There continues to be major denials that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) would be back for season 6 of Game of Thrones.  

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Several executives from HBO, the cable channel which airs the show, continue to shoot down theories that the character wasn't really dead after he was stabbed and left for dead by his fellow members of the Night's Watch in the season five finale. 

HBO programming president Michael Lombardo said during the Television Critics Association summer press tour Thursday that to the best of his knowledge, the character is dead.  

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"Dead is dead is dead. He be dead. Yes. Everything I've seen, heard and read, he is dead," Lombardo said during the event.  

However, though the news doesn't appear good for the fan favorite character, fans of the show can be reassured that the series isn't necessarily going anywhere anytime soon, as Lombardo said that current discussions have the show going for at least eight seasons-meaning it will air through a least 2018. 

"Obviously, we're shooting season six now, hopefully discussing seven," he said. " I think their [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] feeling is we're looking at two more seasons after six. I'm hoping they'll change their minds, but that's what we're looking at right now." 

And for those who may be saddened that the series could end after eight seasons, there is a possible silver lining, as Lombardo said that if Benioff and Weiss want to have a prequel series, he would be open to putting in on the schedule. 

"I'm open to anything Dan and David would want to do [with Game of Thrones ]," he said. "But no conversations yet."