Airing one day after HBO’s US premiere, the show returns in the UK on Monday 1 April at 9pm.

The new season, which creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have called “the season that have been anticipating from the very beginning”, will largely be based on the first half of George RR Martin’s hugely popular novel A Storm of Swords, which begins with the inhabitants of the Seven Kingdoms facing grave peril.

Season 3 will see many new cast members joining, such as Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell, Mackenzie Crook as Orell, Ciarán Hinds as Wildling leader Mance Rayder, Clive Russell as Bryndon ‘The Blackfish’ Tully, Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr and Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion.

Season 2 will also be repeated on Sky Atlantic HD from Monday 21 January.

Are you looking forward to Season 3? Let us know below…

> Buy the Season 1 boxset on Amazon.

Watch the Season 2 trailer…