About True Blood (HBO)

True Blood is an American television drama series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana. The series centers on Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress living in the rural town who falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).

Making / Production

Developed for television by Alan Ball, True Blood premiered on HBO in 2008 and ran for seven seasons until 2014. The series was filmed in and around Hollywood and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The creator Alan Ball had previously won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film "American Beauty."

Actors

• Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse: A telepathic waitress who gets entwined with the vampire world after falling in love with Bill Compton. Paquin played the role with an appealing mix of vulnerability and toughness.
• Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton: A 173-year-old vampire and civil war veteran, Moyer portrays the brooding and tormented character with striking credibility.
• Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman: A Viking-age vampire and owner of the vampire bar "Fangtasia," Skarsgard's menacing yet charismatic portrayal was a fan-favorite.
• Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte: The owner of Merlotte's bar, where Sookie works. Trammell embodies the good-hearted but troubled shapeshifter.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The series departed significantly from its source material, expanding its storyline beyond Sookie's perspective.
• It popularized a trend of serialized supernatural drama in television.
• Despite being set in Louisiana, much of the show was filmed at a Hollywood lot.
• Charlaine Harris, the author of the book series, made a cameo in the final episode.

Awards

True Blood was nominated for multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards over its seven-season run. It won an Emmy for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama for Anna Paquin's performance.

Quotes

• "I can protect you. Or rather, we can protect each other." - Bill Compton
• "I'm so over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina and her unbelievably stupid name!" - Pam
• "I am Vampire. I am Death." - Eric Northman

Music, Soundtrack

• True Blood Theme Song, "Bad Things" by Jace Everett
• "Bleed 2 Feed" by C.C. Adcock
• "I Don't Wanna Know" by Vonda Shepherd