HBO has dated the returns of three of its highest rated shows:

EMMY^®– AND GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING HBO SERIES

GAME OF THRONES RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON APRIL 12

Jon Snow is struggling to balance the demands of the Night’s Watch with those of the newly arrived Stannis Baratheon, who styles himself the rightful king of Westeros.  Meanwhile, Cersei scrambles to hold on to power in King’s Landing amidst the Tyrells and the rise of a religious group led by the enigmatic High Sparrow, while Jaime embarks on a secret mission. Across the Narrow Sea, Arya seeks an old friend and a fugitive Tyrion finds a new cause.  And as danger mounts in Meereen, Daenerys finds that her tenuous hold on the city requires hard sacrifices.

The Emmy^®– and Golden Globe-winning GAME OF THRONES returns for its ten-episode fifth season SUNDAY, APRIL 12 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other episodes on subsequent Sundays at the same time. Based on the bestselling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, the hit series is an epic story of treachery and nobility set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years, and only the lust for power is eternal.

Returning series regulars on GAME OF THRONES this season include: Emmy^® and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage(Tyrion Lannister), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Aidan Gillen (Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Diana Rigg (Lady Olenna Tyrell), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Maisie Williams(Arya Stark) and Sophie Turner(Sansa Stark).

Additional returning series regulars this season include: Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon), Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont), Conleth Hill (Varys), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane),Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis), Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Snow),Carice van Houten (Melisandre) and Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand).

New cast members for the fifth season include: Jonathan Pryce (the High Sparrow), Alexander Siddig (Doran Martell), DeObia Oparei (Areo Hotah), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Obara Sand), Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Tyene Sand), Jessica Henwick (Nym Sand), Nell Tiger Free (Myrcella Baratheon) and Toby Sebastian (Trystane Martell).

EMMY^®– AND GOLDEN GLOBE^®-NOMINATED COMEDY SERIES

SILICON VALLEY RETURNS FOR ITS TEN-EPISODE

SECOND SEASON APRIL 12 ON HBO

After taking the tech world by storm last season at TechCrunch Disrupt, Richard and rest of the Pied Piper team – Erlich, Jared, Dinesh and Gilfoyle – look ahead to a bright and profitable future. But their success may be in jeopardy, thanks to big changes at Raviga, the company created by Peter Gregory, and Nucleus, the competing compression platform launched by Hooli CEO Gavin Belson.

The Emmy^®– and Golden Globe^®-nominated series SILICON VALLEY takes a comic look 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. A collaboration between Mike Judge and Alec Berg, who both direct five episodes, the show returns for its ten-episode second season SUNDAY, APRIL 12 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), immediately following the season debut of “Game of Thrones.”

Series regulars include Thomas Middleditch as Richard Hendricks; T.J. Miller as Erlich; Josh Brener as Big Head; Martin Starr as Gilfoyle; Kumail Nanjiani as Dinesh; Zach Woods as Jared; Amanda Crew as Monica; Matt Ross as Gavin Belson; Suzanne Cryer, who joins the cast as Raviga managing partner Laurie Bream; and Jimmy O. Yang as Jian-Yang.

EMMY^®-NOMINATED HBO COMEDY SERIES VEEP,

CREATED BY ARMANDO IANNUCCI AND STARRING EMMY^®-WINNER

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, RETURNS FOR ITS FOURTH SEASON APRIL 12

Having become president after her predecessor stepped down, Selina Meyer is about to give her first major speech as commander-in-chief, though it remains to be seen whether her term will outlast that of America’s shortest-serving president, William Henry Harrison. With the stakes for Selina and her team higher than ever before, she must still run for election, and in the weeks to come they will grapple with how to make her seem “presidential.”

The Emmy^®-nominated comedy series VEEP kicks off its ten-episode fourth season SUNDAY, APRIL 12 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Created by Armando Iannucci (Oscar^® nominee for co-writing “In the Loop”), the show stars Emmy^® and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus as President Selina Meyer, for whom even the most banal action can set off a ripple effect that has unexpected and far-reaching consequences.

The ensemble cast of the show also includes Emmy^® winner Tony Hale (“Arrested Development”) as Gary, her devoted bodyman; Emmy^® nominee Anna Chlumsky (“In the Loop”) as Amy, her campaign manager; Reid Scott (“The Intern”) as Dan, Selina’s senior advisor; Matt Walsh (“Into the Storm”) as Mike, her weathered press secretary; Timothy C. Simons (“The Interview”) as Jonah, vying to get back onto the White House staff; Sufe Bradshaw (“Overnight”) as Sue, President Meyer’s wry executive assistant; Kevin Dunn (HBO’s “True Detective”) as Ben, president’s chief of staff; Emmy^® nominee Gary Cole (“The Good Wife”) as senior strategist Kent; and new series regular Sam Richardson (“The Office”) as Richard, a White House staffer.

Recurring guest stars on the new season include Patton Oswalt (“The Goldbergs”) as Teddy, the new vice president’s hands-on chief of staff; Sarah Sutherland (HBO’s “The Newsroom”) as Catherine, Selina’s daughter; and Hugh Laurie (“House M.D.”) as a powerful political figure.