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No Spoilers. Well, maybe a little one towards the end.
Another show that was only on HBO (see the official True Blood website here) and is now being played on Netflix.
This show was first aired in 2008 and came at a time when HBO was hitting their stride in producing edgy, twisty, well-written, well cast, quirky, and solid shows. This was a channel that could no wrong, a period when they owned the Emmys, other awards, and racking up big audiences.
It was also a time when I was doing work for HBO, was a subscriber and loved all those nitty gritty shows with The Sopranos being a firm favorite. Working for HBO didn’t bring me perks like free access, but it meant that I got to watch previews of new shows. The only perk! And the chance to meet the occasional series star.
True Blood falls into the vampire category; a genre I’ve never truly liked (apart from the Blade I and II movies) so I watched it only because I needed to and gave up after the third series. It wasn’t possible to skip the intro, which was far too long and boring.
I tried reading the books and just didn’t get into them. There were some exceptional moments to True Blood, and I thought the acting was great, but, ultimately, I stopped watching after the third series.
Around 2011, I got to meet Joe Manganiello as he toured the world on a True Blood press junket and, like other on-screen stars I’ve met, totally humble and a nice human being.
About True Blood
Welcome to the world of True Blood, a compelling and thrilling saga that brought a unique twist to the typical vampire genre.
True Blood appeared at a time when edgy shows were attracting millions of viewers and where ‘edgy’ meant dealing with taboo subjects. There was also an increase in on-screen drugs, sex, gore and more.
And this series is no different and caused a minor uproar when it was first shown. There are many dollops of gore, dark humor, shocks, and a giant helping of sex scenes in a world that is unsettling.
Created by writer Alan Ball, True Blood first hit HBO in 2008 and went on for seven seasons and based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris and boasted a talented cast of actors.
True Blood – 2008-2014
Set in Bon Temps, a small, rural town in Louisiana, the series presents a universe where vampires could coexist with humans, thanks to the creation of synthetic blood (Tru Blood), a drink that allowed vampires to survive without feeding on humans.
Now, vampires are looking for equal rights in the human world and anti-vampire organizations want to send them back to the coffin.
Our hero, Sookie Stackhouse, is a server working in the local diner who is telepathic and who falls in love with a 174-year old vampire played by Stephen Moyer.
The first season had many murders, twists and just as you become invested in one central character, he goes off and does something quite repulsive; the Jessica sub-story and that’s all I’m saying about that!
Mature Rating
Even though the show was based on the existence of supernatural beings, social and political issues like prejudice and discrimination.
Another significant aspect was the dark humor and storytelling, where tense and dramatic scenes had amusing dialogue and moments, making it a unique and refreshing experience, especially when compared to other vampire shows or movies.
HBO series can be slow burning, but True Blood thrusts you straight into the story right from the beginning and the characters’ diverse personalities are easy to grasp on a surface level and, as layers are added, you get deeper and deeper into the story.
This series earned a mature rating for violence, sexual content, and delved into same-sex relationships, bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism (BDSM), violence-designed-to-shock, and more.
Cast
Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), the telepathic server who gets involved with the vampire world, was always a good watch and believable, especially in her interactions with other characters.
Here’s a list of other main actors in a series which ran from 2008 to 2014.
| Actor | Character | No. of Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Paquin | Sookie Stackhouse | 81 episodes |
| Stephen Moyer | Bill Compton | 81 episodes |
| Sam Trammell | Sam Merlotte | 81 episodes |
| Ryan Kwanten | Jason Stackhouse | 81 episodes |
| Chris Bauer | Andy Bellefleur | 81 episodes |
| Nelsan Ellis | Lafayette Reynolds | 81 episodes |
| Carrie Preston | Arlene Fowler | 81 episodes |
| Rutina Wesley | Tara Thornton | 80 episodes |
| Alexander Skarsgård | Eric Northman | 76 episodes |
| Deborah Ann Woll | Jessica Hamby | 71 episodes |
| Kristin Bauer | Pam De Beaufort | 67 episodes |
| Jim Parrack | Hoyt Fortenberry | 66 episodes |
| Todd Lowe | Terry Bellefleur | 66 episodes |
| Lauren Bowles | Holly Cleary | 48 episodes |
| Joe Manganiello | Alcide Herveaux | 42 episodes |
In summary, True Blood set the standard for what a vampire TV show should be – edgy, daring, and totally bonkers at times.
If you’re a fan of vampires, enjoy unsettling content, and don’t mind a series that’s unconventional but boasts a great cast, then True Blood is definitely worth watching.
Other Vampire Shows
| Show | Description |
|---|---|
| American Horror Story | An anthology series with a mix of horror, humor, and romance. |
| Being Human | Follows a vampire, werewolf, and ghost living together and trying to live normal lives. |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Follows a teenage girl who fights vampires, demons, and other supernatural beings. |
| Hemlock Grove | A supernatural horror series featuring a small town where supernatural beings live. |
| The Originals | A spin-off of The Vampire Diaries that focuses on the original vampire family. |
| Lucifer | Follows the devil, who helps the LAPD solve crimes in Los Angeles. |
| Midnight, Texas | A supernatural drama based on a book series featuring a small town where supernatural beings live. |
| Penny Dreadful | A horror drama featuring classic literary characters with a dark and gothic tone. |
| Shadowhunters | Follows a group of demon hunters who protect the world from supernatural threats. |
| The Vampire Diaries | Features vampires living alongside humans in secret with minimal relations with humans. |
For True Blood, I was only able to last three series before giving up. I wasn’t invested enough in the story, found the vampire storyline tiresome, I missed a couple of episodes and couldn’t be bothered to catch up. The introduction was yawn worthy and even with fast forward options; I lost the will to watch.
3/5
Please check out www.chrisabbotsford.com for books and TV series reviews.
I’ve recently reviewed Band of Brothers: A Tale of Heroism and Brotherhood, Peaky Blinders – Series 1, Outer Banks, and the superb Ganglands.
