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You're the producer/ screenwriter


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I know, I know, you wouldn't cut anything, and I agree. But in all probability a good amount will be cut, there's just too much. Even if ran for 10 seasons one hour a week there would be things missing. So let's, just for arugment sake, say you have to cut something and probably a few things. What are they?!?! You definitely need all the Starks, Lannisters and Baratheons (my spelling has been terrible since third grade). You can't do this without the Wall, the Others and Dany across the sea. But do you need the Freys? What about the red wedding? Is it imperative you have the any of Ironborn? Or their Islands? What about Theon? Do we need anything from Sunspear? Or Book four for that matter!!!! How much of Sam do we need. Do we need the Onion Knight. OK, OK, all kidding aside, NO ONE CUTS THE ONION KNIGHT!!!!! (seriously, that's not even funny to joke about) How many of Roberts bastards make it into the story, how much history of the Targaryens (spelling again, sorry) What goes people? And remember you have to cut something or else what's the point of this blog!!!
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I'm pretty sure none of the things you mentioned will be cut. How could they conceivably cut the Red Wedding? Or the Ironborn? At that point you are just rewriting the story.

In the pilot script, they cut almost nothing. All the major characters are there, all the major interactions are there. In fact, they even added stuff. Sure, there are a few minor changes. But no sweeping cuts.
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Jallabar Xho?

The series will have to veer away from the books and become it's own entity eventually, but hopefully season one will leave Game of Thrones mostly intact.

It's hard to know where and who to cut. After AGOT, you might ask: "Are King Roberts brothers really all that important?" Clearly they are. After ACOK, the question might be: "Why seven kingdoms? What's the deal with these Tyrells and Martells?" Two books ago, that might have been a legit question... but now they're clearly different. The Tyrells, those up-jumped stewards are poised to take the Iron Throne, but they also have the Ironborn invasion to deal with. We'll learn where their priorities lie soon enough. And the Martells appear to be the link that will lead Danys story back to Westeros and the Iron Throne.

And what about those Greyjoys, could they be cut? The Greyjoy rebellion adds another layer to the story that might seem unneeded on the surface, but it explains Theon's betrayal of the Starks. The kingsmoot introduces an incredibly charismatic villain in Euron Crowseye, and potentially sets up Theon for a path to redemption. Without knowing how important Balon's son and the rest are to the overall story, it's hard to know if the Ironborn could be safely downplayed or cut. And their bizarre society would play really well on camera.

What about the bit players? Could the Northern bannerman be combined? Say, the Manderlys and Karstarks or Mormonts and Umbers. Pre-AFFC, I'd say maybe, but now-it's looking like each has their own agenda in the vacuum left by the RW. Still, this is probably where the cuts will come.

Folks lik Cerwyns, Norreys, Liddles are really minor, they could be mentioned in passing, or get their five seconds in the spotlight. Trimming them will not make a meaningful impact either way.


I don't really care how much the show resembles the books three seasons down the road, as long as Martin stands by his original vision and the books remain the magnificent page-turning layered puzzlebox that they are I'll be happy.



PS: Don't touch the Shagga and the mountain clans!
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I think as the show progresses (which I'm hoping it will) I think scenes will be cut and replaced by new ones. For example I can see Robb getting a lot more screentime as I think he will be more of a focus in the show than in the book. The good thing about Sansa, Arya and Eddard is that a lot of their scenes at King's Landing can be spliced/cut where appropriate too, in exchange for more Jaime and Cersei.
While I want the show to be faithful, I am actually interested in seeing how they can play around with things to maximise it's translation to screen. If it's a carbon copy it will be dull as I know exactly how it plays out and secondly wont work as it will be a book as a TV show.
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If I was a producer/screenwriter (rather than a fan), I'd cut most of Dany from the screen.
She'd get to come in during season whenever-she-finally-drags-her-ass-to-Westeros, and the details of what she did previously.
Her affairs overseas would get periodically mentioned by the various Westeros-based characters.

In fact, though it pains me even more as a fan to say, as a screenwriter I'd probably give a very similar treatment to Jon and the Wall at least until Stannis shows up.

From the screenwriter perspective, a lot of the issue with this project is that so much goes on and at so many different places, but you can't have one episode be at the wall, the next overseas, the third at Kings Landing, the fourth at Winterfall and so forth, or the viewers, who are watching this only once a week, will become terribly confused.
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Dinsdale, you're right in that if the screenwriters decided to be utterly ruthless, Dany could be cut until at least ADWD. viewers could get by on the mere mention of her within the main war of kings arc. I never really thought of it like that before, although I think the show would miss out a lot from her absence.
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[quote name='red snow' post='1644517' date='Jan 11 2009, 10.24']Dinsdale, you're right in that if the screenwriters decided to be utterly ruthless, Dany could be cut until at least ADWD. viewers could get by on the mere mention of her within the main war of kings arc. I never really thought of it like that before, although I think the show would miss out a lot from her absence.[/quote]

It might not be so bad. Dany would be really hard to pull off well in their first season when they have no budget, what with all the CGI creatures and the hordes of horsemen and magical dragon summoning. That could look like a whole pile of cheese if done on no money. You'll also be stuck paying a whole bunch of people to be Dany and Co. actors, but because they don't have that much screen time, they'll almost certainly be bad actors, and that would suck majorly.

Alternatively if the show succeeds, they'll have money and be able to make a Dany miniseries to tie her into the plot. It might not be preferable if you were making this show with infinite money, but it might otherwise be better than the alternatives.
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You make a good point Dinsdale, they will have to be ruthless, as i cant imagine there being that much money available, eg Rome correct me if im wrong but there was NO major battles in that, despite the shows budget being rather large. Therefore another thing i doubt we will see is any large battles which is a shame :(
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[quote name='Growing Stronger' post='1643626' date='Jan 10 2009, 07.21']Cut down Ayra story loads!!! i find it so dull and whinny, "why cant i do what boys do etc etc" and then becoming some unrealistic super assassain, I really dont like Ayra![/quote]

So right! While we're at it, let's cut out Jon Snow too. No one actually likes him, right? "why am i a bastard i just want to do what normal people do etc etc" and then becomes some unrealistic lord commander, I really don't like Jon!

Let's cut out Dany, too. I mean, a queen at that age? It's just unrealistic. And we're going to have do something about Bran..
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ha. hilarious. I dont think Jon Snow ever complains or whinnes about being a bastard and him becomming Lord Commander is very realistic, considering the circumstances etc, unlike Ayra accession to assassin as girl of 9/10. And Dany becomes a queen because she is of royal blood. Any other amazing arguments? Ayra is the most unrealistic and politically correct character in the book, and that is why i dont like her.
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I don't know that much needs to be wholly cuy from Game of Thrones. I'd expect a general reduction in proper nouns (people and places) that are thrown at the audience, but I don't know that much needs to be removed for the purposes of time. I say that based on positive reviews the pilot script has gotten. Some scenes in King's Landing and the Wall can probably be spliced together, as others have already suggested.

If the series progresses into the later books, then I think there are more opportunities for shredding. Arya's and Brienne's Westeros-trotting, for example. Arya's visits with Lady Oakheart and the Peach whorehouse don't have to be shown, I don't think. Ironborn chapters can be reduced, Arys Oakheart's chapter can be dumped. Some Sam content can be dumped.

I disagree with the opinion that cutting to Dany material in Game will be confusing because of its seperate location. Give the audience some credit. We know very quickly that Dany and her brother are the last surviving children of the previous monarch, so therefore they are players in the "Game of Thrones."
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[quote]You make a good point Dinsdale, they will have to be ruthless, as i cant imagine there being that much money available, eg Rome correct me if im wrong but there was NO major battles in that, despite the shows budget being rather large. Therefore another thing i doubt we will see is any large battles which is a shame[/quote]

Well, there was one battle in Rome. The episode Phillipi, i think. Between Brutus and Marc Antony. But that was it. I havn't read AGOT for a while, but I don't remember any huge battles in it. The khalasar/dany shots will be a lot of work, it's true.
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