HBO

"Game of Thrones" will make its UK debut at 2am on 7 April, in a special showing set to coincide with the US' East Coast airing of the same episode.

Season 4 of the hit HBO show is set to make its grand, sword-slinging entrance in a few weeks' time. Sky will also be showing episode one at the more reasonable time of 9pm on the same day, but the early screening will give die-hard fans a chance to get involved ahead of time.

The cast speak

Sky confirmed the news at an event in London, which featured a cast Q&A with Liam Cunningham, Sophie Turner and John Bradley-West, who play Davos Seaworth, Sansa Stark and Samwell Tarly respectively.

Luke Westaway/CNET

Speaking of Sansa's role in the upcoming episodes, "She's going to start to manipulate some people," Turner said of her character's coming machinations.

Of the upcoming season: "There are some large WTF moments coming up," Cunningham said, describing his character on the show as "a simple man in a nest of vipers".

"I have this image in my head of a White Walker sitting on the Iron Throne," Cunningham teased, when asked who of the show's many central characters could eventually end up victorious.

When quizzed on whether they knew the show would be a success, Cunningham said, "The quality of the writing has brought it up that extra step."

The show apparently got off to a rocky start, with a first pilot that didn't work. "We had to reshoot basically the whole thing because it was really bad," Turner noted. Clearly, however, that didn't put off HBO, as the show has proved a global hit.

When asked how -- should their characters die -- would the actors like that to happen, Cunningham offered, "of old age."

"I want a whole episode dedicated to my death," Turner joked. "Something that would really drag out."

Are you looking forward to "Game of Thrones" season 4? If you live in the UK, will you be watching at 2am on 7 April? Let me know in the comments.