English town will change name to King’s Landing for ‘Game of Thrones’

Westeros may not be anyone’s ideal place to live, but one town in rural England is giving it a shot. For one week at least.

The historic town of Kings Langley, located in the county of Hertfordshire just outside of London, is changing its name to “King’s Landing” for a week in February to celebrate the release of the third season of HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones” on DVD.

In the series, King’s Landing is the capital of Westeros and the scene of much political maneuvering to control the Iron Throne. It’s a far cry from the sleepy village of Kings Langley, which has a population of just over 5,000.

According to UPI, a producer for “Game of Thrones,” which actually films in Ireland and other European countries, got the idea when he heard the town’s name mentioned as a stop for a train leaving London’s Euston station.

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Towns changing names for a TV show isn’t a new phenomenon -- it’s how the town of Hot Springs, N.M., ended up becoming Truth or Consequences, N.M. But this time it appears the name change won’t be permanent. Which is probably a relief for residents who happen to have seen the series or read the novels by George R.R. Martin upon which the show is based. All manner of terrible things happen in King’s Landing.

The series recently topped TorrentFreak’s annual list of most pirated TV shows.

Meanwhile, fans are eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of the new season, which is expected to air sometime in the first half of 2014.

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