TV Blog Buzz: Is ‘Game of Thrones’ better as a TV show or books?

Now that “Game of Thrones” fans have nearly a year to wait for the next season, some might be thinking about picking up George R. R. Martin’s books that the series is based on. But will fans of the show become fans of the books? Writers at Grantland debate whether “Game of Thrones” is one of the few works that’s actually improved onscreen, or if the books are still the best way to take on the story. (http://es.pn/11aoIj6)

Wired runs through seven characters and key moments from the show’s third season and opines on what the series did better and what was cut from the books. (http://bit.ly/19vucJy)

For those who want a cheat sheet about the next season without reading the books, New York magazine’s Vulture blog has a relatively spoiler-free look at what could be coming. (http://vult.re/13Yu4fM)

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There’s hope for TV fans bored during the summer doldrums, according to an early review of a new Stephen King miniseries that premieres on June 24. Trailers for “Under The Dome” show it’s slickly produced and has potential — but it also looks like it has the potential to be a little hokey. The 13-part series is focused on a small U.S. town that mysteriously becomes engulfed by a clear, impenetrable dome. No one can get out or in. The Hollywood Reporter has seen the first episode and says it’s “intriguing as hell and filled with a lot of storytelling promise.” (http://bit.ly/19rEJpl)

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Coming next week from the makers of the reality teen series “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” is the new show “@SummerBreak,” but don’t turn on your TV looking for it. As the at-sign in the title hints, it’s an online reality show that will tell characters’ stories via Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and YouTube, in near real-time as they happen. “I don’t think (teens) watch television. I think they’ll consume media if it’s cool wherever it is,” says one of the show’s backers to Entertainment Weekly’s Inside TV blog. (http://bit.ly/12GNkTx)

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If you’re at a loss finding something new to watch you might want to give the Canadian hospital drama “Hard Rock Medical” a try. The show is set at the fictional Northern Ontario School of Medicine, where medical students learn how to save lives way, way outside the big city. While some viewers are reluctant to give Canadian shows a shot, TV critic James Bawden calls the series “entirely professional and watchable. And completely Canadian.” (http://bit.ly/13Yww6a) The first two episodes of “Hard Rock Medical” are available to stream at: http://bit.ly/11KreMy