Here's a trailer for the new HBO spectacular Game of Thrones, a relatively magicless fantasy series based on the popular novels by George R.R. Martin. It concerns a world where seasons last for decades, and everyone's upset.

Well, OK, I'll confess to not having read the books, but I think that's what the whole thing is about? A year or something ago, lots of my friends (my cool, cool friends) suddenly got super obsessed with these books and I just did a lot of head scratching and shoulder shrugging and saying "Whaaaa?" while shaking my head and looking at the camera. It was an amusing time. But now here comes a TV series that I don't have to read, so maybe I too will get swept up into this fantasy realm where dragons once used to live but don't anymore and everyone's cutting each other's heads off.

And who doesn't like Sean Bean! I'll bet you have never met a person who has said to you "You know what? I just don't like Sean Bean." Has never happened to you. Because no one doesn't like Sean Bean. His name could rhyme but doesn't, and he always plays either an angry but noble terrorist or an old-timey dude like he does here and did in LOTR. What's not to love! Throw in Lena Headey from 300 and Sarah Connor Chronicles and you've basically got nerd heaven.

It seems like an ambitious project for HBO. While the books certainly are popular, they're niche popular. Can their Arthurian but not Arthurian, fantasy but not fantasy tone strike a big enough chord to justify what must be a somewhat hefty budget? (Probably not Rome big, but not Lucky Louie cheap, either.) We'll have to wait and see! HBO stumbled a little this fall with their much ballyhooed but ultimately underwhelming Boardwalk Empire, meant to be the new jewel to fit into the Sopranos-sized hole in the crown, but in Thrones they might have a second chance at recapturing old must-see-TV glory. Or they'll just look like weirdo nerds. Just like my friends.