[TV SPOILERS] Game of Thrones in the Media

[Ran]

Spotted a review, a commentary, an article, or anything else connected to Game of Thrones out in the wide world of media? Share it here!

[ZombieWife]

I just got my latest Entertainment Weekly magazine (Arnold S. is on the cover).

They mentioned some of the fan reaction in the article, from people complaining about no purple eyes on the Targaryens (they tried colored lenses but the actors had difficulties with them) to people complaining about Jaime's nose or that Lena Headey couldn't do a good job because she wasn't blonde.

Reading it in that context (the actors replying to some of the nitpickers on various message forums) made a lot of the nitpicking seem so petty. When an actor is just trying to do his/her job and they read about fans who don't think so-and-so could do a great job because of some small physical deviation (that comes from a fan's preconceived notion), well, ugh. That has to get frustrating.

Though Peter Dinklage did mention that his closet geek friends were so thrilled to hear he was playing Tyrion that he thinks some of them "like Tyrion more than him."

All in all the article was an interesting read, though it did really play up the sex again (and rehashed the LOTR quote about not getting the feeling that the characters in Tolkien's work were ever "horny").

What catches my attention the most about Entertainment Weekly is that on my last issue, Camelot had a fold-out 3-page glossy add (on the inside of the cover) the Borgias had the whole back cover, yet no word on either show inside. GoT had a small tidbit.

Same for this issue. Lots of Camelot ads and GoT had the big article on the inside.

Anyway, worth a read, definitely.

[smegma]

ZombieWife - I think that the three shows are taking vastly different marketing approaches, and your insight into the print ads confirms my thoughts.

I've seen many television advertisements for Camelot all over the standard cable channels. They are obviously trying to appeal to a wide range of people, hoping that a few of them take notice. I've seen a great deal of ads for Borgias online - some of these may be targeted towards me because of certain sites I've visited - ever notice how you'll visit a site and then suddenly there's banner ads for it everywhere? That is by design, a slightly nefarious program that tracks your browsing usage and uses it to highlight sites that you've visited. I've worked for a few online media companies and it's a trick they use to get people that already have some company or product in their thoughts to believe that the advertising is EVERYWHERE. So I can't confidently say whether Borgias is actively buying out tons of ad space or if it's just me.

GOT is taking the word of mouth and PR approach, obviously. Getting those critics to talk about it, the fans of the books, the food, everything points to them feeling ultimately confident in their product and banking on the quality of it to get people to talk about it (and some clever marketing ploys). I haven't seen a single GOT ad outside of HBO (and some posters). But posters don't make someone tune in - they only give people another reminder of the things they are hearing - and people are hearing GREAT things about GOT. As a sales and advertising exec, I love the approach they are taking. Sure we might see more push as the air date gets closer to appeal to a wider audience, but right now they are doing what I would encourage if it was my show and I was in charge of marketing.

Well, that was two paragraphs of the obvious. (I am probably just trying to procrastinate IRL and decided to talk about work rather than do it).

Anyway - love the marketing efforts, HBO!

[superdeluxe]

http://www.televisionaryblog.com/2011/04/where-wolves-prey-advance-review-of.html

In Game of Thrones, HBO fuses together the very best of Lord of the Rings, The Sopranos, The Wire, and Rome into one sumptuous and seductive series that is utterly unforgettable.

Last week, I sped hungrily through the six episodes of Game of Thrones HBO sent out ("A Golden Crown," the sixth episode, might be my absolute favorite of the bunch), but I'm anxious to watch them again and again, to fall once more under their spell, to get caught up in the deft plotting and lose myself in the staggering and beautifully realized world that the production team has brought to life. This is the type of series that comes around but once in a lifetime, a groundbreaking and absorbing drama that is utterly unlike anything else on television today.Miss this impressive and stirring drama at your own peril.

Sounds pretty positive to me :)

[superdeluxe]

Hollywood Reporter Glowing review:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/game-thrones-tv-review-174120

It’s difficult to single out the most accomplished parts of Thrones. The ambition is immense, the fantasy world exceptionally well-conceived, the writing and acting elevating the entire series beyond contemporaries like The Borgias and Camelot, and the visual appeal continues to surprise with each episode.

What we have here is the successful pairing of an acclaimed collection of fantasy books with a television series that illuminates and expands what’s on the page.

Worth the wait? Absolutely. And even if you have no idea what all the fuss is about, you should get in from the start to absorb Martin’s fantastical tale.

High Praise :)

[Josiah Rowe]

The Daily Beast has an overview of the series with quotes from GRRM, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss and HBO's president of entertainment. They've also got "Game of Thrones: 10 Secrets About HBO's Adaptation, which has some nice tidbits.

[Abaddon]

Thanks for the Daily Beast link! Interesting nugget from that article regarding the cost of Game of Thrones:

While the budget for Game of Thrones was once rumored to be in the neighborhood of $45 million for its 10-episode first season, that does seem a low number for such a visually stunning project, and fails to take into account the cost of the original pilot, the Malta-based unit, as well as tax incentives, among other factors. (HBO would not comment on the budget.)

Hard to say how they know these things... or claim to know these things at any rate... but it's an interesting take nonetheless, and could explain why we've heard rumor that it's closer to 60 million.

[Ran]

I'm quite convinced that $60 million is much nearer the ballpark. Which puts it and BE on-par, I believe. Pretty cool. :)

[superdeluxe]

Anyone think the twitter war between Lost vs GRRM is in part trying to drum up buzz/interest in GoT? Not saying that is not a legitmate beef (Heck I hated the ending), but this definitely feels like a fun back and forth war of words going on.

[Venardhi]

What back and forth? It is obviously tongue-in-cheek and besides, has GRRM even responded to it?

[Jon of the Wall]

I just got my latest Entertainment Weekly magazine (Arnold S. is on the cover).

They mentioned some of the fan reaction in the article, from people complaining about no purple eyes on the Targaryens (they tried colored lenses but the actors had difficulties with them) to people complaining about Jaime's nose or that Lena Headey couldn't do a good job because she wasn't blonde.

Reading it in that context (the actors replying to some of the nitpickers on various message forums) made a lot of the nitpicking seem so petty. When an actor is just trying to do his/her job and they read about fans who don't think so-and-so could do a great job because of some small physical deviation (that comes from a fan's preconceived notion), well, ugh. That has to get frustrating.

Though Peter Dinklage did mention that his closet geek friends were so thrilled to hear he was playing Tyrion that he thinks some of them "like Tyrion more than him."

All in all the article was an interesting read, though it did really play up the sex again (and rehashed the LOTR quote about not getting the feeling that the characters in Tolkien's work were ever "horny").

What catches my attention the most about Entertainment Weekly is that on my last issue, Camelot had a fold-out 3-page glossy add (on the inside of the cover) the Borgias had the whole back cover, yet no word on either show inside. GoT had a small tidbit.

Same for this issue. Lots of Camelot ads and GoT had the big article on the inside.

Anyway, worth a read, definitely.

While I agree that there is too much nit-picking there are a few important points.

I would not have made a post about these particulars myself but since you brought them up:

Cersei and Jamie Lannister's golden (not dirty blonde)hair is a crutial part of the characters. It is also a critical part of the bond they share. GOLD GOLD GOLD. Gold is Lannister and Lannister is Gold. GRRM went very far out of his way to make this clear in the books.

The Targaryen's purple eye color is very important as well. So now what visually sets the them apart? Hair? I suppose that will have to be enough.

Some things just should not have been overlooked.

So the poor, spoiled little actors could not standto color thier hair or wear contacts. Boo-hoo.

[Xray the Enforcer]

[mod] Please take comments about changes from the books to the threads dedicated to such matters. This thread is for discussing GoT in the media, not your personal beefs with the production. Thank you. [/mod]

[Asha—Not Yara!]

(Oops, just saw the mod's reminder. Removing post contents. :) )

[Mya Stone]

Just got this week's Entertainment Weekly in the mail, and lo' and behold, at the very center of it is an impressive fold-out four page ad for Game of Thrones. Open it once, is states "You Win or You Die," and open it again and it has magazine-page versions of Ned's, Dany's, Robert's, and Cersei's posters. Close it and there's a picture of the Iron Throne , with a raven (or a crow?) on the top of it, and Robert's crown sitting on the throne itself.

Bravo, HBO. Gorgeous doesn't even cut it. (Way better than the other ads for Camelot and The Borgias. I may be biased towards the source material, but this ad is truly amazing.)

[Xray the Enforcer]

Double gatefold ad! Niiiiiiice.

[Ran]

igoraki,

That's why it's not a solution. :P If they had unlimited budget, fine. They do not.

[Humble Asskicker]

Just to add fuel to the excitement, here's another (brief) bit of high praise for the show, this time by the Post-Dispatch's Gail Pennington. It's from a tv chat transcript. She was a non-reader when she saw the first six episodes.

King me: I can't tell from the promos what kind of show "Game of Thrones" is going to be. Is it fantasy, with dragons and witches and sorcerers? Is it reality-based, like "Becket" or "Anne of a Thousand Days"?

Gail: It's certainly not reality based. "Game of Thrones" (April 17 on HBO) is adapted from an extremely popular series of fantasy novels -- "A Song of Fire and Ice," with "Game of Thrones" the first book -- by George R.R. Martin. It's set in an imagined time and place, and the broad outline of the story is members of various families competing for the throne of the kingdom. This sort of thing doesn't naturally appeal to me, and I've barely started the first book. That said: "Game of Thrones" is great. Completely riveting. I burned right through the first six episodes that HBO sent out and am already demanding more. I'll write about it in the April 17 A&E section.

[Ran]

Wow. Chuck has an AGoT reference! Titular character is reading AGoT at the breakfast table, the direwolf scene, and ... '"Eddard, you don't let your kids keep a direwolf!"'

Awesome. Product-placement, cross-promotion, genuine fandom, whatever -- it's pretty cool. :)

[Green Apple Fossoway]

Wow. Chuck has an AGoT reference! Titular character is reading AGoT at the breakfast table, the direwolf scene, and ... '"Eddard, you don't let your kids keep a direwolf!"'

Awesome. Product-placement, cross-promotion, genuine fandom, whatever -- it's pretty cool. :)

I knew there was a reason I love that show.

[Jaxtile]

I didn't hear it right the first time, rewound and heard 'Eddard,'

I immediately had a huge grin on my face.