"Game of Thrones" set the bar real high in Season 1, and picked up a couple of Emmy wins in the process. So can it continue the saga with Season 2?

Fans will find out April 1 when HBO premieres the second 10-episode season of the show which continues to be one of the most buzzed about programs on premium cable.

Based on the novel "A Song of Fire and Ice" from author George R.R. Martin, "Game of Thrones" takes place on the continent of Westeros, where seasons last years, not months, and where a kingdom united is actually a kingdom quite divided.

The first season laid the groundwork for what would become a huge struggle for the Iron Throne, the leadership role over the Seven Kingdoms, that has a violent history in itself. By the end of the first season, it seems everyone has laid claim (or should lay claim) to the throne, including the Baratheons (following the death of its patriarch, King Robert), the Lannisters (who married into the Baratheon family to produce an heir, Joffrey) who currently have the throne, the Targaryens who had all the power before King Robert, and now the Starks, claiming vengeance following the execution of one of its own.

It's a twisted, complicated tale that was effectively told by executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, both who hand a hand in almost every story last season.

It's not clear who all will be writing in Season 2, but Martin has confirmed he will return to write one episode, the season's penultimate episode, "Blackwater."

Alan Taylor, who directed the final two episodes of the first season, is expected to be back to direct at least four this season, including the season premiere and season finale, according to reports. Taylor has also directed "Boardwalk Empire," "Mad Men," "The Sopranos" and "Oz."

Taylor also was recently tapped to take over "Thor 2" after its previous director, Patty Jenkins, departed.

Although the show was up for an Outstanding Drama Emmy, it ended up winning awards for best title sequence and for best supporting actor for Peter Dinklage. That accomplished actor plays Tyrion Lannister, probably the smartest member of that family who never receives any respect because of his size.