Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, featuring a predominantly British and Irish cast. The series is based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of seven planned fantasy novels, the first of which is A Game of Thrones.[5] The series debuted in the U.S. on Sunday evening, April 17, 2011.

Game of Thrones has been extremely well received critically, and has already garnered a loyal fanbase. The series was picked up for a second season on April 19, 2011, just two days after its premiere.[6] The production is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has also filmed in Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Scotland, Spain, and the United States.

Highly anticipated since its early stages of development, the first season of Game of Thrones was very well received by viewers and critics.[7][8][9][10] The series was picked up for a second season on April 19, 2011, two days after its premiere.[11] It was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Drama Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards and Best Television Series – Drama at the 69th Golden Globe Awards; Peter Dinklage also won both ceremonies' Best Supporting Actor award (Emmy and Golden Globes). Other accolades include an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and an Emmy win for Outstanding Main Title Design