Robert Arryn being renamed.

[Lady Blackfish]

I don't think the XFiles William thing is quite the same, XFiles did have some overarching arcs but it's not really comparable. You didn't really need to keep them all distinct at the same time as a viewer, whereas I could very well be seeing Robert B, Robert A and Robb in the same episodes. Still, I think they could have pulled it off, sure, but it also won't hurt much. Producers, what can you do.

[The Mance]

Are there really so many times in the story where either of the "Roberts" are being discussed in a way that they could be confused by the viewer? I mean, even throwing "Robb" into the mix, there really isn't so much of the series where they're all alive and relevant enough to the plot that anyone could be talking about any of the three of them at once, let alone in a way where context wouldn't immediately clarify the Subject. And I imagine that if there are points in the script that might be ambiguous it'll be easy enough to add a "King" Robert, or "Little Lord" Arryn where appropriate.

[Lady Blackfish]

It's just that there are so many names, so many characters. We're used to them all, but I mean, I can remember my dependency on that appendix my first time through, and viewers won't have that. No monologue means one less way to solidify a character in the audience's head. I don't think it would get to the point where people would quit in disgust, but I can see where they're coming from too.

Also, there may be a few characters who speak of both Roberts, like Lysa or Cersei? I dunno, like I said I think people could have handled it but it also makes a tiny bit of sense.

[redxavier]

I wonder if they've ever thought about using the ending credits as a TV version of the appendix. Grouping the cast according to location/allegiance. This could greatly help the audience sort out who's who after a few episodes. So in one frame have:

The Starks

Ned - Sean Bean

Catelyn - Michelle Fairley

etc.

Then another frame have:

The Lannisters

etc.

[Ran]

There are guild rules, I believe, that mandate just where actors should go, based on their relative importance to the show. So that would not be doable without an exemption of some kind.

[Lord Varys]

It also depends, if there will be any end credits, or if they are just going to place the main cast, and the guest stars in the main credits. Then there will be no need to mention them yet again in the end credits.

But back to the main topic:

It took me some time to realize that Robb Stark was named after Robert Baratheon, too. No one is going to confuse them, as they will be firmly established as members of the main cast in the pilot. People will be able to tell Robert and the boys apart, and there is little reason to believe that there will be much talk about Robert Arryn before he is introduced. He will be mentioned, but mostly together with his mother, Catelyn's sister, and the audience will realize that we haven't not yet met these people - so no one would confuse this character with the King or this Sean Bean's son.

For the first read, I also had to use the appendix (and, admittedly, I still look into them from time to time, as I can't remember any minor detail), but not to remember the names of the main cast. It is unlikely that we are going to hear the names of Balon Swann, Lady Tanda, the members of the KG despite Selmy and Jaime (maybe they will include Varys' line about Trant and Bount being Cersei's creatures, as it is pretty powerful, but I doubt it), or any minor lordling/servant in the series. There will be especially no bannermen talk. No vassals of either Lannisters or Starks will be mentioned until the war starts (and then I only assume that we will hear some of the the names of the Stark bannermen, as they are important for Robb's arc to become a Lord). If we see Tywin's war council - I think we will - there will be no introduction of Braxes, Presters, Marbrands, and the like. There will guys sitting in the tent talking. Nothing more. Gregor will be introduced earlier. We will recognize him.

Also, there will be no introduction of Lysa's suitors or they names. Maybe they will sit around as extras during the trial-by-combat, maybe not. It is not important.

It is possible that we will hear some noble families being mentioned during the Tourney of the Hand, but that depend on how they intend to portray it. If there will be few scenes with Sansa watching it, we need to see that there is something to watch in the background. And the death of Ser Hugh of the Vale, and the Loras-Gregor-confrontation likely be in, too, but these are all 'important' guest stars.

In the books, all the names are mentioned. This tends to confuse and overwhelm the reader with names - especially as you can't be sure which names are important and which are not in the beginning. Characters like Mooboy get mentioned all the time, but they did never actually feature in the series. But I doubt that this will be a problem on screen. We will see which characters are important, and which are not.

What they will do with the whole Arryn situation is, I think, hinting strongly that Lysa will never come to Catelyn's aid during the war, by showing us the 'If you try to take my boy from me, you will go through the Moon Door, sister or not' confrontation in detail, which is in the book only in Cat's memory. The sister part on really bad terms, and if this is shown the audience will not be that irritated/confused that these Arryns do not enter the war on the Stark side later on. In the books, I really hoped Lysa would eventually come to her senses, even as late as at the end of ACoK.

[Padraig]

So I stick to my point: No one will confuse Robert and Robert when they are just referred to by name, as this a) will most likely not be done that often (if altogether), and talk about Robert Arryn always will refer to his rather special nature. He - and Robert Baratheon - are characters easily distinguishable.

Nobody here is going to say that they would confuse Robert Arryn and Baratheon. But obviously somebody important disliked how so many characters had the same or similar names and we thus lost Robert Arryn. Given how TV almost never has characters with the same names, we got off lightly since we still have Robb Stark and Jon Snow.

Its not really about stupidity, its just the way things are done in TV. Given that the character was already called Sweetrobin, it would have been a silly thing for anyone involved to argue about.

[SpaceChampion]

I think anyone likely to have any confusion with the name Robert Arryn will likely mishear Robin as Robert anyway. But it's not important.

[Dryvus]

Its not really about stupidity, its just the way things are done in TV.

:laugh:

Kind of the same thing.

[Padraig]

Heh. :P Lucky we are talking about HBO then. ;)

[Lord Toblerone]

It took me some time to realize that Robb Stark was named after Robert Baratheon, too. No one is going to confuse them, as they will be firmly established as members of the main cast in the pilot. People will be able to tell Robert and the boys apart, and there is little reason to believe that there will be much talk about Robert Arryn before he is introduced. He will be mentioned, but mostly together with his mother, Catelyn's sister, and the audience will realize that we haven't not yet met these people - so no one would confuse this character with the King or this Sean Bean's son.

Likewise for me the fact that Edric Dayne was named after Eddard Stark (plus Edric Storm, following on from that). It even took a while to realise that Ned, Beric's squire was Edric "Ned" Dayne rather than just some kid.

I think it's a nice touch in the series and a simple underlining of the North's cultural differences to the rest of Westeros that Robb seems to be a Northern variation of Robert and Eddard is a specifically Northern name, Edric being a Southern name that's appropriately similar.

As to Robert > Robin, while not strictly necessary, it's so minor that it doesn't matter.