So when can we expect to see the pilot on teevee?

[Padraig]

Is the BBC still involved in all of this? Everything I've been reading recently has been calling it an HBO series, as opposed to a joint project, yet I hadn't heard anything about the BBC thing falling through.

Good question. The fact that it is been filmed in N Ireland means that having the BBC involved would be very helpful but haven't seen them mentioned in a while either.

HBO are clearly the senior partners anyhow, so I imagine they have the final call when it comes to decisions.

[Halfhand]

The BBC is only involved financially. If it is set up like Rome, they would be contributing 10-15% of the budget, I believe. They won't be involved with any of the decision making process or the production itself. That is all HBO.

[Silverstar]

Ah, right. So they put up some of the budget, and in return, get the opportunity to show it over here in the UK and so on, but don't get to make any decisions about the actual filming. It makes sense that people are just calling it an HBO series, then.

[Werthead]

I think you guys are forgetting the inevitable leak of the pilot.

Nothing inevitable about it. I believe that True Blood and the first episode of Season 2 of Rome are the only HBO episodes ever to escape onto the Internet before transmission, and in both cases the leaks came from press screeners rather than internal leakage.

I believe HBO and a lot of the TV companies now have a policy that if an employee is found leaking material onto the Internet they won't just be fired but blacklisted. And in this economic climate, I don't think many people would be willing to risk it.

Is the BBC still involved in all of this? Everything I've been reading recently has been calling it an HBO series, as opposed to a joint project, yet I hadn't heard anything about the BBC thing falling through.

If it's still a joint project in some ways, is that likely to speed things up due to more money or slow things down at all, with regards to ordering a full season? For example, if HBO likes the pilot, and the BBC isn't so keen, or vice versa?

Or is that not the way these kind of jointly-funded projects work?

<- knows very little about this kind of thing.

The BBC is only involved financially. If it is set up like Rome, they would be contributing 10-15% of the budget, I believe. They won't be involved with any of the decision making process or the production itself. That is all HBO.

That's correct, but because the project is being filmed in the UK, they should also be able to help out logistically to some extent. For example, I believe the BBC helped out with casting on Rome since HBO wanted mostly British actors, and obviously the BBC has a slight amount of experience at hiring British actors ( ;) ). I also believe that the BBC have to sign off on some of the financial decisions that HBO make as well.

What I would be slightly concerned about is that the BBC only agreed to co-fund Rome for two seasons, and for some reason couldn't re-negotiate their agreement. This is one of the reasons HBO got cold feet and ditched the project. Whether that happens again or not could be an issue.

[Silverstar]

If it's already happened before for a series which turned out to be as good as Rome, I should imagine the BBC will make sure not to end up in a similar situation if possible for a series that has the potential to be just as amazing.

I mean, if it was some kind of contractual thing.

[Werthead]

If it's already happened before for a series which turned out to be as good as Rome, I should imagine the BBC will make sure not to end up in a similar situation if possible for a series that has the potential to be just as amazing.

I mean, if it was some kind of contractual thing.

Rome was, if not exactly a bomb, then certainly disappointing in the UK, although that was the BBC's own fault through poor marketing and scheduling. If it had gotten better ratings it would have stayed on-air.

[Silverstar]

Let's hope that they really have learned a lesson, then.

[Ser Monte]

Im with this guy, expect fall 2010 realistically...

Isn't that the Parris that GRRM is married too? and from what he says, its a GAL

[Scotty Kent Myrick II]

Will we get to see the pilot even if it is not selected?

[Frank Stark]

I think not, but I'm only repeating what I've read on this board in the past (from people who followed other HBO projects). If the series is not picked up, the pilot will have to be leaked on the 'Net for any of us to see it.

[Werthead]

Will we get to see the pilot even if it is not selected?

Probably not. It's not impossible that HBO might see the pilot and decide not to go to series, then a year or two later decide to revisit the project, in which case they wouldn't want the pilot getting out to the masses.

[EHK for Darwin]

Um... even more epic fail. What I said was that she erroneously assumed that I had linked to something which predicted an early airing, whereas the link was actually in agreement with what she just posted. Evidently you didn't read the the link or my follow-up post.

And a further note -- that's not "my" word. I don't know anything about television production, let alone anything specifically about AGoT's schedule.

Lesson: the reading comes before the rebuttal.

Bleh...this is why I don't wander out of GC too often. Show some respect.

Nothing inevitable about it. I believe that True Blood and the first episode of Season 2 of Rome are the only HBO episodes ever to escape onto the Internet before transmission, and in both cases the leaks came from press screeners rather than internal leakage.

Weren't the first 7 episodes of The Wire, Season 5 leaked before airing? (pretty sure press screen leaks as well) It does happen. But as you not too often and HBO is quite careful about that stuff.

[Brude]

Weren't the first 7 episodes of The Wire, Season 5 leaked before airing? (pretty sure press screen leaks as well) It does happen. But as you not too often and HBO is quite careful about that stuff.

I do know those first 7 were screened for the press so it would not surprise me at all if some of those DVDs got into the wrong hands and got out there. I'm sure some of those writers gave it to friends to watch and some of those friends did things they weren't supposed to.

[Growing Stronger]

back on topic........

My prediction would be Pilot filmed and edited by end of this year, if released by its self (highly unlikely) then Feb 2010. Rest of season filmed and edited by end of 2010, released Feb or March 2011. So realisticly i cant see us seeing it until March 2011.

[Werthead]

These articles hints at when some of GoT's 'competitors' are being screened, which could be a clue as to GoT's screening.

It confirms that The Pacific will air in March 2010 and will serve as a lead-in to Treme, the new David Simon series. This is interesting as it indicates Treme has been fast-tracked. In fact, I imagine they'd have to be shooting Season 1 now in order to get it on air for March. Treme very likely has nowhere near the post-production requirements that GoT will have, however.

The article also mentions Boardwalk Empire. I get the impression from the article that BWE may well be a mid-2010 or later project.

The article fails to mention GoT at all, leading me to suspect that, contrary to our initial thoughts, GoT is actually going to be competing with the other pilots HBO are shooting in late 2009 or 2010, rather than with Treme and BWE. I haven't heard what those other potential competitors might be, but the article mentions HBO having a 'very full' development schedule.

So, assuming the series gets picked up, I think we are definitely looking at a very late 2010 or maybe an early 2011 transmission.