HBO’s president of programming Michael Lombardo has defended the sometimes graphic content of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” at this week’s Edinburgh International Television Festival.
Speaking with The Guardian, Lombardo says showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff have stayed true to George R.R. Martin’s original books:
“I don’t think (graphic scenes) have ever been without any purpose. Dan and Dave are two very sober, thoughtful men. They have books as a map… We have certainly not given them an edict or a note.”
There was some controversy over an infamous scene between Jamie and Cersei Lannister this past season and Lombardo admits “it generated a conversation”. However, he says that as a pay-TV operator he has more freedom than free-to-view broadcasters, though they claim to use that freedom responsibly:
“My job is to be in business with responsible creative forces. And if I am doing that I trust their decisions about what is appropriate for the character or not. And I feel we made the right choice with Dan (Weiss) and Dave (Benioff) and they continue to try to be responsible.”
“Game of Thrones” is currently in the midst of filming its fifth season which will go to air in the second quarter of 2015.
