True Blood


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

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

 

Highlights
Alan Ball on the rumor that vampires are a metaphor for gay people on True Blood
01:23
Alan Ball on censorship issues on True Blood
01:31
Alan Ball on "Sookie Stackhouse" on True Blood, played by Anna Paquin
01:13
Alan Ball on "Bill Compton" on True Blood, played by Stephen Moyer
00:41
Alan Ball on "Eric Northman" on True Blood, played by Alexander Skarsgard
01:09
Who talked about this show

Alan Ball

View Interview
Alan Ball on the title sequence of True Blood
00:59
Alan Ball on working for HBO on Six Feet Under and True Blood
01:05
Alan Ball on his involvement with True Blood; on the premise of the show and the popularity of vampire culture; on the characters and casting
20:50
Alan Ball on his favorite episodes of True Blood; on mini-episode teasers for the show and the importance of the internet to the series; on season five
03:44

William Schallert

View Interview
William Schallert on working on True Blood
01:20

All Shows

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
L
M
N
P
R
S
T
W