Search Results for "game of thrones"

The Enduring Appeal of Kings & Queens

With the premieres of “Camelot” and “Game Of Thrones” Starz and HBO are revisiting the classic tale of monarchs fighting to establish or maintain their supremacy over kingdoms. With these shows, the networks are distilling a whiff of the perennial theme of Kings and Queens embodying the best and the worst in mankind. That second reading made me wonder what is it with royalty that makes its members the protagonists of choice for the most formidable epics. In short, what explains the enduring appeal of stories of kings and queens.

Stories about kings and queens are probably as old as storytelling. The Epic of Gilgamesh (2,150 to 1,100 BCE) is arguably the oldest written story on Earth and its main protagonist, Gilgamesh, is a king. He is not an exemplary king though and following a chain of events, sets out on an unsuccessful quest for immortality that instead teaches him how to live and cherish what he has.

Chinese Government Bans Time Travel

The Chinese government’s State Administration of Radio Film and Television has issued a new protocol that essentially bans fantasy based plots; more specifically time travel; in their media. Their explanation for the decision according to The New York Times is said to be that time travel stories can “casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation.”

There is speculation across the internet and other outlets however that suggest the the real reason behind the new guidelines is to stop a misrepresentation of historical figures and events in a way that the Chinese authorities disapprove of. Whilst not being quite as provocative as the censorship of the internet by the Chinese government in 1996, the decision has to be a blow to the SyFy channel’s hopes of reaching a wider audience as well as HBO in the event that they had intended to market their new outing Game of Thrones on a wider international scale. 

Carnival Row (Spoiler-Free) Review

I really wanted to like Carnival Row, the new fantasy series from Amazon. I really did. I was ready to throw in the towel after watching three of the eight episodes in the first season (the series has already been renewed for a second), but then I read some early reviews that urged it gets […]

Fall Network TV Preview: DRAMAS

If only predicting fall TV hits could be as simple as predicting Super Bowls. (We all know the Patriots will be there for a fourth straight year. It’s just the way of the world.) TV is always murkier. Good shows are few and far between these days. Network pilots (or when those aren’t available, the […]

The Handmaid’s Tale Season Three (Spoiler-Free) Review

I was, let’s say, less than pleased with The Handmaid’s Tale season two finale. I railed against the decision to have June come so close to escape a grand total of three times over the course of the season only to decide (after many people in precarious situations risked their lives to help her) to […]

The Darkest Minds

Is this the end of dystopian, young adult fiction? The Darkest Minds is another trio of young adults who have been forced into segregated elements of society. They must overcome an oppressive government and work together to find a secret utopian society while bringing down the villainous overlords. A formula that has been working its […]

2018 Emmy Nominations Offer a Strange Mix of Nominees

I accepted many years ago that I would never fully understand how or why certain television shows get Emmy nominations. But, unlike the Golden Globes (where money talks when it comes to recognition in the television fields), the Emmy Awards hold themselves up as the gold standard of recognizing the best and the brightest in […]

Westworld – The Passenger Review

Out of all the questions Westworld could have, might have, and didn’t answer in “The Passenger,” its second season finale, the one I was most shocked to see answered was: Why did Tessa Thompson sign-on to appear in Westworld? Turns out, it was because, after a season and a half of standing around and scowling a […]

What’s New to Amazon in May 2018

Amazon Prime, the streaming television network you probably didn’t realize you had, has been lagging behind both Netflix and Hulu in terms of splashy shows and awards buzz (while Amazon has managed to snag some awards with their now troubled comedy Transparent, they’ve yet to achieve the zeitgeisty buzz of a Handmaid’s Tale or House of Cards). The […]

International TV Round-Up

Spring once marked the end of the television season. Now, however, it marks the beginning of the prestige TV season, with networks pulling out all the stops to get their best and brightest shows to the masses just in time for the all important Emmy push to begin. Over the next month, I’ll be highlighting […]