‘Game of Thrones’ season 4: Preview special coming to HBO February 9

While you may still have to wait until Sunday, April 6 to see the full premiere of “Game of Thrones” season 4, we come bearing some great news today: Word on when you are going to have an opportunity to see some more footage early from the George R.R. Martin adaptation.

Specifically, what we can tell you is that if you love dragons, HBO, or just Kit Harrington’s awesome hair, then just tune in starting at 8:45 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, February 9. That is when you will have an opportunity to check out the fifteen-minute special entitled “Game of Thrones Ice and Fire: A Foreshadowing,” which has to be one of the most ridiculous Frankenstein creations of a name ever, combining Martin’s book with the show’s name. It will serve in some ways as a recap, at least in the event that you haven’t seen the show in a while or at all. However, at the same time it will also throw some new footage at you.

When it comes to timing alone, this really couldn’t be better. The special is set to air a week after the Super Bowl, so you don’t have any excuse watching grown men slide around the icy tundra attacking each other. (It’s basically a less-awesome version of what happens Beyond the Wall.) The only competition will be from the Winter Olympics, which is probably an even better analogy for the sort of games that the Night’s Watch could engage in when they are bored (minus all the equipment … and the drug test.)

Starting next month, the promotional train for the new season will really start to get chugging along, as we are almost at the time where HBO knows that they need to start promoting, and people will lap up almost any individual thing that they are handled.

In case you somehow missed it (in which case we feel very sad for you), click here to watch the first trailer. Also, sign up now to get some more gamely scoops on all of your favorite shows via email!

Photo: HBO