True Blood

From Alan Ball, the creator of Six Feet Under, comes True Blood, the HBO series based on Charlaine Harris' popular Sookie Stackhouse novels. The series follows the title character, Sookie Stackhouse, a young waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana, who can hear people's thoughts -- well, living people's thoughts, anyway. When she meets vampire Bill Compton, he's the first person she encounters whose mind she cannot read. She's intrigued.

Bill chooses to exist on synthetic blood, which prevents him from indulging his murderous urges. There are plenty of vampires in town who still prefer the real blood, straight from the source, including Eric Northam, a Nordic vampire who runs the local strip club; and Pam, Eric's trusty assistant and progeny. 

Central to the show are Sookie's brother, the dim-witted, but well-meaning Jason; her best friend Tara Thornton; Jason's best friend, Hoyt Fortenberry; Sookie's boss, Sam Merlotte; fellow waitress, Arlene Fowler; and cooks Lafeyette Reynolds and Terry Bellefleur. Terry's cousin, Andy Bellefleur, rounds out the cast of regulars as the local sheriff.

Over the seasons the town has been plagued by vampire royalty, serial killers, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies, witches, satanic spirits, and other not-your-average-neighbors. Unlikely romances have blossomed, unexpected deaths have occurred, and each season seems to top itself in other-worldly occurrences. The series strays from the novels, but at its heart remains true to Harris' colorful cast of characters.

Creator: Alan Ball

Programming History: HBO, September 7, 2008 – present

Sunday nights at 9pm

 - by Adrienne Faillace