Game of Thrones season 8 release date: Is this when HBO series will return?

Game of Thrones fans think they have worked out when the final season will begin.

HBO previously announced that season eight will premiere in the “first half” of 2019, with fans of the fantasy series narrowing down the release date to two possible selections.

The network recently revealed that the third season of True Detective – Nic Pizzolatto’s anthology series that will star Mahershala Ali and Carmen Ejogo – will run for eight episodes, beginning on Sunday 13 January and ending on 3 March.

That frees up 10 March as the first of two potential dates for Thrones to premiere.

However, that date may be reserved for HBO’s other returning award-winning series – Big Little Lies. The Meryl Streep-starring second season will consist of seven episodes meaning that, if it debuts in March, it will finish on 21 April.

Considering that five previous seasons of Game of Thrones have premiered in April, a more likely date for the series’ eighth and final season is... 28 April.

HBO has a huge year ahead, with the end of Thrones ushering in a new era for the cable network.

New shows set to premiere throughout 2019 include the Jordan Peele/J.J. Abrams horror drama Lovecraft Country, Kathryn Hahn comedy Mrs Fletcher and a “remix” of Watchmen from Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, whose acclaimed drama The Leftovers concluded on the channel in 2017.