HBO to produce “A Song of Ice & Fire”

HBO has acquired the rights to produce a television series “A Song of Ice & Fire” (2008) based on George R. R. Martin’s best-selling books. The series will be written and produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. [ source ]

If any Cable Network could pull off a Fantasy series based on George R. R. Martin’s books it is HBO. I only hope that the budget is calculated accordingly and that there is no cancelling as there was for Deadwood or Rome. Despite these recent letdowns, I honestly think there is no better choice than HBO for this series. HBO subscribers will have to wait quite some time though to enjoy this gritty and epic fantasy tale of intrigue and murder on screen in 2008.

Rome Season 3 Cancelled

It’s been known for a while now, Rome, another superb HBO show has been cancelled and will end after only 2 seasons. Main reasons: lack of viewers and too expensive. [ source ]

Granted, Rome was originally intended as a mere miniseries but spawned into a full series after the network saw the quality of the scripts. Unfortunately for HBO and any other network, viewer numbers are everything, esp. when the cost for the entire first season is around 100 million U$. We cannot really blame HBO when the viewers rather prefer crap over intelligent, quality TV series. If more people would have watched shows like Rome, Deadwood, Firefly, Invasion they would not have been cancelled, easy as that. Networks need to make profit and have to provide what the majority wants to see and if the majority wants to see crap then they have to give them crap. Besides, what network are you looking for when you want to watch quality shows? HBO, right?

Rome will end on March 25th 2007.

Deadwood Season 4 Cancelled

HBO decided to cancel the fourth season of Deadwood but agreed to let series creator David Milch wrap up this gritty western series with two 2-hour TV movies. Season three will start airing on June 11th. [ source ]

Rome – Kalends of February

The final episode of the first season of “Rome” ends with the ides of march so poignantly titled “Kalends of February”.

“Thus ever for tyrants!” Cassius declares, raising Brutus’ hand in the air.

A powerful and dramatic season finale ending in anger, grief, murder, revenge and death and yet there also is forgiveness and redemption. How will it all unwind? We will have to wait until the start of season 2 in 2007 to find out. Production of the next 12 episodes begins in March 2006. Alternatively you can brush up on Roman history (44 B.C.) in order to find out what the next epic conflict will be about.

So much is for certain: Niobe will not come back. “Rome” is no Romero Zombie Zoo, so you can stop speculating! She is dead. Gone. Pushing up the daisies, joined the choir invisible. She is a late Niobe! R.I.P.