As you have likely heard about by now, George R.R. Martin’s “Song Of Ice And Fire” series recently took over mass television audiences with the season long adaptation of the first book, Game Of Thrones. Martin’s series is a fantasy/adventure saga along the lines of a Lord Of The Rings type of story, and geared toward a broad audience. In fact, despite its genre (which generally appeals more to young adults and teens), Song Of Ice and Fire seems to appeal just as strongly (if not more so) to adults. Essentially, the series follows several different storylines within a mystical kingdom, where innumerable forces are at work vying for control, and ultimately, the Iron Throne.
Some were curious why these books did not merit a film franchise, yet the HBO series seems to answer this question on its own – basically, the story is far too large for film. With an absolutely vast number of characters and different storylines, film was a rather unrealistic avenue for this series to explore as it advanced. Throughout a 10 episode HBO series, however, the Song Of Ice And Fire franchise was able to fully explore itself, accurately depicting its expansive content in a way that was satisfying to fans and pleasing for random television audiences as well.
The first season was so successful, and the series has grown in popularity so quickly, that a second season was announced almost immediately upon the reception of the first, and will be airing in April 2012. If you do not yet have access to HBO, where Song Of Ice And Fire is shown, you will definitely want to check out the range of satellite TV options that allow you access to such programs. As thousands of fans will tell you, you certainly won’t regret tuning in to this wonderful and engaging fantasy experience. To explain the specifics about what has happened already and where the series will go heading forward would take far too much time, due to the extensive material involved – however, do yourself a favor if you have not yet watched the series, and either find a way to watch season 1, or start reading the books.
The HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s novels may be an extremely significant television event heading forward. As discussed briefly above, the more common tendency is for successful book franchises to head straight for film, where actors and directors will make appropriate changes in order to condense stories into 2 hour films. However, this series has shown that it is equally, if not more, enjoyable to explore successful novels more thoroughly over a range of television episodes. Whether or not this becomes a trend, it certainly is a treat to tune in to Game Of Thrones.
