20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Game Of Thrones

8. There Is A Unaired Pilot Episode

Before embarking on the mammoth undertaking of turning A Song Of Ice And Fire into a multi-season TV series, HBO first had a pilot commissioned to see if a small screen drama could do the story justice. The story is rather similar to Winter Is Coming, the ultimate series premiere, but according to rumours (it's never been officially released), it's a very different beast. Much of the cast is different - Tamzin Merchant was Daenerys Targaryen and Catelyn Stark was played by Jennifer Ehle - while the general look was a little less refined. A few elements from the pilot were included in the released episode, which was re-shot when the series was commissioned, most noticeably moments where Tyrion and Theon appear more blonde than normal. It was reportedly a cut below the quality we've come to expect from Thrones, with HBO so unimpressed they almost didn't go ahead with the show. That would have been worse than the Red Wedding.