'Game Of Thrones' Premieres April 17

Briefly: Earlier today we saw some trailers and info on the new HBO offerings Mildred Pierce and The Sunset Limited. Now there's a premiere date for Game of Thrones, the adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novels with a pilot directed by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, The Visitor). The show will debut Sunday, April 17.

Though I wasn't knocked out by the trailer for this one I'm still on the hook, not so much because of the source material (which I know is the key factor for a great many fans) but because I'm so curious to see what Tom McCarthy and his cast have done with an adult fantasy setting. David Benioff and Dan Weiss are the lead writers and producers, and the cast includes Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Iain Glen, Lena Headey, Richard Madden and Sophie Turner. [EW]