television
HBO Green Lights “A Game of Thrones”
HBO has been developing a pilot adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s best-selling novel, A GAME OF THRONES. The event was hyped over the months as Martin created guessing games and trivia clues in his journal to figure out what famous actors had been cast in the lead role.
The cast includes Sean Bean, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, and Mark Addy. But a pilot does not a series make. Numerous pilots are filmed every year and never get picked up for full production. A GAME OF THRONES in particular promises to be an expensive production in a genre that has cooled from its fervor seven years ago following the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy thanks to follow-up fantasy offerings from Ewe Boll and others.
With the strength of cast, strength of source material, and strength of buzz by fans who anxiously await the next installment in the series, HBO has picked up the pilot for a full 10-episode first season. Production for the season begins this June in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Dollhouse is Cancelled *GASP!*
In what comes as a surprise to pretty much no one, Fox announced that it was cancelling Joss Whedon’s current series, “Dollhouse,” according to THR.com. The series limped into the finish line last season with an uncertain fate. It was renewed for 13 episodes this season with supposed concessions by Whedon that the show would become more mainstream. The story seemed to continue apace with numbers continuing to slide as the season continued. It has not reached its full 13-episode allotment. No word on whether the remaining episodes will air.
(Personal conjecture: I think Dollhouse’s renewal was Fox’s way of apologizing for what they did to Firefly.)
