By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) --"Game of Thrones" fans, brace yourselves: The fantasy saga's end is perhaps just a few years away.
HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo said Thursday that the drama series' producers are leaning toward three more seasons after the just-concluded season five.
"I'm always hoping they're going to change their minds, but I think that's what we're looking at right now," Lombardo told a Television Critics Association meeting.
Asked about the possibility of a prequel series, Lombardo said he believed there's "enormous story material" to be mined for such a project. But the focus now of showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss is season six of "Game of Thrones," he said, which is in production now for 2016.
The series came under fire this year for a rape scene involving a bride's assault by her husband on their wedding night.
Lombardo, noting that the drama has included violence as a thread since it started, said the producers are careful about not overstepping boundaries while remaining true to the storytelling.
"I support them fully artistically," he said.
Voters in the TV academy weren't swayed by the controversy, making "Game of Thrones" the most-nominated series last month. It received 24 nods for the September awards, including best drama series.
Lombardo was asked if the popular character of Jon Snow, who appeared to die last season, was actually a goner.
"Dead is dead is dead," said Lombardo, adding, "Everything I've seen, heard and read," Snow is dead.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More