Game of Thrones (season 1)


The first season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 17, 2011 in the U.S. and concluded on June 19, 2011. It consists of ten episodes, each of approximately 55 minutes. The series is based on A Game of Thrones, the first novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. HBO had ordered a television pilot in November 2008; filming began the following year. However, it was deemed unsatisfactory and later reshot with some roles recast. In March 2010, HBO ordered the first season, which began filming in July 2010, primarily in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with additional filming in Malta.
The story takes place in a fantasy world, primarily upon the continent Westeros, with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east, Essos. Like the novel, the season initially focuses on the family of nobleman Eddard "Ned" Stark, the Warden of the North, who is asked to become the King's Hand to his longtime friend, King Robert Baratheon. Ned seeks to find out who murdered his predecessor, Jon Arryn. He uncovers dark secrets about the powerful Lannister family, which includes Robert's queen, Cersei, that his predecessor died trying to expose. This leads, after Robert's death, to Ned's arrest for treason. Ned's eldest son, Robb, begins a rebellion against the Lannisters. Ned is killed at the order of Cersei's tyrannical teenage son, King Joffrey Baratheon. Meanwhile, in Essos, the exiled Viserys Targaryen, son of the former king, forces his sister Daenerys to marry a Dothraki warlord in exchange for an army to pursue his claim to the Iron Throne. The season ends with Viserys dead and Daenerys becoming the Mother of Dragons.
Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast, including established actors such as Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, and Iain Glen. Newer actors were cast as the younger generation of characters, such as Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams.
Critics praised the show's production values and cast; Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister received specific accolades, as did Bean and Clarke, as well as Ramin Djawadi for music.
The first season won two of the thirteen Emmy Awards for which it was nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Main Title Design. It was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. U.S. viewership rose by approximately 33% over the course of the season, from 2.2 million to over 3 million by the finale.

Episodes

Cast

Main cast

Starring

The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 1. They are listed by the region in which they first appear:

At and beyond the Wall

HBO originally optioned the rights to A Song of Ice and Fire in 2007, at which time David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were identified as the project's writers and executive producers. The first and second drafts of the pilot script, written by Benioff and Weiss, were submitted in August 2007, and June 2008, respectively. While HBO found both drafts to their liking, a pilot was not ordered until November 2008, with the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike possibly delaying the process.
Benioff and Weiss served as main writers and showrunners for the first season. They contributed eight out of ten episodes, including one co-written with Jane Espenson. The two remaining episodes were written by Bryan Cogman and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin.
Tom McCarthy directed the original pilot, but much of this was later re-shot by Tim Van Patten as the pilot was reworked into the first episode of the complete season. Van Patten also directed the second episode. McCarthy is still credited as a consulting producer for the series' first episode. Brian Kirk and Daniel Minahan directed three episodes each, and Alan Taylor directed the final two.
Before Game of Thrones both Benioff and Weiss worked in film, and were unfamiliar with working on a television show. This resulted in several first-season episodes being about 10 minutes too short for HBO, forcing them to write another 100 pages of scripts in two weeks. Due to lack of budget the new scenes were designed to be inexpensive to film, such as two actors conversing in one room. Benioff and Weiss noted that some of their favorite scenes from the first season were the results of the dilemma, including one between Robert and Cersei Baratheon discussing their marriage.

Casting

On May 5, 2009, it was announced that Peter Dinklage had been signed on to star as Tyrion Lannister in the pilot, and that Tom McCarthy was set to direct. On July 19, 2009, a number of further casting decisions were announced, including Sean Bean being given the role of Ned Stark. Other actors signed on for the pilot were Kit Harington in the role of Jon Snow, Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen, and Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon.
At the beginning of August 2009, it was revealed that Catelyn Stark would be portrayed by Jennifer Ehle. On August 20, more casting announcements were made, including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister and Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys Targaryen, as well as Richard Madden in the role of Robb Stark, Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont, Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. On September 1 Lena Headey was announced as Cersei Lannister. On September 23, Martin confirmed that Rory McCann had been cast as Sandor Clegane. Isaac Hempstead-Wright was confirmed as Bran Stark on October 14, followed by an announcement of Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo three days later.
After the pilot was shot and the series picked up, it was announced that the role of Catelyn had been recast, with Michelle Fairley replacing Ehle. Later, it was also confirmed that Emilia Clarke would replace Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys. The rest of the cast was filled out in the second half of the year, and included Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister, Aidan Gillen as Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish, and Conleth Hill as Varys.

Filming

The pilot episode was initially filmed on location in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Morocco by Tom McCarthy between October 24 and November 19, 2009. However, the pilot was deemed unsatisfactory and much of it had to be reshot together with the other episodes of the season in Northern Ireland and Malta.
Most scenes were shot in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland border counties. Principal photography was scheduled to begin on July 26, 2010, with the primary studio location being the Paint Hall Studio in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Among various locations for the initial shooting of the pilot in 2009, Doune Castle in central Scotland was used as the location for Winterfell, including scenes at its great hall. Additional filming locations included Cairncastle at Larne, Shane's Castle, and Tollymore Forest Park, all in Northern Ireland. In the 2010 shooting of the series, Castle Ward was used as Winterfell instead of Doune Castle, with Cairncastle for some exterior Winterfell scenes. The set for Castle Black was built at Magheramorne quarry. The show's presence in Northern Ireland and use of Paint Hall created hundreds of jobs for residents, and made the area "a hub for film and television production".
The "King's Landing" exterior scenes were shot at various locations in Malta, including the city of Mdina and the island of Gozo. The filming in Malta resulted in controversy when a protected ecosystem was damaged by a subcontractor.

Music

The soundtrack to Game of Thrones was originally to be composed by Stephen Warbeck. On February 2, 2011, only ten weeks prior to the show's premiere, it was reported that Warbeck had left the project and Ramin Djawadi had been commissioned to write the music instead. The music supervisor of Game of Thrones Evyen Klean first suggested Djawadi to Benioff and Weiss as the replacement for Warbeck, and although Djawadi was reluctant as he had other commitments at that time, they managed to persuade Djawadi to accept the project.
To give the series its own distinctive musical identity, according to Djawadi, the producers asked him not to use musical elements such as flutes or solo vocals that had already been successfully used by other major fantasy productions. He mentioned that a challenge in scoring the series was its reliance on dialogue and its sprawling cast: on several occasions already-scored music had to be omitted so as not to get in the way of dialogue.
Djawadi said that he was inspired to write the main title music by an early version of the series's computer-animated title sequence. The title music is reprised as a global theme in the rest of the soundtrack, initially infrequently and as part of the theme of individual characters, then in full towards the end of season 1 during particularly important scenes.

Reception

Critical response

Anticipation for the series was described by various media outlets as very high, with a dedicated fan base closely following the show's development. By April 2011, multiple entertainment news outlets had put it at the top of their lists of television events to look forward to in 2011.
The majority of reviews for the first season were very positive, with critics noting the high production values, the well-realized world, compelling characters, and giving particular note to the strength of the child actors. Tim Goodman's review for The Hollywood Reporter stated, "a few minutes into HBO's epic Game of Thrones series, it's clear that the hype was right and the wait was worth it". Mary McNamara from the Los Angeles Times called it "...a great and thundering series of political and psychological intrigue bristling with vivid characters, cross-hatched with tantalizing plotlines and seasoned with a splash of fantasy". New York Post's Linda Stasi gave Thrones 3.5/4 stars stating, "The art direction, acting and incredible sets are as breathtaking as the massive scope of the series". Many critics praised Peter Dinklage for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, with Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly stating, "...if Dinklage doesn't get an Emmy for his clever, rude Tyrion Lannister, I'll be gobsmacked" and Mary McNamara from the Los Angeles Times stating, "If the man doesn't win an Emmy, heads should certainly roll.”
The first season of Game of Thrones has a Metacritic average of 80 out of 100 based on 28 critic reviews, categorized as "generally favorable". On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 90% approval rating from 41 critics with an average rating of 8.38 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Its intricate storytelling and dark themes may overwhelm some viewers, but Game of Thrones is a transportive, well-acted, smartly written drama even non-genre fans can appreciate."

Ratings

The first episode attracted 2.2 million viewers its initial airing on April 17 in the U.S., and totaled 5.4 million viewers across multiple Sunday and Monday night airings. It averaged 743,000 and reached a peak 823,000 in UK and Ireland on its April 18 premiere. HBO announced that they would be commissioning a second season on the strength of the reception of the premiere episode. By the final episode of the season, which aired June 20, the ratings had climbed to over 3 million.

Accolades

The first season of Game of Thrones was nominated for thirteen Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. It won two, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Main Title Design. Dinklage, who plays Tyrion, was also named best supporting actor by the Golden Globes, the Scream Awards and the Satellite Awards.
YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2011AFI AwardsAFI TV AwardGame of Thrones
2011Artios AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Pilot DramaNina Gold
2011Artios AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series DramaNina Gold
2011Portal AwardBest ActorSean Bean
2011Portal AwardBest ActressLena Headey
2011Portal AwardBest Supporting ActorPeter Dinklage
2011Portal AwardBest EpisodeWinter Is Coming
2011Portal AwardBest SeriesGame of Thrones
2011Portal AwardBest Young ActorIsaac Hempstead-Wright
2011Portal AwardBest Young ActorMaisie Williams
2011EWwy AwardBest Supporting Actress, DramaEmilia Clarke
2011EWwy AwardBest Actor, DramaSean Bean
201163rd Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Directing for a Drama SeriesTim Van Patten for "Winter Is Coming"
201163rd Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Drama SeriesVince Gerardis, Frank Doelger, Ralph Vicinanza, Mark Huffam, David Benioff, Carolyn Strauss, George R. R. Martin, Guymon Casady and D. B. Weiss
201163rd Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesPeter Dinklage
201163rd Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesDavid Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Baelor"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Casting for a Drama SeriesNina Gold and Robert Sterne
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Costumes for a SeriesMichele Clapton and Rachael Webb-Crozier for "The Pointy End"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera SeriesKevin Alexander and Candice Banks for "A Golden Crown"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Main Title DesignAngus Wall, Hameed Shaukat, Kirk Shintani and Robert Feng
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen for "Winter Is Coming"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a SpecialPaul Engelen and Conor O'Sullivan for "A Golden Crown"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Sound Editing for a SeriesRobin Quinn, Steve Fanagan, Eoghan McDonnell, Jon Stevenson, Tim Hands, Stefan Henrix, Caoimhe Doyle, Michelle McCormack and Andy Kennedy for "A Golden Crown"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Special Visual EffectsRafael Morant, Adam McInnes, Graham Hills, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Stuart Brisdon, Damien Macé, Henry Badgett and Angela Barson for "Fire and Blood"
201163rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Stunt CoordinationPaul Jennings for "The Wolf and the Lion"
2011Women's Image Network AwardsActress Drama SeriesLena Headey
2011International Film Music Critics AssociationBest Original Score for a Television SeriesRamin Djawadi
20111st Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Drama SeriesGame of Thrones
201169th Golden Globe AwardsBest Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television FilmPeter Dinklage
201169th Golden Globe AwardsBest Television Series – DramaGame of Thrones
2011Peabody AwardGame of Thrones
201116th Satellite AwardsBest Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television FilmPeter Dinklage
201116th Satellite AwardsBest Television Series – GenreGame of Thrones
2011Scream AwardsBest EnsembleGame of Thrones
2011Scream AwardsBest Fantasy ActorSean Bean
2011Scream AwardsBest Fantasy ActressLena Headey
2011Scream AwardsBest Supporting ActorPeter Dinklage
2011Scream AwardsBest TV ShowGame of Thrones
2011Scream AwardsBreakout Performance – FemaleEmilia Clarke
2011Scream AwardsMost Memorable Mutilation"Head covered in molten gold" from "A Golden Crown"
2011Scream AwardsThe Ultimate ScreamGame of Thrones
201127th TCA AwardsIndividual Achievement in DramaPeter Dinklage
201127th TCA AwardsOutstanding Achievement in DramaGame of Thrones
201127th TCA AwardsOutstanding New ProgramGame of Thrones
201127th TCA AwardsProgram of the YearGame of Thrones
2011Gold Derby TV Awards 2011Best Drama SeriesGame of Thrones
2011Gold Derby TV Awards 2011Best Drama Supporting ActorPeter Dinklage
2011IGN AwardsBest TV HeroSean Bean as Ned Stark
2011IGN AwardsBest TV TwistOff with his head!
2011IGN AwardsBest TV EpisodeBaelor
2011IGN AwardsBest TV SeriesGame of Thrones
2011IGN AwardsBest TV Drama SeriesGame of Thrones
2011IGN AwardsBest TV ActorPeter Dinklage
2011IGN AwardsBest TV ActressEmilia Clarke
2011IGN AwardsBest TV HeroKit Harington as Jon Snow
2011IGN AwardsBest TV VillainJack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV SeriesGame of Thrones
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV Drama SeriesGame of Thrones
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV HeroSean Bean as Ned Stark
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV TwistOff with his head!
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV EpisodeBaelor
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV HeroKit Harington as Jon Snow
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV ActorPeter Dinklage
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV ActressEmilia Clarke
2011IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV VillainJack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon
2011Writers Guild of America AwardsNew SeriesDavid Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss
2011Writers Guild of America AwardsTelevision Drama SeriesDavid Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss
2012People's Choice AwardsFavorite Cable TV DramaGame of Thrones
2012ADG Excellence in Production Design AwardOne-Hour Single Camera Television SeriesGemma Jackson for "A Golden Crown"
2012Gracie Allen AwardsOutstanding Female Rising Star in a Drama Series or SpecialEmilia Clarke
2012SFX AwardsBest New TV ShowDavid Benioff and D. B. Weiss
2012SFX AwardsBest TV ShowDavid Benioff and D. B. Weiss
2012SFX AwardsBest ActressMaisie Williams
2012SFX AwardsBest ActorPeter Dinklage
2012NewNowNext AwardsTV You Betta WatchGame of Thrones
2012Golden Reel AwardsBest Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in TelevisionGame of Thrones for "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"
2012Golden Reel AwardsBest Sound Editing – Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in TelevisionGame of Thrones for "Winter Is Coming"
2012Costume Designers Guild AwardsOutstanding Period/Fantasy Television SeriesGame of Thrones
201264th Directors Guild of America AwardsDramatic SeriesTim Van Patten for "Winter Is Coming"
2012American Cinema EditorsBest Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial TelevisionFrances Parker for "Baelor"
2012Cinema Audio Society AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One HourRonan Hill, Mark Taylor for "Baelor"
20129th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest Television DramaMark Huffam
20129th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest Director Television DramaBrian Kirk
20129th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest Actress – TelevisionMichelle Fairley
20129th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest Supporting Actor – TelevisionAidan Gillen
20129th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest Sound Ronan Hill
20129th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest SoundRonan Hill
2012Astra AwardsFavourite Program – International DramaGame of Thrones
2012Hugo AwardsBest Dramatic Presentation, Long FormDavid Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, Tim Van Patten, Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan and Alan Taylor for Game of Thrones – Season 1
2012Kerrang! AwardsBest TV ShowGame of Thrones
2012Producers Guild Awards"The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama"David Benioff, Frank Doelger, Mark Huffam, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss
2012Saturn AwardBest Television PresentationGame of Thrones
2012Saturn AwardBest Actor on TelevisionSean Bean
2012Saturn AwardBest Actress on TelevisionLena Headey
2012Saturn AwardBest Supporting Actor on TelevisionKit Harington
201218th Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama SeriesAmrita Acharia, Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Josef Altin, Sean Bean, Susan Brown, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Ron Donachie, Michelle Fairley, Jerome Flynn, Elyes Gabel, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Conleth Hill, Richard Madden, Jason Momoa, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Luke McEwan, Roxanne McKee, Dar Salim, Mark Stanley, Donald Sumpter, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams
201218th Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television SeriesGame of Thrones
2012IGN People's Choice AwardBest TV DVD or Blu-rayFor the complete first season on Blu-ray
2012Visual Effects SocietyOutstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast ProgramHenry Badgett, Mark Brown, Rafael Morant, James Sutton for "Fire and Blood"
2012Visual Effects SocietyOutstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast ProgramMarkus Kuha, Damien Macé, Dante Harbridge Robinson, Fani Vassiadi for "The Icewall"
2012Visual Effects SocietyOutstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast ProgramLucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Angela Barson, Ed Bruce, Adam McInnes for "Winter Is Coming"

Release

Broadcast

Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in the United States and Canada on April 17, 2011, and on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 18, 2011, with a same-day release on HBO Central Europe. The series premiered in Australia on Showcase on July 17, 2011.

Home media

The first season of Game of Thrones was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 6, 2012. The set includes extra background and behind-the-scenes material, but no deleted scenes, because almost all footage shot for the first season was used in the show.
HBO released a Collector's Edition DVD/Blu-ray combo pack of the first season, which includes a resin-carved Dragon Egg Paperweight. The set was released in the United States and Canada on November 20, 2012. The first season was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on June 5, 2018.