Canadian TV viewers will be in for a treat next month as CTV will be airing the first season of HBO’s popular Game of Thrones series — unedited and with reduced commercial time. This will be the first time that any episodes of the series have aired on broadcast TV in North America.
“Game of Thrones has never been more popular and now it’s time to make Season 1 available to every Canadian viewer,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV™. “A Season 1 marathon is not just timely, but the perfect summer alternative in 2016 and we are excited to offer all 10 episodes in this unaltered format.”
Game of Thrones is set in a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, and trouble is brewing. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the darkness beyond, two powerful families are engaged in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. As betrayal, lust, intrigue, and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdoms, their bloody struggle for the Iron Throne will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences.
The first season marathon will commence on Monday, August 8th and run through Friday, August 19th with the first season finale. All episodes will air in the 10p.m. time slot in all time zones across Canada.
- Monday, Aug. 8: Episode 1 – “Winter is Coming”
- Tuesday, Aug. 9: Episode 2 – “The Kingsroad”
- Wednesday, Aug. 10: Episode 3 – “Lord Snow”
- Thursday, Aug. 11: Episode 4 – “Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things”
- Friday, Aug. 12: Episode 5 – “The Wolf and the Lion”
- Monday, Aug. 15: Episode 6 – “A Golden Crown”
- Tuesday, Aug. 16: Episode 7 – “You Win or You Die”
- Wednesday, Aug. 17: Episode 8 – “The Pointy End”
- Thursday, Aug. 18: Episode 9 – “Baelor”
- Friday, Aug. 19: Episode 10 – “Fire and Blood”
While giving Canadians who aren’t HBO subscribers a chance to check out the series, it will be interesting to see the reaction to the show, given some of the graphic and sexual content that is usually not see on network television. With strict adherence to Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) standards, CTV will ensure the program airs with the appropriate viewer disclaimers and AGVOT (Action Group on Violence On Television) rating throughout each episode.
“Bringing our biggest show ever to CTV’s massive audience is also a fantastic opportunity to showcase both the series and HBO Canada,” said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay. “We’re excited to engage Canadians who will discover the series for the first time and to let them know that all episodes and seasons of current HBO programming is available to subscribers on-demand, 24/7, via TMN GO.”
Will you be tuning in to check out the Game of Thrones hype on CTV in August? Or are you already caught up and anxiously waiting on the next season? Let us know in the comments below, or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
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