HBO CONFIRMS DEBUT DATES FOR RETURNING SERIES "GAME OF THRONES," "VEEP" AND "VICE," AND NEW SERIES "SILICON VALLEY"

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9, 2014 - HBO has confirmed the debut dates for the upcoming seasons of the returning series GAME OF THRONES, VEEP and VICE, and the new series SILICON VALLEY.

GAME OF THRONES kicks off its fourth season SUNDAY, APRIL 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT). Based on the popular book series "A Song of Ice and Fire," by George R.R. Martin, this hit Emmy(R)-winning fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom. Members of the ensemble cast include Emmy(R) and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kit Harington, Natalie Dormer, Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner. Executive producers, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin. The first official trailer for season four will air on HBO this Sunday, Jan. 12, immediately before the debut of "True Detective" at 9:00 p.m.

VEEP returns the same evening, kicking off its third season SUNDAY, APRIL 6 (10:00-10:30 p.m.). Created by Armando Iannucci, this Emmy(R)-nominated series stars Emmy(R) winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus as former senator Selina Meyer, who becomes vice president, only to discover the job is nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about. The show also stars Emmy(R) winner Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy C. Simons, Sufe Bradshaw and Kevin Dunn. Iannucci executive produces along with Christopher Godsick and Frank Rich.

Also that same evening, SILICON VALLEY debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 6 (10:30-11:00 p.m.). Mike Judge ("Office Space," "King of the Hill") brings his irreverent brand of humor to HBO in this new comedy series, which looks at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. The cast includes Thomas Middleditch, TJ Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener, Christopher Evan Welch and Amanda Crew. Matt Ross guest stars. Mike Judge, Alec Berg, John Altschuler, Dave Krinsky, Michael Rotenberg, Tom Lassally and Scott Rudin executive produce. The series was created by Judge & Altschuler & Krinsky.

VICE returns for its second season FRIDAY, MARCH 14 (11:00-11:30 p.m.). HBO partners with the premier new media company VICE on this innovative news magazine show, hosted by VICE founder Shane Smith, covering the kinds of stories often overlooked by mainstream media outlets. The weekly series is executive produced by Bill Maher, Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti, VICE's chief creative officer, with CNN's Fareed Zakaria serving as consultant.