The Peabody Awards, which honor excellence in all electronic media, were announced yesterday. And unlike the Emmys or the Golden Globes, as Stephen Colbert would say, they’re “it getters”.

Along with Homeland, Parks and Rec, Portlandia, and the above mentioned Colbert Report (all extremely excellent shows), the Peabody award committee saw it fit to recognize Game of Thrones, giving them the “First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence”.

What the Peabody Awards ceremony must look like

No wait, wrong award. But I think you get the picture.

HuffingtonPost quotes the Peabody write-up on GoT:

Peabody writeup: Adapted from dark-age fantasy books by George R.R. Martin, the series immerses viewers in a multilayered, distinctly imagined world of mysticism and earthiness, fidelity and deceit, wonder and mayhem.

The HuffPo writer Maureen Ryan adds:
Mo comments: A dense, compelling saga of intrigue and survival in an unsettled kingdom, “Game of Thrones” examines themes of loyalty, family and ambition against an epic backdrop. Just as a previous Peabody winner, “Battlestar Galactica” ably transcended the “science fiction” label, “Game of Thrones” is more than just a “fantasy” drama; it’s a deeply relatable story about flawed, complex people trying to figure out the right course of action in a world that is crumbling around them.

I agree completely.  GoT is a show that goes beyond the mere thought of the fantasy genre, showing us human nature even when showing us dragons.

And this is of course mud in your eye, NY Times…