Game of Thrones

CHICAGO – You’ve surely heard the 2012 Emmy nominations by now (and probably read our choices for the biggest snubs) and maybe you’re wondering how to rent or own the chosen favorites of the Academy. Let us guide the way.

CHICAGO – The 64th Annual Emmy nominations were announced this morning and AMC’s “Mad Men” and ABC’s “Modern Family” were the big winners. Check back to HollywoodChicago.com for a list of the biggest snubs this year and stay tuned for all of your 2012 Emmy coverage.

CHICAGO – So you’re an Academy voter who has put off filling out your ballot for the 2011-12 season. I understand. It’s been a ridiculously tough year for me to pick and choose my dream nominees for the major categories and my votes don’t even count. Maybe you want some help? We’re all about charity here. As someone who’s seen more TV in the last year than most people do in their lives, let me guide the way.

CHICAGO – The saga of HBO’s brilliant “Game of Thrones” will continue for at least another season as the network just announced that the hit program has been renewed for a third outing. Michael Lombardo, President of HBO Programming, made the unsurprising announcement today, after only two episodes of the second season have aired to enormous ratings.

CHICAGO – I know what you’re saying — how can a show that ended with as much death as the first season of “Game of Thrones” return even darker? Watch the season premiere of HBO’s brilliant (and, currently, best) series — “The North Remembers” — and tell me I’m wrong.

CHICAGO – You can tell when a property has reached beyond mere fad to true phenomenon based on the amount of related merchandising, official and otherwise. There have been a growing number of products related to the hit HBO show (and beloved George R.R. Martin books) “Game of Thrones,” including shirts, mugs, and even an upcoming video game.

CHICAGO – Being an entertainment critics calls for top ten lists in December of every year but I’ve always been someone who believes that these things are not written in stone. I don’t think there’s a single top ten for film or television that is the same today as on the day I wrote it. Oh, they’re close, but the fact is that not only do some things age better than others but sometimes it takes time to fully appreciate something or to realize one was incorrect the first time around.

CHICAGO – Apparently, HBO likes to give its news in bulk. The premium network announced debut dates for a new HBO feature film, the new season of a hit series, and the premiere of two new series to the network.

CHICAGO – Here’s the best news for TV fans — there’s reason again to be excited about our favorite distraction. After a few years of lackluster freshman classes, the just-ended year was simply an amazing one — eight out of my top twenty shows of 2011, a whopping forty percent, are new offerings.

CHICAGO – Brian Tallerico appears on Bill Moller’s program on three Saturdays in December 2011 to take listener calls on the best television programs of the year, including “Boss,” “American Horror Story,” “Falling Skies, “Sons of Anarchy,” “Parenthood,” “Justified,” “Southland,” “Prime Suspect,” “The Middle,” “New Girl,” “Community,” and much more!