HBO has become the benchmark for quality television in the USA. They make television shows that are very cinematic and just downright amazing. It was the home of The Soprano’s, Rome, The Wire and there’s a roster of greatness still on air. For those who have read George R R Martin’s door stop sized fantasy books, A Game Of Thrones, the news that HBO are turning it into a series is exciting stuff. The Hollywood Reporter have it that HBO loved the pilot episode and have green lit the rest of the series.

Scriptwriter and novelist David Benioff is behind the venture. The best way to sum up A Game Of Thrones is by describing it as “like HBO’s Rome, but set in a fantasy world”. Sean Bean will play the role of Eddard Stark and Full Monty’s Mark Addy plays a king. It would take a 1,000 pages to describe the ins and outs of the story, but there’s lots of violence and political intrigue.

A Game Of Throne’s will run for nine episodes and shooting starts in Belfast in June. Excited? Interestingly, George R R Martin’s series of books has yet to be completed.

Looks like Sean Bean was always a bit miffed his character was the first to die in Lord of the Rings and wants more fantasy and sword action. For HBO this is merely another production in a canon of work that is quite staggering. Can’t wait to see this.