CptFandango: I shall google legend of the seeker, merlin and rome to see what the crack is with those series so thanks for that suggestion :)
anamorphic: They are great shows although somewhat more aimed at mainstream audiences, but if you want more adult rated TV comparable to GoT, have you seen
Spartacus: Blood And Sand (s1), followed by
Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena? (And then seasons 2-3). I would personally rate it above most other shows, but
only if you like TV with: lots of nudity (male and female), slow motion sword slashing combat (which BTW,
Legend Of The Seeker also excels in), lots of over-exaggerated blood spraying (graphic novel style like the movie "300"), and an old-fashioned Roman language way of speaking (the word "cock" is used often :D) - you really need to pay attention to understand the dialogue but you soon get used to it. The language is one of the shows' great strengths, IMO.
S1
link. [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442449/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1]IMDB link.
(Funnily enough, both Seeker and Spartacus have the same actor for the bad guy. Seeker is any easy recommend for family viewing - my 96 year old grandmother loved it. Spartacus though is unadulterated modern TV, not everyone can see past the blood to enjoy it. And like most shows, you need to give it a few episodes before it really gets intense!)
(Rome, I have not seen, but I gather it is a more toned-down drama than Spartacus?)
I have seen all the spartici and really enjoyed them :) Its nowhere near the quality of GOT with the production/writing/acting etc etc but I found it very enjoyable nonetheless !