True Blood (2008– )

In a world where vampires have "come out of the coffin", Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, discovers a new world of different creatures when she meets Bill Compton, a vampire.

Creator:

Alan Ball

Stars:

Rutina Wesley, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 80 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Rutina Wesley	...	Tara Thornton (69 episodes, 2008-2013)
Anna Paquin	...	Sookie Stackhouse (67 episodes, 2008-2013)
Stephen Moyer	...	Bill Compton (65 episodes, 2008-2013)
Ryan Kwanten	...	Jason Stackhouse (65 episodes, 2008-2013)
Sam Trammell	...	Sam Merlotte (65 episodes, 2008-2013)
Chris Bauer	...	Andy Bellefleur (64 episodes, 2008-2013)
Nelsan Ellis	...	Lafayette Reynolds (64 episodes, 2008-2013)
Carrie Preston	...	Arlene Fowler (64 episodes, 2008-2013)
Alexander Skarsgård	...	Eric Northman (62 episodes, 2008-2013)
Todd Lowe	...	Terry Bellefleur (60 episodes, 2008-2013)
Jim Parrack	...	Hoyt Fortenberry (58 episodes, 2008-2012)
Deborah Ann Woll	...	Jessica Hamby (55 episodes, 2008-2013)
Kristin Bauer van Straten	...	Pam De Beaufort (53 episodes, 2008-2013)
William Sanderson	...	Sheriff Bud Dearborne (38 episodes, 2008-2012)
Joe Manganiello	...	Alcide Herveaux (33 episodes, 2010-2013)
Lauren Bowles	...	Holly Cleary (32 episodes, 2010-2013)
Michael McMillian	...	Steve Newlin (31 episodes, 2008-2013)

Storyline

The series follows Sookie Stackhouse, a barmaid living in Louisiana who can read people's minds, and how her life is turned upside down when the Vampire Bill, walks into her place of employment two years after vampires 'came out of the coffin' on national television.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | louisiana | waitress | homosexual | long title sequence | 

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Taglines:

An undying love

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Czysta krew

Filming Locations:

Blue Cloud Movie Ranch - 20000 Blue Cloud Road, Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Your Face Goes Here Entertainment, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charlaine Harris, the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels makes a cameo in the Season 2 finale at Merlotte's. Also in the same episode, Bill Compton has a reservation at a French restaurant, and where he's written Mr, the r is superscripted, just like it was in the olden days; a reflection of his age.

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Quotes

Godric: [in Old Swedish] I'll be your father, brother, son

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Connections

Referenced in Hot in Cleveland: Who's Your Mama? (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Bad Things"
(uncredited)
by Jace Everett

User Reviews

Ball delivers in HBO-worthy fashion

First of all, let me say that TrueBlood was good, especially considering that this was the first episode. Alan Ball does a good job of establishing a realistic setting (the town of Bon Temps, LA) with a believable scenario in society recognizes vampires. The sex, while graphic, is sufficiently twisted, establishing some of the differences between humans and vampires. The dialogue wasn't bad and the somewhat campy atmosphere of the show hooked me in and gave it a genuine air of back-country sex and scandal. The acting of the major characters was solid, with Anna Paquin providing a solid portrayal of a young Southern woman tormented by hearing everyone's thoughts yet clinging to her values.

That being said, there were a few problems with the show. The accents were strained at the best of times, with Sookie's African-American friend Tara's being the worst. The character Tara seemed, to my distaste, to conform to the stereotype of the "angry black woman" a little too easily. Some of the acting from the minor characters was disappointing, especially the customers in Sookie's restaurant. While I foresaw a cliffhanger ending, I thought it could have been better constructed; the credits rolled too soon after the vampire hunters (whose acting was sub-par) attacked.

All in all, the show was very entertaining with lots of developing plots to look forward too. A few lapses aside, it was a strong show, one I will look forward to watching every Sunday. I would probably give it a 7.5/10, but it is important to keep in mind that this was only the first episode.