Game of Thrones

An adaptation of the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in April 2011. The series ran for 8 seasons and ended in May 2019.

GoT is set in the land of Westeros with seven kingdoms scattered around the continent. Several noble families fight to take claim of the Iron Throne, including House Stark, the family ruling the North. Ned (Sean Bean) and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) share five children — Robb (Richard Madden), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson) — and Ned raises his nephew Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as his illegitimate child. When Ned is falsely charged of treason and executed the Stark family begins to fall apart.

Across the sea in the continent of Essos, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) from House Targaryen is trying to build an army in order to reclaim the Iron Throne. The Targaryens once commanded dragons and were the original rulers of Westeros, which was taken over by the Baratheon and Lannister families. Multiple storylines emerge throughout the series as political conflicts brew and Houses declare war on each other.

Game of Thrones received 164 Primetime Emmy Award nominations before its highly anticipated — and widely criticized — series finale, winning 59 trophies. It received eight Golden Globe Award nominations,  five of which were for Best Television Series — Drama. A prequel series titled House of Dragon premiered on HBO in 2022.