I didn't get "not the real Spartacus" from the first episodes, especially given the way they're setting up the historical characters -- or was this a different pilot?

It is a very odd show, but very good in its porntastically violent way -- worth borrowing the disks from Netflix or whatever.

I am so amazed that they are actually making the SOIAF series, I cannot even tell you. Of course, I am one of those people who kind of hopes GRRM never publishes another book in the series again, just so I'll never have to read it.