The end of the year draws nigh, which means it is time for everyone and his sister to release their list of the year's best this-and-that.

I'm thrilled to say that in almost all the lists of the best television shows of 2011, HBO's GAME OF THRONES is turning up.

To wit:

ROLLING STONE – 1/5/12 issue
“2011 Season: Why We Watched”
Rob Sheffield
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92740
Rolling Stone lists Ned Stark’s execution on “Game of Thrones” as one of the highlights of the 2011 television season.

PEOPLE WEEKLY – 12/26/11 issue
“Top ten shows”
Tom Gliatto
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92925
“Game of Thrones” ranks third in Gliatto’s list of 2011’s best TV.

TV GUIDE – 12/19/11 issue
“Matt Roush’s Top 10”
Matt Roush
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92918
Roush awards “Game of Thrones” fifth place in his list of the year’s best television

TIME – 12/19/11
“The Best of 2011: Television”
James Poniewozik
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92794
“Game of Thrones” makes TIME’s list of the top ten shows of 2011.

HITFIX – 12/13/11
“TV Top 10 of 2011: The Best 10 (or 11) Overall Shows”
Alan Sepinwall shares his top 11 TV shows of 2011, which includes Game of Thrones.
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/tv-top-10-of-2011-the-best-10-or-11-overall-shows

The Washington Post -12/11/11
“Best of 2011: Television”
Hank Stuever
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92820
“Game of Thrones” makes The Washington Post’s list of the year’s top television shows.

NEWSDAY – 12/11/11
“Playing it to the hilt”
Verne Gay
http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7000XH/7000XH_92816
“Game of Thrones” makes it onto Newsday’s roundup of the year’s top five TV shows.

AFI TV Top 10 – 12/11/11

“Game of Thrones, Homeland Crack AFI’s TV Top 10”
The American Film Institute’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2011 lists Game of Thrones.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118047333?refcatid=13
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/12/11/afi-top-10-tv-list-2011-game-of-thrones-louie/
http://www.hitfix.com/articles/game-of-thrones-homeland-crack-afis-tv-top-10

THE ATLANTIC WIRE – 12/12/11
“The Best Television of 2011”
Game of Thrones lands on The Atlantic’s list of Top TV shows of 2011.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2011/12/best-television-2011/46048/

TIME - 12/7/11

“The Top 10 TV Episodes of 2011: The Best and the Rest”
TIME compiles a list of the top 10 TV episodes of the year, which includes Game of Thrones’ ‘Baelor’. Honorable mention goes to ‘The Wolf and the Lion.'
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/12/07/the-top-10-tv-episodes-of-2011-the-best-and-the-rest/

“The Top 10 TV Series of 2011: The Best and the Rest”
Game of Thrones makes TIME’s list of 2011’s best TV series.
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/12/07/the-top-10-tv-series-of-2011-the-best-and-the-rest/

TVology - 12/6/11
“Ology Presents: The 10 Best Shows Ever 2011!”
Ology ranks Game of Thrones as one of the best shows in 2011.
http://www.ology.com/tv/ology-presents-10-best-tv-shows-ever-2011

My hat is off to David Benioff, Dan Weiss, our amazing cast and crew, and all the great folks at HBO who helped make the first season of GAME OF THRONES such a success.

And the best is yet to come...