TV Show

Game of Thrones is a highly succesful fantasy drama TV series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss as showrunners and main writers.

It has been adapted from "A Song of Ice and Fire", (like the Game of Thrones Slot Machine), a line of fantasy novels written by George R. R. Martin's (his first book is called "A Game of Thrones").
The TV show was shot in Belfast studio and in other locations in Northern Ireland, Malta, Scotland, Croatia, Iceland, the United States, Spain and Morocco.

Game of Thrones first aired on HBO in the US in April  2011.

The story is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. Members of several aristocratic houses are fighting for the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Another storyline follows the threat of a fierce winter and the Southerners' fear of the beasts and people of the North, and yet another sub-plot follows the trials and tribulations of an exiled nobleman who is trying to reclaim the throne. 

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Costumes
One of the most striking aspects of the show is the costumes. 

From rich dresses in the royal court, to heavy armour to incredible wigs- the show has it all.
Much of the weaponary and armour is manufactured for the series, and th eoutfits have been inspired from cutures around the globe, including Japan, Arabia,  and Persia.

The wigs used for the actresses are made from human hair and can reach up to 2 feet in length. They cost over $5,000 each.

Criticism of the Show
In general, Game of Thrones has been well received, but it has been subjected to some harsh criticism for the use of overly sexual themes in it's story lines. Female nudity and violence are recurring themes that some critics have labelled "sensationalist". The show is accused of trying to forment notoriety to gain free publicity.

In partucular, the 2nd season came under fire for it's distasteful, exploitative scenes. Some have even gone as far as to label the show "torture porn".

Whatever you think of this aspect of the show, it has certainly grabbed headlines. Cynics argue that this was the aim in the ifrst place. the directors counter that this kind of thing goes on in wars, and they are merely trying to conjure up a true representation of that.