TIME ( 2011 and 2012 ) and The Hollywood Reporter ( 2012 ). The performances of the cast have received immense praise. Peter Dinklage 's `` charming, morally ambiguous, and self - aware '' Tyrion, who earned him Emmy and Golden Globe awards, was noted. `` In many ways, Game of Thrones belongs to Dinklage '', wrote Mary McNamara of the L.A. Times before Tyrion became the series ' central figure in season two. Several critics highlighted performances by actresses and children. Fourteen - year - old Maisie Williams, noted in the first season for her debut as Arya Stark, was singled out for her season - two work with veteran actor Charles Dance ( Tywin Lannister ). Stephen Dillane has received positive reviews for his performance as Stannis Baratheon, especially in the fifth season, with one critic noting `` Whether you like Stannis or not, you have to admit that Stephen Dillane delivered a monumental performance this season. '' The series has a rating of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 44 reviews. All episodes had positive reviews of 91 percent or higher on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 97 - percent rating ( based on 50 reviews ) for the season as a whole. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 95 percent and an average score of 8.6 out of 10 ( based on 52 reviews ). The season has a rating of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 29 reviews. After the first episode aired, the seventh season held a rating of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.2 out of 10 based on 29 reviews. First - season reviewers said the series had high production values, a fully realized world and compelling characters. According to Variety, `` There may be no show more profitable to its network than ' Game of Thrones ' is to HBO. Fully produced by the pay cabler and already a global phenomenon after only one season, the fantasy skein was a gamble that has paid off handsomely ''. The second season was also well received. Entertainment Weekly praised its `` vivid, vital, and just plain fun '' storytelling and, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the show made a `` strong case for being one of TV 's best series '' ; its seriousness made it the only drama comparable to Mad Men or Breaking Bad. The New York Times gave the series a mixed review, criticizing its number of characters, their lack of complexity and a meandering plot. The third season was extremely well received by critics, with Metacritic giving it a score of 91 out of 100 ( indicating `` universal acclaim '' ). The fourth season was similarly praised ; Metacritic gave it a score of 94 out of 100 based on 29 reviews, again indicating `` universal acclaim ''. The fifth season was also well received by critics and has a score of 91 out of 100 ( based on 29 reviews ) on Metacritic. The sixth season has been praised by critics, though not as highly as its predecessors. It has a score of 73 on Metacritic ( based on nine reviews ), indicating `` generally favorable reviews ''. The seventh season scored 77 out of 100 ( based on twelve reviews ) and was praised for its action sequences and focused central characters, but received criticism for its breakneck pace and plot developments that `` defied logic. '' Sex and violence Despite its otherwise enthusiastic reception by critics, Game of Thrones has been criticized for the amount of female nudity, violence, and sexual violence ( especially against women ) it depicts, and for the manner in which it depicts these themes. The Atlantic called the series ' `` tendency to ramp up the sex, violence, and -- especially -- sexual violence '' of the source material `` the defining weakness '' of the adaptation. George R.R. Martin responded that he feels obliged to be truthful about history and human nature, and that rape and sexual violence are common in war ; and that omitting them from the narrative would have rung false and undermined one of his novels ' themes, its historical realism. HBO said that they `` fully support the vision and artistry of Dan and David 's exceptional work and we feel this work speaks for itself. '' The amount of sex and nudity in the series, especially in scenes that are incidental to the plot, was the focus of much of the criticism aimed at the series in its first and second seasons. Stephen Dillane, who portrays Stannis Baratheon, likened the series ' frequent explicit scenes to `` German porn from the 1970s ''. Charlie Anders wrote in io9 that while the first season was replete with light - hearted `` sexposition '', the second season appeared to focus on distasteful, exploitative, and dehumanizing sex with little informational content. According to The Washington Post 's Anna Holmes, the nude scenes appeared to be aimed mainly at titillating heterosexual men, right down to the Brazilian waxes sported by the women in the series ' faux - medieval setting, which made these scenes alienating to other viewers. The Huffington Post 's Maureen Ryan likewise noted that Game of Thrones mostly presented women naked, rather than men, and that the excess of `` random boobage '' undercut any aspirations the series might have to address the oppression of women in a feudal society. Saturday Night Live parodied this aspect of the adaptation in a sketch that portrayed the series as retaining a thirteen - year - old boy as a consultant whose main concern was showing as many breasts as possible. In the third season, which saw Theon Greyjoy lengthily tortured and eventually emasculated, the series was also criticized for its use of torture. New York magazine called the scene `` torture porn. '' Madeleine Davies of Jezebel agreed, saying, `` it 's not uncommon that Game of Thrones gets accused of being torture porn -- senseless, objectifying violence combined with senseless, objectifying sexual imagery. '' According to Davies, although the series ' violence tended to serve a narrative purpose, Theon 's torture in `` The Bear and the Maiden Fair '' was excessive. A scene in the fourth season 's episode `` Breaker of Chains '', in which Jaime Lannister rapes his sister and lover Cersei, triggered a broad public discussion about the series ' depiction of sexual violence against women. According to Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times, the scene caused outrage, in part because of comments by director Alex Graves that the scene became `` consensual by the end ''. Itzkoff also wrote that critics fear that `` rape has become so pervasive in the drama that it is almost background noise : a routine and unshocking occurrence ''. Sonia Saraiya of The A.V. Club wrote that the series ' choice to portray this sexual act, and a similar one between Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo in the first season -- both described as consensual in the source novels -- as a rape appeared to be an act of `` exploitation for shock value ''. In the fifth season 's episode `` Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken '', Sansa Stark is raped by Ramsay Bolton. Most reviewers, including those from Vanity Fair, Salon, The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast, found the scene gratuitous and artistically unnecessary. For example, Joanna Robinson, writing for Vanity Fair, said that the scene `` undercuts all the agency that 's been growing in Sansa since the end of last season. '' In contrast, Sara Stewart of The New York Post wondered why viewers were not similarly upset about the many background and minor characters who 'd undergone similar or worse treatment. In response to the scene, pop culture website The Mary Sue announced that it would cease coverage of the series because of the repeated use of rape as a plot device, and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill said that she would no longer watch it. As the sixth and seventh seasons saw Daenerys, Sansa and Cersei assume ruling positions, Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Post noted that the series could be seen as a `` long - arc revenge fantasy about what happens when women who have been brutalized and raped gain power '' -- namely, that their past leaves them too broken to do anything but commit brutal acts in their own turn, and that their personal liberation does not effect the social change needed to protect others from suffering. Fandom Main article : A Song of Ice and Fire fandom In this manipulated image published by the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama ( a fan of the series ) sits on the Iron Throne in the Oval Office with the king 's crown on his lap. A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones have a broad, active international fan base. In 2012 Vulture.com ranked the series ' fans as the most devoted in popular culture, more so than Lady Gaga 's, Justin Bieber 's, Harry Potter 's or Star Wars '. Fans include political leaders such as former U.S. president Barack Obama, former British prime minister David Cameron, former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans, who framed European politics in quotes from Martin 's novels in a 2013 speech. BBC News said in 2013 that `` the passion and the extreme devotion of fans '' had created a phenomenon unlike anything related to other popular TV series, manifesting itself in fan fiction, Game of Thrones - themed burlesque routines and parents naming their children after series characters ; writers quoted attributed this success to the rich detail, moral ambiguity, sexual explicitness and epic scale of the series and novels. The previous year, `` Arya '' was the fastest - rising girl 's name in the U.S. after it jumped in popularity from 711th to 413th place. In 2013 about 58 percent of series viewers were male and 42 percent female, and the average male viewer was 41 years old. According to SBS Broadcasting Group marketing director Helen Kellie, Game of Thrones has a high fan - engagement rate ; 5.5 percent of the series ' 2.9 million Facebook fans talked online about the series in 2012, compared to 1.8 percent of the more than ten million fans of True Blood ( HBO 's other fantasy series ). Vulture.com cited Westeros.org and WinterIsComing.net ( news and discussion forums ), ToweroftheHand.com ( which organizes communal readings of the novels ) and Podcastoficeandfire.com as fan sites dedicated to the TV and novel series ; and podcasts cover Game of Thrones. Awards and accolades Main article : List of awards and nominations received by Game of Thrones Game of Thrones has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, 5 Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Peabody Award. It holds the Emmy - award record for a scripted television series, ahead of Frasier ( which received 37 ). In 2013 the Writers Guild of America listed Game of Thrones as the 40th `` best written '' series in television history. In 2015 The Hollywood Reporter placed it at number four on their `` best TV shows ever '' list, while in 2016 the show was placed seventh on Empire 's `` The 50 best TV shows ever ''. The same year Rolling Stone named it the twelfth `` greatest TV Show of all time ''. The 2011 first season received 13 nominations ( including Outstanding Drama Series ), and won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( given to Peter Dinklage for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister ) and Outstanding Main Title Design. Other nominations included Outstanding Directing ( `` Winter Is Coming '' ) and Outstanding Writing ( `` Baelor '' ). Dinklage was also named Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globe, Satellite and Scream Awards. In 2012, the second season received six Creative Arts Emmy Awards from 11 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Dinklage ). The 2013 third season received 16 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Dinklage ), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series ( Emilia Clarke ), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ( Diana Rigg ) and Outstanding Writing ( `` The Rains of Castamere '' ), winning two Creative Arts Emmys. In 2014 the fourth season received four Creative Arts Emmys from 19 nominations, which included Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Dinklage ), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series ( Lena Headey ), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ( Rigg ), Outstanding Directing ( `` The Watchers on the Wall '' ) and Outstanding Writing ( `` The Children '' ). The 2015 fifth season won the most Primetime Emmy Awards for a series in a year ( 12 awards from 24 nominations ), including Outstanding Drama Series ; other wins included Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Dinklage ), Outstanding Directing ( `` Mother 's Mercy '' ) and Outstanding Writing ( `` Mother 's Mercy '' ), and eight were Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In 2016, the sixth season received the most nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards ( 23 ). It won for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing ( `` Battle of the Bastards '' ), Outstanding Writing ( `` Battle of the Bastards '' ), and nine Creative Arts Emmys. Nominations included Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Dinklage and Kit Harington ), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series ( Clarke, Headey and Maisie Williams ), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series ( Max von Sydow ) and Outstanding Directing ( `` The Door '' ). Viewer numbers The first season averaged 2.5 million viewers for its first Sunday - night screenings and a gross audience ( including repeats and on - demand viewings ) of 9.3 million viewers per episode. For its second season, the series had an average gross audience of 11.6 million viewers. The third season was seen by 14.2 million viewers, making Game of Thrones the second-most - viewed HBO series ( after The Sopranos ). For the fourth season, HBO said that its average gross audience of 18.4 million viewers ( later adjusted to 18.6 million ) had passed The Sopranos for the record. By the sixth season the average per - episode gross viewing figure had increased to over 25 million, with nearly 40 percent of viewers watching on HBO digital platforms. In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that Game of Thrones was `` much more popular in cities than in the countryside, probably the only show involving zombies that is ''. In season seven, the viewers numbers averaged at over 30 millions per episode across all platforms. The series set records on pay - television channels in the United Kingdom ( with a 2016 average audience of more than five million on all platforms ) and Australia ( with a cumulative average audience of 1.2 million ). The following graph indicates first - airing viewer numbers in the US : Game of Thrones : U.S. viewers per episode ( millions ) Season Ep. 1 Ep. 2 Ep. 3 Ep. 4 Ep. 5 Ep. 6 Ep. 7 Ep. 8 Ep. 9 Ep. 10 Average 2.22 2.20 2.44 2.45 2.58 2.44 2.40 2.72 2.66 3.04 2.52 3.86 3.76 3.77 3.65 3.90 3.88 3.69 3.86 3.38 4.20 3.80 4.37 4.27 4.72 4.87 5.35 5.50 4.84 5.13 5.22 5.39 4.97 6.64 6.31 6.59 6.95 7.16 6.40 7.20 7.17 6.95 7.09 6.84 5 8.00 6.81 6.71 6.82 6.56 6.24 5.40 7.01 7.14 8.11 6.88 6 7.94 7.29 7.28 7.82 7.89 6.71 7.80 7.60 7.66 8.89 7.69 7 10.11 9.27 9.25 10.17 10.72 10.24 12.07 N / A 10.26 Source : Nielsen Media Research Other media and products See also : Works based on A Song of Ice and Fire Video games Main article : List of A Song of Ice and Fire video games The series has inspired four video games based on the TV series and novels. The strategy game Game of Thrones Ascent ties into the HBO series, making characters and settings available to players as they appear on television. Behaviour Interactive is developing a free - to - play strategy game based on the series for mobile devices. Merchandise and exhibition Game of Thrones merchandise in HBO 's New York City store HBO has licensed a variety of merchandise based on Game of Thrones, including games, replica weapons and armor, jewelry, bobblehead dolls by Funko, beer by Ommegang and apparel. High - end merchandise includes a $10,500 Ulysse Nardin wristwatch and a $30,000 resin replica of the Iron Throne. In 2013 and 2014, a traveling exhibition of costumes, props, armor and weapons from the series visited major cities in Europe and the Americas. Accompanying material Thronecast : The Official Guide to Game of Thrones, a series of podcasts presented by Geoff Lloyd and produced by Koink, has been released on the Sky Atlantic website and the UK iTunes store during the series ' run ; a new podcast, with analysis and cast interviews, is released after each episode. In 2014 and 2015 HBO commissioned Catch the Throne, two rap albums about the series. A companion book, Inside HBO 's Game of Thrones ( ISBN 978 - 1 - 4521 - 1010 - 3 ) by series writer Bryan Cogman, was published on September 27, 2012. The 192 - page book, illustrated with concept art and behind - the - scenes photographs, covers the creation of the series ' first two seasons and its principal characters and families. After the Thrones is a live aftershow in which hosts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan discuss episodes of the series. It airs on HBO Now the Monday after each sixth - season episode. The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, a 28 - city orchestral tour which will perform the series ' soundtrack with composer Ramin Djawadi, is scheduled to begin February 15, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. Each season 's Blu - ray and DVD set contains several short animated sequences narrated by the cast as their characters as they detail events in the history of Westeros. For the seventh season, this is to include the animated prequel series Game of Thrones : Conquest & Rebellion, illustrated in a different animation style than previous videos. The series focuses on Aegon Targaryen 's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Spin - offs After years of speculation about possible successor shows, in May 2017 HBO commissioned five screenwriters -- Max Borenstein, Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, Carly Wray and a fifth writer yet to be announced -- to develop individual Game of Thrones successor series. All of the writers are to be working individually with George R.R. Martin. Martin said that all the concepts under discussion are prequels, and some may be set outside Westeros. He also ruled out Robert 's Rebellion ( the overthrow of Daenerys 's father by Robert Baratheon ) as a possible idea. D.B. Weiss and David Benioff said that they would not be involved with any of the projects, and want to enjoy the successor series as fans. Martin is co-writing two of the four announced scripts. HBO announced in September 2017 that Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman would be developing a fifth prequel series. References ^ Jump up to : Hibberd, James ( June 2, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones : HBO clarifies prequels, final seasons plan ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones Will Return in 2019 ''. HBO. Retrieved January 4, 2018. ^ Jump up to : Fleming, Michael ( January 16, 2007 ). `` HBO turns ' Fire ' into fantasy series ''. Variety. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2010. Jump up ^ Cogman, Bryan ( November 6, 2014 ). Inside HBO 's Game of Thrones. Orion. p. 4. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4732 - 1040 - 0. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Martin, George R.R. ( July 16, 2010 ). `` From HBO ''. Not a Blog. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2013. Jump up ^ Kachka, Boris ( May 18, 2008 ). `` Dungeon Master : David Benioff ''. New York. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ O'Connell, Michael ( May 22, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Topped by ' Spartacus : Vengeance ' as TV 's Deadliest Series ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Hughes, Sarah ( March 22, 2014 ). `` ' Sopranos meets Middle - earth ' : how Game of Thrones took over our world ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2014. Jump up ^ Orr, David ( August 12, 2011 ). `` Dragons Ascendant : George R.R. Martin and the Rise of Fantasy ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Richards, Linda ( January 2001 ). `` January interview : George R.R. Martin ''. January Magazine. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Itzkoff, Dave ( April 1, 2011 ). `` His Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy : George R.R. Martin Talks Game of Thrones ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Cogman, Bryan ( November 6, 2014 ). Inside HBO 's Game of Thrones. Orion. p. 7. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4732 - 1040 - 0. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Itzkoff, Dave ( May 2, 2014 ). `` For ' Game of Thrones, ' Rising Unease Over Rape 's Recurring Role ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2014. Jump up ^ Gevers, Nick ( December 2000 ). `` Sunsets of High Renown -- An Interview with George R.R. Martin ''. Infinity Plus. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The battle between good and evil reigns -- Martin talks about new series Game of Thrones ''. The Guardian. June 11, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Baum, Michele Dula ( April 11, 2001 ). `` A Song of Ice and Fire -- Author George R.R. Martin 's fantastic kingdoms ''. CNN. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Fowler, Matt ( August 27, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones : `` The Dragon and the Wolf '' Review ``. IGN. Retrieved August 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Kirschling, Gregory ( November 27, 2007 ). `` George R.R. Martin answers your questions ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Boulaziz, Louisa ( September 13, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones is realistic ''. Universitas. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( March 17, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones showrunners answer burning season 5 questions ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Holland, Tom ( March 24, 2013 ). `` Game of Thrones is more brutally realistic than most historical novels ''. The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Mund, Lucas ( March 27, 2013 ). `` Are the Lands of Westeros Inspired by Real - Life Countries ? ''. Slate. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017. Jump up ^ Orr, David ( August 12, 2011 ). `` Dragons Ascendant : George R.R. Martin and the Rise of Fantasy ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2013. Martin 's books are essentially the War of the Roses with magic Jump up ^ Milne, Ben ( April 4, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones : The cult French novel that inspired George RR Martin ''. BBC News Magazine. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Lipscomb, Suzannah ( April 23, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones has hacked our history ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Hibberd, James ( May 29, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' scoop : Season 3 character list revealed -- EXCLUSIVE ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Season 3 : by the Numbers ''. Making Game of Thrones. November 2, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2012. Jump up ^ Belloni, Matthew ; Goldberg, Lesley ( October 30, 2014 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Cast Signs for Season 7 with Big Raises ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2014. Jump up ^ Parker, Mike ( April 25, 2017 ). `` Game Of Thrones season 7 : Stars set to earn £ 2 Million per episode ''. Daily Express. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017. Jump up ^ Hooton, Christopher ( April 25, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones season 7 : Actors ' set to earn £ 2million per episode ', making them highest - paid ever ''. The Independent. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` More Details on the Return of Game of Thrones '' ( Press release ). HBO ( via ComingSoon.net ). Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Cast ''. HBO. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Cogman, Bryan ( November 6, 2014 ). Inside HBO 's Game of Thrones. Gollancz. ASIN B00P187U0Y. ISBN 9781473210400. Archived from the original on December 19, 2016. Jump up ^ Mitchell, Elvis ( May 8, 2013 ). `` UpClose : Game of Thrones with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss ( Full Length ) ''. KCRW. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013. At about 2 : 50. ^ Jump up to : Birnbaum, Debra ( April 15, 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Creators : We Know How It 's Going to End ''. Variety. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Armstrong, Jennifer ( April 4, 2011 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' : George R.R. Martin talks HBO show ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` HBO 's ' Game of Thrones ' : Long Story Short ''. HBO. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2017. Jump up ^ Benioff, David ; D. Weiss ( November 19, 2008 ). `` Hello from Benioff and Weiss ''. A Song of Ice and Fire. Westeros. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Jump up ^ Hudson, Laura ( August 14, 2007 ). `` Talking with George R.R. Martin Part 2 ''. Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Martin, George R.R. ( June 13, 2008 ). `` Ice & Fire on HBO ''. Not a Blog. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Kirschling, Gregory ( November 27, 2007 ). `` George R.R. Martin answers your questions ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ Hibberd, Jame ( November 11, 2008 ). `` HBO orders fantasy pilot Thrones ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2012. Jump up ^ Robinson, Joanna ( February 3, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones Show - Runners Get Extremely Candid About Their Original `` Piece of Sh -- t '' Pilot ``. Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 15, 2016. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( January 14, 2010 ). `` HBO : ' Game of Thrones ' dailies ' look fantastic ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Lesley ( April 14, 2011 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' by The Numbers ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2011. Jump up ^ Pallotta, Frank ( April 7, 2012 ). `` How HBO Let Game of Thrones Make an $8 Million Episode ''. Slate. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` This Week 's Cover : ' Game of Thrones, ' the battle to make season 2 epic ''. Entertainment Weekly. March 14, 2012. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Gornstein, Leslie ( May 28, 2012 ). `` Holy Flaming Warships ! How Expensive Is Game of Thrones, Anyway ? ''. E !. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( March 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' : EW spends 240 hours in Westeros ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2015. Jump up ^ Lee, Ben ( March 30, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones season 6 costs A LOT per episode : The HBO fantasy epic 's massive budget is revealed ''. Digital Spy. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Barraclough, Leo ( April 15, 2016 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Casting Director Nina Gold to Receive BAFTA Award ''. Variety. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( May 5, 2009 ). `` Two will play HBO 's ' Game ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Kit, Borys ; Andreeva, Nellie ( July 19, 2009 ). `` Sean Bean ascends to `` Game of Thrones '' ``. Reuters. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2009. Jump up ^ Martin, George R.R. ( July 19, 2009 ). `` A Casting We Will Go ''. Not A Blog. LiveJournal. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2009. Jump up ^ Walsh, Michael ( March 12, 2017 ). `` What We Learned From Game Of Thrones ' SXSW Panel, and What It Might Mean ''. Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017. Jump up ^ Sepinwall, Alan ( March 19, 2010 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' recasting : Ehle out, Fairley in ''. HitFix. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Ryan, Maureen ( May 21, 2010 ). `` Exclusive : ' Game of Thrones ' recasts noble role ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Martin, George R.R. ( May 21, 2010 ). `` A New Daenerys ''. Not A Blog. LiveJournal. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Ryan, Maureen ( October 13, 2009 ). `` The ' Games ' afoot : HBO 's ' Game of Thrones ' gears up ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016. Jump up ^ Renfro, Kim ( June 21, 2017 ). `` These 8 ' Game of Thrones ' characters were recast -- and you probably did n't even notice ''. Insider. Retrieved March 26, 2018. ^ Jump up to : Collins, Sean T. ( April 2, 2015 ). `` Blood Caffeine Sex Magic : How ' Game of Thrones ' Gets Written ''. New York Observer. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Karmali, Luke ( March 30, 2015 ). `` George R.R. Martin Not Writing Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode ''. IGN. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Ryan, Maureen ( March 16, 2010 ). `` HBO 's ' Game of Thrones ' : The ' Buffy ' and ' Battlestar ' connection ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` The Surprising Connection Between Game of Thrones and Monty Python ''. Vanity Fair. March 24, 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Robinson, Joanna ( March 22, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones Creators Confirm the Show Will Spoil the Books ''. Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Birnbaum, Debra ( April 14, 2016 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Creators Mull Shorter Final Seasons ( EXCLUSIVE ) ''. Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Hibberd, James ( July 18, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones : HBO announces summer return, 7 episodes ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Andreeva, Nellie ( April 21, 2016 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Picked Up For Season 7, ' Veep ' & ' Silicon Valley ' Also Renewed By HBO ''. Deadline. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Scott, Patrick ( April 6, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones : how does the TV series compare to the books ? ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Ryan, Maureen ( March 2, 2010 ). `` HBO picks up ' Game of Thrones ' ; first picture, cast list ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2012. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( April 19, 2011 ). `` HBO renews ' Game of Thrones ' for second season ! ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Anders, Charlie Jane ( June 5, 2012 ). `` 10 Best Changes Game of Thrones Made to A Clash of Kings ''. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016. Jump up ^ O'Connell, Michael ( April 10, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Renewed for Season 3 ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( March 30, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' showrunners on season 2, splitting Book 3 and their hope for a 70 - hour epic ''. Entertainment Weekly. p. 3. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Schwartz, Terri ( May 12, 2014 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Season 4 : Writer Bryan Cogman breaks down Tyrion 's trial, book deviations and that White Walker scene ''. Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( April 2, 2013 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' renewed for season 4 ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2013. Jump up ^ Vineyard, Jennifer ( June 11, 2013 ). `` What Will Happen in Season 4 of Game of Thrones ? ''. Vulture. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Goldman, Eric ( April 8, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones Renewed for Season 5 and Season 6 ''. IGN. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones Season 5 : Inside the Episode # 9 ( HBO ) ''. YouTube. June 7, 2015. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( June 18, 2014 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' showrunners talk season 5 : ' There will be Dorne ' ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2014. Jump up ^ Kain, Erik ( April 12, 2015 ). `` Why Season 5 Of ' Game Of Thrones ' Is The Most Important Yet For HBO ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones Episodes : EP510 : Mother 's Mercy ''. Westeros.org. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Noble, Matt ( August 18, 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' director Jeremy Podeswa dishes Jon Snow death, teases season six ( Exclusive Video ) ''. GoldDerby. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Hibberd, James ( May 24, 2016 ). `` George R.R. Martin revealed 3 huge shocks to Game of Thrones producers ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Vineyard, Jennifer ( May 5, 2016 ). `` Why It 's a Misconception That Game of Thrones Has Gone ' Off - Book ' ''. Vulture. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Shows A-Z - game of thrones on hbo ''. The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( July 30, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones : HBO confirms season 8 will be last ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Shepherd, Jack ( October 23, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones season 8 filming looks to be underway as cast members spotted in Belfast ''. Independent.co.uk. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Collins, Sean T. ( March 20, 2013 ). `` Q&A : ' Game of Thrones ' Insider Bryan Cogman on the Biggest Season Yet ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( March 30, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' showrunners on season 2, splitting Book 3 and their hope for a 70 - hour epic ''. Entertainment Weekly. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` HBO to film TV pilot in Belfast, Northern Ireland '' ( Press release ). Northern Ireland Executive. April 21, 2009. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Roberts, Josh ( April 1, 2012 ). `` Where HBO 's hit ' Game of Thrones ' was filmed ''. USA Today. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Medieval keep becomes film set ''. BBC News. October 23, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2012. Jump up ^ Miller, Phil ( June 17, 2013 ). `` Beaten in Game of Thrones : why Scotland lost £ 160m chance to host TV series ''. The Herald. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Smith, Oliver ( June 7, 2016 ). `` Iceland 's most spectacular Game of Thrones filming locations ''. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Phelan, Jessica ( April 29, 2014 ). `` The 7 kingdoms in ' Game of Thrones ' are actually these 5 real - world places ''. Salon. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2014. Jump up ^ Schwartz, Terri ( January 28, 2013 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' casts a bear and shoots in Los Angeles for major Season 3 scene ''. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2013. Jump up ^ `` New set photos from Klis and Dubrovnik ''. WinterIsComing.net. September 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` That 's a wrap ! Season 4 filming is complete ''. WinterIsComing.net. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2013. Jump up ^ Burgen, Stephen ( July 6, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones fifth series : more than 10,000 Spaniards apply to be extras ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( June 3, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones returning to Spain for season 6 ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2015. Jump up ^ Debnath, Neela ( October 9, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones season 6 : Lena Headey spotted filming in Croatia ''. The Daily Express. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Smith, Oliver ( September 23, 2016 ). `` The incredible locations that will star in Game of Thrones season 7 ''. The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 2, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` EMMY ® - AND GOLDEN GLOBE - WINNING HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES TO BEGIN PRODUCTION ON SEASON SEVEN THIS SUMMER '' ( Press release ). HBO. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016. Jump up ^ `` EXCLUSIVE -- Game of Thrones is back in Dubrovnik ''. The Dubrovnik Times. December 14, 2016. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Swift, Andy ( July 6, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones Season 7 Production Delayed ''. TVLine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones season 7 : US and UK air date, teaser trailer, official poster, cast, rumors, and everything you need to know ''. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Cast & Crew ''. HBO. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015. Jump up ^ `` ALIK SAKHAROV ASC ''. Cinematographers. Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones ''. Emmys.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Ginsberg, Merle ( June 19, 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Season 6 Adds New Costume Designer ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( June 29, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones season 7 directors revealed ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Wischhover, Cheryl ( June 4, 2012 ). `` Game of Thrones ' Hair and Wardrobe Secrets Revealed ''. Fashionista. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Snead, Elizabeth ( June 11, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Designer Michelle Clapton 's Secret Source for Wildling Bones : eBay ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2012. Jump up ^ Elio ( September 16, 2012 ). `` Game of Thrones Wins Big at Creative Arts Emmys ''. Westeros.org. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Elio ( June 22, 2011 ). `` Interview with VFX Producer Lucy Ainsworth - Taylor ''. Westeros.org. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 2 ''. Pixomondo. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 3 ''. Pixomondo. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Mackevision erhält Emmy - Nominierung für visuelle Effekte in `` Game of Thrones '' -- Pressemeldung '' ( PDF ) ( in German ). Mackevision. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ Johnson, Thomas ( March 19, 2015 ). `` How ' Game of Thrones ' creates its dragons ''. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones ''. Image Engine. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Current Projects ''. Crazy Horse Effects. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Andersen, Asbjoern ( August 6, 2014 ). `` This is how the fantastical sound of Game Of Thrones is made ''. A Sound Effect. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Calautti, Katie ( June 12, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones : The Secrets Behind All the Stabbings, Screams, and Sex Scenes ''. Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Fernandez, Sofia M. ( September 10, 2011 ). `` Emmys 2011 : ' Game of Thrones ' Title Sequence Gives Series Its First Emmy ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Perkins, Will ( May 11, 2011 ). `` Game of Thrones ( 2011 ) ''. Art of the Title. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2013. Jump up ^ Axelrod, John ( March 30, 2013 ). `` How The Innovative Game Of Thrones Opening Credits Were Built ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Appelo, Tim ( April 19, 2011 ). `` Secrets Behind ' Game of Thrones ' Opening Credits ( Video ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Ryan, Maureen ( February 2, 2011 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Changes Its Tune, Hires New Composer ''. AOL TV. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones Soundtrack Details ''. Film Music Reporter. May 31, 2011. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Ramin Djawadi Biography ''. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Vineyard, Jennifer ( July 21, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones Composer Ramin Djawadi on the Show 's Key Musical Elements, and That Godfather-esque Finale Tune ''. Vulture. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016. Jump up ^ McNeil, Colin ( June 24, 2016 ). `` Dissecting the real - world accents in Game of Thrones Metro News ''. Metro Toronto. Toronto : Free Daily News Group Inc. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Epstein, Adam ( June 27, 2016 ). `` With a wink to its audience, `` Game of Thrones '' told its most annoying characters to shut up ``. Quartz. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Read, Max ( May 6, 2013 ). `` What Is Going on With the Accents in Game of Thrones ? ''. Gawker. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2013. Jump up ^ Martin, Denise ( April 23, 2013 ). `` Learn to Speak Dothraki and Valyrian From the Man Who Invented Them for Game of Thrones ''. Vulture. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Can you speak Dothraki ? ''. BBC Radio 4 's Today programme. May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones season 3 to film in Northern Ireland ''. Northern Ireland Screen. April 12, 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Bradley, Una ( April 12, 2013 ). `` The ' Game of Thrones ' tourists : How much is the hit HBO fantasy series worth to its home, Northern Ireland ? ''. The Irish Times. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013. Jump up ^ `` New advertising campaign to showcase Northern Ireland to millions of Game of Thrones ® fans worldwide ''. Tourism Ireland. April 26, 2016. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017. Jump up ^ McHugh, Robert ( December 14, 2015 ). `` Tourism Ireland wins top marketing award for Game of Thrones campaign ''. Business World. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017. Jump up ^ McAdam, Noel ( May 16, 2012 ). `` Game of Thrones pumped £ 43m into Northern Ireland 's economy, and more could be on the way ''. The Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2012. Jump up ^ Pym, Hugh ( May 11, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones boost to economy in Northern Ireland ''. BBC News. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2014. Jump up ^ Adam, Shabana ( April 17, 2013 ). `` Travel News : Game of Thrones Sparks Big Boosts in Hotel Bookings to Filming Locations ''. Female First. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2013. Jump up ^ Liman, Love ( May 3, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones Crowns Iceland Krona as World 's Best Currency ''. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Lowe, Josh ( May 3, 2017 ). `` Iceland 's Economy is Booming -- Thanks to a Little Help from Game of Throne ''. Newsweek. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Blum, Jeremy ( April 30, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones premieres on CCTV, viewers call it an edited ' mess ' ''. South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` International Game of Thrones airings ''. WinterIsComing.net. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2011. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( November 30, 2011 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' scoop : DVD release date, details, photos ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2011. Jump up ^ Richwine, Lisa ( March 16, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' rules HBO 's DVD sales ''. Reuters. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : The Complete First Season Premium Edition Gift Box ( 8 Discs ) ( Blu - ray / DVD ) ( Blu - ray Disc ) ''. Best Buy. November 20, 2012. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` ' Game of Thrones ' season 2 DVD date and extras revealed ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( February 22, 2013 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' early DVD sales breaking HBO records ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones season 3 on iTunes Australian Store ''. iTunes. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013. Jump up ^ Lambert, David ( June 24, 2013 ). `` Game of Thrones -- 2014 Release Date, Package Art for ' The Complete 3rd Season ', on DVD, Blu ''. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2013. Jump up ^ Lambert, David ( July 16, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones -- ' The Complete 4th Season ' Press Release : Date, Art, Cost, Extras ''. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 5 ( Blu - ray + Digital HD ) ''. Amazon. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : The Complete Sixth Season ( Blu - ray ) ''. Amazon. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016. Jump up ^ Vaughn, David ( January 29, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones : Winter Is Coming -- In Atmos ''. Sound & Vision. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Jarvey, Natalie ( April 9, 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Piracy Soars Ahead of Season 5 Premiere ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2015. Jump up ^ Greenberg, Andy ( May 9, 2012 ). `` HBO 's ' Game Of Thrones ' On Track To Be Crowned Most Pirated Show Of 2012 ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ' Game of Thrones ' Most Pirated TV - Show of 2013 ''. TorrentFreak. December 25, 2013. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2013. Jump up ^ Williams, Rhiannon ( April 8, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones still most pirated TV show ''. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2014. Jump up ^ Kamen, Matt ( December 28, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones tops 2015 's piracy charts ''. Wired. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015. Jump up ^ Van der Sar, Ernesto ( December 26, 2016 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Most Torrented TV - Show of 2016 ''. TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Ernesto ( December 26, 2017 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Most Torrented TV - Show of 2017 ''. TorrentFreak. Retrieved January 2, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones tops TV show internet piracy chart ''. BBC News. December 24, 2012. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones Most Pirated TV - Show of 2012 ''. TorrentFreak. December 23, 2012. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Who 's Pirating Game of Thrones, And Why ? ''. TorrentFreak. May 20, 2012. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2013. Jump up ^ Piotrowski, Daniel ( April 25, 2013 ). `` US ambassador Jeffrey Bleich pleads : Australia, stop pirating Game of Thrones ''. The Age. Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2013. Jump up ^ Kain, Erik ( May 10, 2012 ). `` International Audiences Have Few Choices To Legally Watch HBO 's ' Game Of Thrones ' ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Why People Pirate Game of Thrones, a Global Cost Breakdown ''. TorrentFreak. April 13, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2014. Jump up ^ Pinchefsky, Carol ( March 3, 2013 ). `` How HBO Is Protecting ' Game of Thrones ' from Online Piracy in 2013 ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Nearly Half of Game of Thrones Season 5 Just Leaked ''. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on June 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Steinberg, Joseph ( April 12, 2015 ). `` Nearly Half Of ' Game of Thrones ' Upcoming Season Leaks Online -- Was HBO Hacked ? ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2015. Jump up ^ Denham, Jess ( April 23, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones season 5 breaks piracy record with 32m illegal downloads ''. The Independent. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones Season Finale breaks Piracy Records ''. TorrentFreak. June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( March 2, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones lockdown : HBO wo n't send press any season 6 episodes ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Downloads do n't matter ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. February 26, 2013. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2013. Jump up ^ Kuchera, Ben ( April 21, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones is the first ' free - to - play ' TV show, and gaming is racing to catch up ''. Polygon. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones at the Oxford Union -- Full Address ''. YouTube. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Lynch, Kevin ( August 31, 2015 ). `` Maisie Williams overjoyed as Game of Thrones marches into Guinness World Records 2016 ''. Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2015. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( January 6, 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' coming to IMAX : First TV series released in format ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2015. Jump up ^ Khatchatourian, Maane ( January 31, 2015 ). `` Box Office : ' Game of Thrones ' Eyes $2 Million in Imax Debut ''. Variety. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2015. Jump up ^ Mendelson, Scott ( February 1, 2015 ). `` Box Office : ' American Sniper ' Sets Super Bowl Record, ' Game Of Thrones ' Scores IMAX Touchdown ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones ( IMAX ) ( 2015 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Gregory, Mathilda ( July 23, 2010 ). `` Is A Game of Thrones the most eagerly anticipated TV show ever ? ''. The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on November 20, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ Colins, Scott ( August 8, 2010 ). `` With ' Game of Thrones, ' HBO is playing for another ' True Blood ' ''. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ Williams, Joel ( March 30, 2012 ). `` Mainstream finally believes fantasy fans ''. CNN. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2012. Jump up ^ Lacob, Jace ( September 21, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' : ' Modern Family, ' ' Parks and Rec ' Writers on Why They Love the HBO Drama ''. The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2012. Jump up ^ O'Brian, Liam ( December 26, 2012 ). `` Game of Thrones inspired Huskie craze goes cold as owners give up on dogs ''. The Independent. London. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Hann, Michael ( March 11, 2012 ). `` How ' sexposition ' fleshes out the story ''. The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2012. Jump up ^ Steinmetz, Kate ( September 25, 2012 ). `` And the Top TV Words of the Year Are... '' Time. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2012. Jump up ^ Brescia, Ray ( July 6, 2012 ). `` Game of Robes : Why Conservatives May Ultimately Praise the Roberts Switch on Health Care Reform ''. The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ Varsavsky, Martin ( July 4, 2012 ). `` The Game of Thrones Around Us ''. The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ Garnaut, John ( July 1, 2012 ). `` Strongmen of China playing a risky game of thrones ''. The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ O'Neil, Lauren ( April 11, 2014 ). `` There are now more babies named ' Khaleesi ' than ' Betsy ' or ' Nadine ' in the U.S. '' CBC News. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 1 ( 2011 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 23, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 1 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 2 ( 2012 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : Season 2 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 3 ( 2013 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 3 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 4 ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 4 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 5 ( 2015 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 5 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 6 ( 2016 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 6 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 7 ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season 7 ''. Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Thrones lands on tons of top TV shows of 2011 lists ''. WinterIsComing.net. December 23, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2011. Jump up ^ Martin, George R.R. ( December 21, 2011 ). `` Plaudits for GAME OF THRONES ''. Not A Blog. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones : The best of 2012 ''. WinterIsComing.net. December 27, 2012. Archived from the original on April 11, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2013. Jump up ^ Gilbert, Matthew ( April 15, 2011 ). `` Fantasy comes true with HBO 's ' Game of Thrones ' ''. The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2013. ^ Jump up to : McNamara, Mary ( April 15, 2011 ). `` Swords, sex and struggles ''. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Paskin, Willa ( March 29, 2012 ). `` Bloody, bloody `` Game of Thrones '' ``. Salon. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Roush, Matt ( April 15, 2011 ). `` Roush Review : Grim Thrones Is a Crowning Achievement ''. TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Tywin and Arya Show ''. Rolling Stone. May 15, 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Death ! Despair ! Dragons ! How The ' Game of Thrones ' Finale Changed The Game For Everyone ''. Decider. June 15, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Tucker, Ken ( April 14, 2011 ). `` Game of Thrones ( 2011 ) ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2011. Jump up ^ Levine, Stuart ( December 27, 2011 ). `` Cablers hit highs, lows, PR hurdles in 2011 ''. Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2011. Jump up ^ Tucker, Ken ( March 21, 2012 ). `` TV Review : Game Of Thrones ( 2012 ) ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Goodman, Tim ( March 27, 2012 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Season 2 : TV Review ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2012. Jump up ^ Genzlinger, Neil ( March 29, 2012 ). `` Uneasy Lies the Head That Steals a Crown : ' Game of Thrones ' on HBO ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2012. Jump up ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan ( August 14, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones ' current breakneck pace is gutting its most anticipated reunions ''. The Verge. Retrieved November 30, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kornhaber, Spencer ; Orr, Christopher ; Sullivan, Amy ( May 17, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones : A Pointless Horror and a Ridiculous Fight ''. The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Frost, Caroline ( January 14, 2014 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Star Stephen Dillane Admits the Nudity Is Like ' German Porn from the 1970s ' ''. The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Anders, Charlie Jane ( May 2, 2012 ). `` Is Game of Thrones ' gratuitous sex worse than the gratuitous violence ? ''. io9. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Holmes, Anna ( April 26, 2012 ). `` Skin is wearing thin on HBO 's ' Game of Thrones ' ''. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Ryan, Maureen ( May 29, 2011 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Season 1, Episode 7 Recap ''. AOL TV. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Toder, Matt ( April 15, 2012 ). `` SNL Explains the Nudity in Game of Thrones ''. Gawker. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Orr, Christopher ( May 13, 2013 ). `` Game of Thrones ' Worst Scene Yet ? ''. The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2013. Jump up ^ David, Allison P. ( May 12, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones Couple of the Week : Tyrion and Shae Are Never Getting Back Together ''. New York. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Davis, Madeleine ( May 13, 2013 ). `` Game of Boners : This Is Torture Porn ''. Jezebel. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2013. Jump up ^ Saraiya, Sonia ( April 20, 2014 ). `` Rape of Thrones Why are the Game Of Thrones showrunners rewriting the books into misogyny ? ''. The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2014. Jump up ^ Silman, Anna ( May 18, 2015 ). `` Here 's why people are so upset about the latest `` Game of Thrones '' rape : `` So cheap, such an obvious choice, I felt offended as a fan '' ``. Salon. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2015. Jump up ^ Runcie, Charlotte ( May 17, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones : Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, season 5 episode 6, review : ' raw emotion ' ''. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Leon, Melissa ( May 19, 2015 ). `` The Rape of Sansa Stark : ' Game of Thrones ' Goes Off - Book and Enrages Its Female Fans ''. The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Robinson, Joanna ( May 17, 2015 ). `` Game of Thrones Absolutely Did Not Need to Go There with Sansa Stark ''. Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Stewart, Sara ( May 19, 2015 ). `` It 's a Stark reality : Outrage over Sansa rape scene misses the point ''. New York Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Pantozzi, Jill ( May 18, 2015 ). `` We Will No Longer Be Promoting HBO 's Game of Thrones ''. The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Cillizza, Chris ( May 19, 2015 ). `` Claire McCaskill is done with ' Game of Thrones ' after Sunday 's rape scene. She 's got a point ''. Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017. Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Alyssa ( August 9, 2017 ). `` The arguments about women and power in ' Game of Thrones ' have never been more unsettling ''. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` The 25 Most Devoted Fan Bases ''. Vulture. October 15, 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2012. Jump up ^ Shear, Michael ( December 29, 2013 ). `` Obama 's TV Picks ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2013. Jump up ^ Ghahremani, Tanya ( December 30, 2013 ). `` President Obama ' Really Likes ' Game of Thrones, In Case You Were Wondering ''. Complex. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2013. Jump up ^ Armstrong, Victoria ( April 7, 2015 ). `` David Cameron admits he is a ' Throney ' and ' huge fan ' on Game of Thrones studio tour ''. Daily Express. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2015. Jump up ^ Taylor, Lenore ( May 30, 2013 ). `` Julia Gillard reveals Game of Thrones addiction ''. The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on July 16, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013. Jump up ^ Gillard, Julia ( April 7, 2014 ). `` Game of Thrones has parallels with my time as Australian prime minister ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Luoma, Sarah ( May 31, 2013 ). `` Dutch foreign minister uses ' Game of Thrones ' as political analogy ''. Digital Spy. Archived from the original on December 17, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016. Jump up ^ Templeton, Molly ( June 16, 2013 ). `` The best ( and the weirdest ) of `` Game of Thrones '' fanfiction ``. Salon. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2013. Jump up ^ de Castella, Tom ( March 22, 2013 ). `` Game of Thrones : Why does it inspire such devotion among fans ? ''. BBC News Magazine. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Carlson, Adam ( May 10, 2013 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' domination is nearly complete : ' Arya ' is the fastest - rising name for baby girls ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( March 31, 2013 ). `` HBO : ' Game of Thrones ' piracy is a compliment ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2013. Jump up ^ Watercutter, Angela ( June 3, 2013 ). `` Yes, Women Really Do Like Game of Thrones ( We Have Proof ) ''. Wired. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Kellie, Helen ( October 26, 2012 ). `` Social is coming of age in the marketing mix -- a TV perspective ''. Marketing magazine. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2012. Jump up ^ Nguyen, Nicole ( May 3, 2013 ). `` In the Game of Thrones, These Podcasts Play to Win ''. Geeksugar. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Complete List of Recipients of the 71st Annual Peabody Awards ''. Peabody Awards. April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Dockterman, Eliana ( September 18, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones Now Has the Most Emmy Wins Ever ''. Time. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` ' 101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time ' From WGA / TV Guide : Complete List ''. Deadline Hollywood. June 2, 2013. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hollywood 's 100 Favorite TV Shows ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time ''. Empire. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Golden Globes 2012 : The Winners List ''. The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016. Jump up ^ West, Kelly ( June 19, 2011 ). `` The 2011 Scream Awards Winners : Vampires, Wizards And Swans ''. Cinemablend. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2016. Jump up ^ `` 2011 Winners ''. International Press Academy. June 19, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016. Jump up ^ Prudom, Laura ( September 20, 2015 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Sets Record for Most Emmy Wins in a Year ''. Variety. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2015. Jump up ^ Prudom, Laura ( July 14, 2016 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Rules 2016 Emmy Race With 23 Nominations ''. Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Thomas, June ( March 29, 2012 ). `` How Much Gold Is Game of Thrones Worth ''. Slate. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` HBO Renews ' Game of Thrones ' for Fourth Season '' ( Press release ). HBO. April 2, 2013. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2014. Jump up ^ Ritter, Dan ( August 7, 2013 ). `` Game of Thrones is Time Warner 's Cash Cow ''. Wall Street Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2013. Jump up ^ Adalian, Josef ( June 8, 2013 ). `` For HBO, Game of Thrones Ratings Second Only to The Sopranos ''. Vulture. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Fienberg, Daniel ( June 5, 2014 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' has become more popular than ' The Sopranos ' sorta kinda ''. HitFix. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Sinha - Roy, Piya ( June 16, 2014 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' draws 7.1 million viewers for blood - filled finale ''. Reuters. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2014. Jump up ^ Shepherd, Jack ( July 19, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones season 6 ratings : Show brought in 25.1 million viewers on average per episode ''. The Independent. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Katz, Josh ( December 27, 2016 ). `` ' Duck Dynasty ' vs. ' Modern Family ' : 50 Maps of the U.S. Cultural Divide ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2016. Jump up ^ Koblin, John ( August 28, 2017 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Finale Sets Ratings Record ''. New York Times. Jump up ^ Plunkett, John ( July 6, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones most popular Sky series ever with 5m viewers ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Idato, Michael ( June 29, 2016 ). `` Game of Thrones season six finale sets Australian audience record for Foxtel ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season Two Ratings ''. TV Series Finale. June 11, 2012. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season Three Ratings ''. TV Series Finale. June 12, 2013. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season Four Ratings ''. TV Series Finale. June 18, 2014. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season Five Ratings ''. TV Series Finale. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season Six Ratings ''. TV Series Finale. June 28, 2016. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Game of Thrones : Season Seven Ratings ''. TV Series Finale. August 29, 2017. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Updated : ' Game of Thrones ' Ratings : Season One ''. TV by the Numbers. June 19, 2011. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017. Jump up ^ Fahey, Mike ( April 22, 2013 ). `` Game of Thrones : Ascent is More Up - to - Date With the Show Than You Are ''. Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Harris, David ( February 13, 2018 ). `` Behaviour Interactive is developing a mobile Game of Thrones strategy game ''. WinterisComing.net. Retrieved March 13, 2018. Jump up ^ Sacco, Dominic ( June 11, 2013 ). `` Brand Profiles : Game of Thrones ''. Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Miller, Julie ( May 9, 2013 ). `` '' Is the $10,500 Game of Thrones Watch Blood - Resistant ? '' and Our Other Most Pressing Concerns About the Official `` Night 's '' Timepiece ``. Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Miller, Julie ( June 5, 2012 ). `` The Pros and Cons of Owning a $30,000 Game of Thrones Replica Throne ''. Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Exhibition ''. HBO. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Thronecast : The Official Fan Show for Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic HD ''. iTunes Store. April 18, 2011. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Whelan, Robbie ( March 4, 2014 ). `` Unlikely Mix : Rappers, Dragons and Fantasy : HBO Hires Hip - Hop, Latin - Music Artists to Promote ' Game of Thrones ' ''. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Joyce, Colin ( March 7, 2015 ). `` Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Mastodon, More To Appear On ' Game of Thrones ' Mixtape ''. Spin. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2015. Jump up ^ Edwards, Richard ( September 21, 2012 ). `` Inside HBO 's Game Of Thrones by Bryan Cogman REVIEW ''. SFX. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2012. Jump up ^ Snierson, Dan ( April 4, 2016 ). `` HBO orders Game of Thrones weekly after - show from Bill Simmons ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Game of Thrones concert experience hits the road in 2017 ''. The Guardian. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Walsh, Michael ( November 11, 2016 ). `` New GAME OF THRONES History Tells Us a Few Things About the Future ''. Nerdist. Retrieved September 16, 2017. Jump up ^ Lutes, Alicia ( September 14, 2017 ). `` Explore the Targaryen Conquest of Westeros in New GAME OF THRONES Animated Short ''. Nerdist. Retrieved September 16, 2017. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Lesley ( May 14, 2017 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' : Fifth `` Successor Show '' in the Works at HBO, George R.R. Martin Says ``. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017. Jump up ^ Martin, George R.R. ( May 14, 2017 ). `` About Those Spinoffs... '' Not A Blog. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Lesley ( July 12, 2017 ). `` ' Game of Thrones ' Future Explained : Could All the Prequels Move Forward ? ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( September 20, 2017 ). `` Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman developing a 5th prequel series ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 20, 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Game of Thrones. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Game of Thrones Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Game of Thrones tourism. Television in the United States portal 2010s portal Official website -- ( United States ) Official website -- ( United Kingdom ) Game of Thrones on IMDb Game of Thrones Viewers Guide Making of Game of Thrones Articles related to A Song of Ice and Fire George R.R. Martin 's A Song of Ice and Fire A Game of Thrones ( 1996 ) A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) A Feast for Crows ( 2005 ) A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) The Winds of Winter ( TBA ) Franchise media Novellas Tales of Dunk and Egg ( 1998 -- 2010 ) The Princess and the Queen ( 2013 ) The Rogue Prince ( 2014 ) The Sons of the Dragon ( 2017 ) TV series Episodes Season 1 5 6 7 8 Awards Characters Music `` Game of Thrones Theme '' `` The Rains of Castamere '' `` The Bear and the Maiden Fair '' `` Light of the Seven '' Catch the Throne Live Concert Experience Soundtracks Season 1 5 6 7 Title sequence After the Thrones Thronecast Video games A Game of Thrones : Genesis Game of Thrones ( 2012 ) Game of Thrones Ascent Game of Thrones ( 2014 ) Other media The World of Ice & Fire ( 2014 ) Board game Card game ( Second edition ) Comic book series Characters Petyr Baelish Joffrey Baratheon Renly Baratheon Robert Baratheon Stannis Baratheon Tommen Baratheon Ramsay Bolton Roose Bolton Bronn Gregor Clegane Sandor Clegane Khal Drogo Gendry Tormund Giantsbane Gilly Theon Greyjoy Cersei Lannister Jaime Lannister Tyrion Lannister Tywin Lannister Oberyn Martell Melisandre Missandei Jorah Mormont Daario Naharis Ellaria Sand Davos Seaworth Jon Snow High Sparrow Arya Stark Bran Stark Catelyn Stark Ned Stark Rickon Stark Robb Stark Sansa Stark Daenerys Targaryen Viserys Targaryen Samwell Tarly Brienne of Tarth Margaery Tyrell Olenna Tyrell Varys Ygritte World Languages Dothraki Valyrian Themes Iron Throne White Walker Miscellaneous Fandom Book Works by George R.R. Martin Novels A Song of Ice and Fire A Game of Thrones A Clash of Kings A Storm of Swords A Feast for Crows A Dance with Dragons The Winds of Winter Dying of the Light Windhaven Fevre Dream The Armageddon Rag Hunter 's Run Novellas A Song for Lya The Ice Dragon Sandkings The Skin Trade Westeros The Hedge Knight The Sworn Sword The Mystery Knight The Princess and the Queen The Rogue Prince The Sons of the Dragon Short stories `` With Morning Comes Mistfall '' `` The Way of Cross and Dragon '' Collections A Song for Lya Songs of Stars and Shadows Sandkings Songs the Dead Men Sing Nightflyers Tuf Voyaging Portraits of His Children Quartet : Four Tales from the Crossroads Dreamsongs : A RRetrospective Television The Twilight Zone `` The Last Defender of Camelot '' `` The Once and Future King '' `` Lost and Found '' `` The Toys of Caliban '' `` The Road Less Traveled '' Game of Thrones `` The Pointy End '' `` Blackwater '' `` The Bear and the Maiden Fair '' `` The Lion and the Rose '' Beauty and the Beast Doorways Game of Thrones episodes Seasons : 1 5 6 7 8 Season 1 `` Winter Is Coming '' `` The Kingsroad '' `` Lord Snow '' `` Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things '' `` The Wolf and the Lion '' `` A Golden Crown '' `` You Win or You Die '' `` The Pointy End '' `` Baelor '' `` Fire and Blood '' Season 2 `` The North Remembers '' `` The Night Lands '' `` What Is Dead May Never Die '' `` Garden of Bones '' `` The Ghost of Harrenhal '' `` The Old Gods and the New '' `` A Man Without Honor '' `` The Prince of Winterfell '' `` Blackwater '' `` Valar Morghulis '' Season 3 `` Valar Dohaeris '' `` Dark Wings, Dark Words '' `` Walk of Punishment '' `` And Now His Watch Is Ended '' `` Kissed by Fire '' `` The Climb '' `` The Bear and the Maiden Fair '' `` Second Sons '' `` The Rains of Castamere '' `` Mhysa '' Season 4 `` Two Swords '' `` The Lion and the Rose '' `` Breaker of Chains '' `` Oathkeeper '' `` First of His Name '' `` The Laws of Gods and Men '' `` Mockingbird '' `` The Mountain and the Viper '' `` The Watchers on the Wall '' `` The Children '' Season 5 `` The Wars to Come '' `` The House of Black and White '' `` High Sparrow '' `` Sons of the Harpy '' `` Kill the Boy '' `` Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken '' `` The Gift '' `` Hardhome '' `` The Dance of Dragons '' `` Mother 's Mercy '' Season 6 `` The Red Woman '' `` Home '' `` Oathbreaker '' `` Book of the Stranger '' `` The Door '' `` Blood of My Blood '' `` The Broken Man '' `` No One '' `` Battle of the Bastards '' `` The Winds of Winter '' Season 7 `` Dragonstone '' `` Stormborn '' `` The Queen 's Justice '' `` The Spoils of War '' `` Eastwatch '' `` Beyond the Wall '' `` The Dragon and the Wolf '' David Benioff Novels The 25th Hour ( 2002 ) When the Nines Roll Over ( 2004 ) City of Thieves ( 2008 ) Films written 25th Hour ( 2002 ) Troy ( 2004 ) Stay ( 2005 ) The Kite Runner ( 2007 ) X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) Brothers ( 2009 ) TV series Game of Thrones ( since 2011 ) Confederate ( TBA ) HBO programming Former Series 1970s debuts Inside the NFL On Location Race for the Pennant Standing Room Only ( `` Vanities '' ) Tennis on HBO Time Was 1980s debuts 1st & Ten America Undercover ( `` Autopsy '', `` Real Sex '' and `` Taxicab Confessions '' ) Babar Braingames Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Brown Fraggle Rock The Ghost of Faffner Hall The Hitchhiker The Kids in the Hall Maximum Security Not Necessarily the News One Night Stand Philip Marlowe, Private Eye The Ray Bradbury Theater The Storyteller Tales from the Crypt Video Jukebox 1990s debuts The Adventures of Tintin Arliss The Chris Rock Show The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures Crashbox Def Comedy Jam Dennis Miller Live Dream On George and Martha Happily Ever After : Fairy Tales for Every Child HBO Comedy Half - Hour Hotel Room The Larry Sanders Show Lifestories : Families in Crisis A Little Curious The Little Lulu Show Mokku of the Oak Tree Mr. Show with Bob and David The Neverending Story Oz Perversions of Science Pippi Longstocking Rainbow Fish Reverb Sex and the City The Sopranos Spicy City Tenacious D Todd McFarlane 's Spawn Tracey Takes On... 2000s debuts Animated Tales of the World Big Love Bored to Death Carnivàle Cathouse : The Series Classical Baby Costas Now Da Ali G Show Deadwood Def Poetry Jam Eastbound & Down The Electric Company Entourage Extras Flight of the Conchords G String Divas Harold and the Purple Crayon Hung I Spy In Treatment Joe Buck Live John from Cincinnati K Street Kindergarten KO Nation The Life & Times of Tim Little Britain USA Lucky Louie The Mind of the Married Man The No. 1 Ladies ' Detective Agency On the Record with Bob Costas Pinky Dinky Doo Pornucopia Project Greenlight Rome Six Feet Under Stuart Little : The Animated Series Summer Heights High Tales from the Neverending Story Tell Me You Love Me True Blood Tourgasm Unscripted The Wire 2010s debuts After the Thrones Angry Boys Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons Boardwalk Empire The Brink Doll & Em Enlightened Family Tree Funny or Die Presents Getting On Girls Hello Ladies How to Make It in America Ja'mie : Private School Girl Jonah from Tonga The Leftovers Life 's Too Short Looking Luck Masterclass The Newsroom The Ricky Gervais Show Togetherness Treme Vice Principals Vinyl Miniseries All the Rivers Run Angels in America Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl Band of Brothers The Casual Vacancy The Corner Elizabeth I Empire Falls From the Earth to the Moon Foo Fighters : Sonic Highways Generation Kill House of Saddam The Jinx : The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst John Adams Laurel Avenue Mildred Pierce Mosaic The Night Of Olive Kitteridge The Pacific Parade 's End Show Me a Hero Tanner ' 88 Current and upcoming Current All Def Comedy ( since 2016 ) Animals. ( since 2016 ) Ballers ( since 2015 ) Barry ( since 2018 ) Big Little Lies ( since 2017 ) Boxing After Dark ( since 1996 ) The Comeback ( 2005 ; since 2014 ) Crashing ( since 2017 ) Curb Your Enthusiasm ( since 2000 ) The Deuce ( since 2017 ) Divorce ( since 2016 ) Game of Thrones ( since 2011 ) Hard Knocks ( since 2001 ) HBO World Championship Boxing ( since 1973 ) Here and Now ( since 2018 ) High Maintenance ( since 2016 ) Insecure ( since 2016 ) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( since 2014 ) Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel ( since 1995 ) Real Time with Bill Maher ( since 2003 ) Room 104 ( since 2017 ) Sesame Street ( since 2016 ) Silicon Valley ( since 2014 ) Tracey Ullman 's Show ( since 2016 ) True Detective ( since 2014 ) Veep ( since 2012 ) Vice ( since 2013 ) Vice News Tonight ( since 2016 ) Westworld ( since 2016 ) The Young Pope ( since 2017 ) Upcoming American Lion ( TBA ) Camping ( TBA ) Chernobyl ( TBA ) Confederate ( TBA ) Demimonde ( TBA ) Esme and Roy ( TBA ) Gentleman Jack ( TBA ) Lovecraft Country ( TBA ) Random Acts of Flyness ( TBA ) Sharp Objects ( 2018 ) Succession ( 2018 ) The Undoing ( TBA ) Wyatt Cenac 's Problem Areas ( 2018 ) See also HBO Storybook Musicals HBO Latin America original series HBO Canada original series Awards for Game of Thrones Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Drama Series Mad Men, season 4 ( 2011 ) Homeland, season 1 ( 2012 ) Breaking Bad, season 5, part I / Game of Thrones, season 3 ( 2013 ) Breaking Bad, season 5, part II ( 2014 ) The Americans, season 3 ( 2015 ) Mr. Robot, season 1 ( 2016 ) Game of Thrones, season 6 ( 2016 ) The Handmaid 's Tale, season 1 ( 2017 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Pulitzer Prize Playhouse ( 1951 ) Studio One ( 1952 ) Robert Montgomery Presents ( 1953 ) The United States Steel Hour ( 1954 ) The United States Steel Hour ( 1955 ) Producers ' Showcase ( 1956 ) Gunsmoke ( 1958 ) Alcoa - Goodyear Theatre ( 1959 ) Playhouse 90 ( 1960 ) Hallmark Hall of Fame ( 1961 ) The Defenders ( 1962 ) The Defenders ( 1963 ) The Defenders ( 1964 ) The Fugitive ( 1966 ) Mission : Impossible ( 1967 ) Mission : Impossible ( 1968 ) NET Playhouse ( 1969 ) Marcus Welby, M.D. ( 1970 ) The Bold Ones : The Senator ( 1971 ) Elizabeth R ( 1972 ) The Waltons ( 1973 ) Upstairs, Downstairs ( 1974 ) Upstairs, Downstairs ( 1975 ) Police Story ( 1976 ) Upstairs, Downstairs ( 1977 ) The Rockford Files ( 1978 ) Lou Grant ( 1979 ) Lou Grant ( 1980 ) Hill Street Blues ( 1981 ) Hill Street Blues ( 1982 ) Hill Street Blues ( 1983 ) Hill Street Blues ( 1984 ) Cagney & Lacey ( 1985 ) Cagney & Lacey ( 1986 ) L.A. Law ( 1987 ) thirtysomething ( 1988 ) L.A. Law ( 1989 ) L.A. Law ( 1990 ) L.A. Law ( 1991 ) Northern Exposure ( 1992 ) Picket Fences ( 1993 ) Picket Fences ( 1994 ) NYPD Blue ( 1995 ) ER ( 1996 ) Law & Order ( 1997 ) The Practice ( 1998 ) The Practice ( 1999 ) The West Wing ( 2000 ) The West Wing ( 2001 ) The West Wing ( 2002 ) The West Wing ( 2003 ) The Sopranos ( 2004 ) Lost ( 2005 ) 24 ( 2006 ) The Sopranos ( 2007 ) Mad Men ( 2008 ) Mad Men ( 2009 ) Mad Men ( 2010 ) Mad Men ( 2011 ) Homeland ( 2012 ) Breaking Bad ( 2013 ) Breaking Bad ( 2014 ) Game of Thrones ( 2015 ) Game of Thrones ( 2016 ) The Handmaid 's Tale ( 2017 ) Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers ( 2003 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King ( 2004 ) The Incredibles ( 2005 ) Serenity ( 2006 ) Pan 's Labyrinth ( 2007 ) Stardust ( 2008 ) WALL - E ( 2009 ) Moon ( 2010 ) Inception ( 2011 ) Game of Thrones ( season 1 ) ( 2012 ) The Avengers ( 2013 ) Gravity ( 2014 ) Guardians of the Galaxy ( 2015 ) The Martian ( 2016 ) Arrival ( 2017 ) Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form `` Conversations with Dead People '' ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer ) ( 2003 ) Gollum 's Acceptance Speech at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards ( 2004 ) `` 33 '' ( Battlestar Galactica ) ( 2005 ) `` The Empty Child '' / `` The Doctor Dances '' ( Doctor Who ) ( 2006 ) `` The Girl in the Fireplace '' ( Doctor Who ) ( 2007 ) `` Blink '' ( Doctor Who ) ( 2008 ) Dr. Horrible 's Sing - Along Blog ( 2009 ) `` The Waters of Mars '' ( Doctor Who ) ( 2010 ) `` The Pandorica Opens '' / `` The Big Bang '' ( Doctor Who ) ( 2011 ) `` The Doctor 's Wife '' ( Doctor Who ) ( 2012 ) `` Blackwater '' ( Game of Thrones ) ( 2013 ) `` The Rains of Castamere '' ( Game of Thrones ) ( 2014 ) `` By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried '' ( Orphan Black ) ( 2015 ) `` AKA Smile '' ( Jessica Jones ) ( 2016 ) `` Leviathan Wakes '' ( The Expanse ) ( 2017 ) Satellite Award for Best Television Series -- Genre American Horror Story ( 2011 ) The Walking Dead ( 2012 ) Game of Thrones ( 2013 ) Penny Dreadful ( 2014 ) The Walking Dead ( 2015 ) Outlander ( 2016 ) Game of Thrones ( 2017 ) Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation Alien Nation : Millennium ( 1994 ) Alien Nation : Dark Horizon ( 1995 ) Doctor Who ( 1996 ) The Shining ( 1997 ) Storm of the Century ( 1999 ) Fail Safe ( 2000 ) Jack and the Beanstalk : The Real Story ( 2001 ) Steven Spielberg Presents Taken ( 2002 ) Battlestar Galactica ( 2003 ) Farscape : The Peacekeeper Wars ( 2004 ) Masters of Horror / The Triangle ( 2005 ) The Librarian : Return to King Solomon 's Mines ( 2006 ) Family Guy ( `` Blue Harvest '' ) ( 2007 ) The Librarian : Curse of the Judas Chalice ( 2008 ) Torchwood : Children of Earth ( 2009 ) The Walking Dead ( 2010 ) The Walking Dead ( 2011 ) Breaking Bad ( 2012 ) Breaking Bad ( 2013 ) Game of Thrones ( 2014 ) Doctor Who : `` The Husbands of River Song ' '' ( 2015 ) 11.22. 63 ( 2016 ) TCA Award for Program of the Year The Jewel in the Crown ( 1985 ) Death of a Salesman / The Vanishing Family : Crisis in Black America ( 1986 ) Eyes on the Prize ( 1987 ) Dear America : Letters Home from Vietnam ( 1988 ) Lonesome Dove ( 1989 ) Twin Peaks ( 1990 ) The Civil War ( 1991 ) Northern Exposure ( 1992 ) Barbarians at the Gate ( 1993 ) Late Show with David Letterman ( 1994 ) ER ( 1995 ) Homicide : Life on the Street ( 1996 ) EZ Streets ( 1997 ) From the Earth to the Moon ( 1998 ) The Sopranos ( 1999 ) The West Wing ( 2000 ) The Sopranos ( 2001 ) 24 ( 2002 ) American Idol ( 2003 ) Angels in America ( 2004 ) Desperate Housewives ( 2005 ) Grey 's Anatomy ( 2006 ) Heroes ( 2007 ) Mad Men ( 2008 ) Battlestar Galactica ( 2009 ) Glee ( 2010 ) Friday Night Lights ( 2011 ) Game of Thrones ( 2012 ) Breaking Bad ( 2013 ) Breaking Bad ( 2014 ) Empire ( 2015 ) The People v. O.J. Simpson : American Crime Story ( 2016 ) The Handmaid 's Tale ( 2017 ) TCA Award for Outstanding New Program Ally McBeal ( 1998 ) The Sopranos ( 1999 ) The West Wing ( 2000 ) Gilmore Girls ( 2001 ) 24 ( 2002 ) Boomtown ( 2003 ) Arrested Development ( 2004 ) Lost ( 2005 ) My Name is Earl ( 2006 ) Friday Night Lights ( 2007 ) Mad Men ( 2008 ) True Blood ( 2009 ) Glee ( 2010 ) Game of Thrones ( 2011 ) Homeland ( 2012 ) The Americans ( 2013 ) Orange Is the New Black ( 2014 ) Better Call Saul ( 2015 ) Mr. Robot ( 2016 ) This Is Us ( 2017 ) TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama The Jewel in the Crown ( 1985 ) Death of a Salesman ( 1986 ) L.A. Law, season 1 ( 1987 ) St. Elsewhere, season 6 ( 1988 ) Lonesome Dove ( 1989 ) Twin Peaks, season 1 ( 1990 ) thirtysomething, season 4 ( 1991 ) I 'll Fly Away, season 1 ( 1992 ) I 'll Fly Away, season 2 ( 1993 ) NYPD Blue, season 1 ( 1994 ) My So - Called Life, season 1 ( 1995 ) Homicide : Life on the Street, season 4 ( 1996 ) Homicide : Life on the Street, season 5 ( 1997 ) Homicide : Life on the Street, season 6 ( 1998 ) The Sopranos, season 1 ( 1999 ) The West Wing, season 1 ( 2000 ) The Sopranos, season 3 / The West Wing, season 2 ( 2001 ) Six Feet Under, season 1 / season 2 ( 2002 ) Boomtown, season 1 ( 2003 ) The Sopranos, season 5 ( 2004 ) Lost, season 1 ( 2005 ) Lost, season 2 ( 2006 ) The Sopranos, season 6, part II ( 2007 ) Mad Men, season 1 ( 2008 ) Mad Men, season 2 ( 2009 ) Breaking Bad, season 3 / Lost, season 6 ( 2010 ) Mad Men, season 4 ( 2011 ) Breaking Bad, season 4 ( 2012 ) Game of Thrones, season 3 ( 2013 ) The Good Wife, season 5 ( 2014 ) The Americans, season 3 ( 2015 ) The Americans, season 4 ( 2016 ) The Handmaid 's Tale, season 1 ( 2017 ) Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Drama Northern Exposure, season 1 ( 1991 ) I 'll Fly Away, season 1 ( 1992 ) NYPD Blue, season 1 ( 1993 ) ER, season 1 ( 1994 ) Frasier, season 2 ( 1995 ) Law & Order, season 6 ( 1996 ) The Practice, season 2 ( 1998 ) The Sopranos, season 1 ( 1999 ) The West Wing, season 1 ( 2000 ) The West Wing, season 2 ( 2001 ) 24, season 1 ( 2002 ) Six Feet Under, season 2 ( 2003 ) The Sopranos, season 5 ( 2004 ) Lost, season 1 ( 2005 ) Grey 's Anatomy, season 2 ( 2006 ) The Sopranos, season 6, part II ( 2007 ) Mad Men, season 1 ( 2008 ) Mad Men, season 2 ( 2009 ) Mad Men, season 3 ( 2010 ) Boardwalk Empire, season 1 ( 2011 ) Homeland, season 1 ( 2012 ) Breaking Bad, season 5, part I ( 2013 ) Breaking Bad, season 5, part II ( 2014 ) Game of Thrones, season 5 ( 2015 ) Stranger Things, season 1 ( 2016 ) The Handmaid 's Tale, season 1 ( 2017 ) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series 24, season 6 ( 2007 ) Heroes, season 3, part I ( 2008 ) 24, season 7 ( 2009 ) True Blood, season 3 ( 2010 ) Game of Thrones, season 1 ( 2011 ) Game of Thrones, season 2 ( 2012 ) Game of Thrones, season 3 ( 2013 ) Game of Thrones, season 4 ( 2014 ) Game of Thrones, season 5 ( 2015 ) Game of Thrones, season 6 ( 2016 ) Game of Thrones, season 7 ( 2017 ) VIAF : 256050409 LCCN : no2011110818 GND : 1024427587 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Game_of_Thrones&oldid=834477245 '' Categories : 2010s American drama television series 2010s American television series 2011 American television series debuts American adventure television series American drama television series American fantasy television series Dark fantasy television series Dragons in popular culture English - language television programs Family saga Game of Thrones Giants in fiction HBO network shows High fantasy television series Incest in television Magic in television Peabody Award - winning television programs Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners Serial drama television series Television programs based on novels Television series about dysfunctional families Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows filmed in Northern Ireland Witchcraft in television Wizards in television Zombies in television Hidden categories : CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism Good articles Use mdy dates from January 2018 Use American English from August 2014 All Wikipedia articles written in American English All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Wikivoyage Languages Afrikaans Akan Alemannisch Aragonés Asturianu Avañe'ẽ Авар Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ भोजपुरी Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Chavacano de Zamboanga Corsu Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Galego ગુજરાતી 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Igbo Bahasa Indonesia Ирон Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Қазақша Kurdî Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी მარგალური مازِرونی Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Олык марий ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی پښتو Polski Português Română Русский Scots Shqip සිංහල Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Taqbaylit తెలుగు ไทย Тоҷикӣ Türkçe Тыва дыл Thuɔŋjäŋ Українська Vèneto Tiếng Việt Winaray ייִדיש 粵語 Zazaki Žemaitėška 中文 डोटेली 96 more Edit links This page was last edited on 5 April 2018, at 22 : 53. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where is game of thrones supposed to take place
Answer: on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos