TRUE BLOOD

USA | HBO

RUNNING TIME: 60 minutes | NUMBER OF EPISODES: 48 | ORIGINAL AIRDATES: 7 September 2008 – 11 September 2011

CREATOR: Alan Ball | BOOKS: Charlaine Harris | EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alan Ball, Brian Buckner, Gregg D. Fienberg, Nancy Oliver

Fantasy drama series True Blood which is based on the books by Charlaine Harris takes us into the Louisiana town of Bon Temps where things are definitely not as they seem. Sookie Stackhouse has discovered she is clairvoyant and can hear what people are thinking, her life changes when she meets Bill Compton who just happens to be a 173 year old vampire! She learns that vampires have been able to “come out of the coffin” since the invention of synthetic blood substitute Tru Blood. The pair quickly become romantically involved opening Sookies eyes to a whole new way of “living”.

Meanwhile women who grow close to Sookie’s brother Jason are suddenly being murdered and he is considered prime suspect by many although the town sheriff believes him innocent; Sam, the owner of Merlotte’s the cafe where Sookie works also happens to have a secret to hide – he’s a shapeshifter. He’s also involved romantically with Sookie’s best friend Tara. The first season finished with Bill being forced to kill a fellow vampire and then take a young woman, Jessica, whom he has also turned into a vampire under his wing.

Season two upped the ante considerably with a search for a missing 2000 year old vampire sheriff and the fact that Jason has become involved with a cult devoted to stamping out vampires. Meanwhile a woman called Maryann arrives in Bon Temps with secrets to reveal and mayhem to create. Season three saw the arrival of Crystal Norris and her family who just happen to be “werepanthers”.

True Blood pulls no punches, it is very explicit and very graphic and hugely popular! The series stays quite true to the Harris books but swaps around continuity and brings in characters from books out of sequence but being an HBO show it is supremely well made and if you can get by the gore and sex it’s also highly watchable although no doubt the gore and sex attracts a large number of viewers anyway. It’s fair to say its one of the most popular shows world wide at the minute and also scores highly with critics too garnering awards all over the place – everything from the all important Emmys to the more frivolous ones like best nude scene!

cast

ANNA PAQUIN as Sookie Stackhouse

STEPHEN MOYER as Bill Compton

SAM TRAMMELL as Sam Merlotte

ALEXANDER SKARSGARD as Eric Northman

RYAN KWANTEN as Jason Stackhouse

RUTINA WESLEY as Tara Thornton

CHRIS BAUER as Andy Bellefleur

NELSAN ELLIS as Lafayette Reynolds

JIM PARRACK as Hoyt Fortenberry

CARRIE PRESTON as Arlene Fowler

TODD LOWE as Terry Bellefleur

DEBORAH ANN WOLL as Jessica Hamby

WILLIAM SANDERSON as Sheriff Bud Dearborne

KRISTIN BAUER as Pam De Beaufort

MARSHALL ALLMAN as Tommy Mickens

KEVIN ALEJANDRO as Jesus Velasquez

LINDSAY PULSIPHER as Crystal Norris

JESSICA TUCK as Nan Flanagan

JOE MANGANIELLO as Alcide Herveaux

ADINA PORTER as Lettie Mae Thornton

LAUREN BOWLES as Holly Cleary

MICHELLE FORBES as Maryann Forrester

BRIT MORGAN as Debbie Pelt (from Season 3)

MEHCAD BROOKS as Eggs (Seasons 1-2)

FIONA SHAW as Marnie (from Season 4)

ANNA CAMP as Sarah Newlin (Season 2)

EVAN RACHEL WOOD as Sophie-Anne Leclerq (semi regular appearances only)

GRANT BOWLER as Cooter (Season 3)

LIZZY CAPLAN as Amy Burley (Season 1)

THE EPISODES

SEASON ONE 7 September – 23 November 2008

1. STRANGE LOVE (7 Sep 2008)

2. THE FIRST TASTE (14 Sep 2008)

3. MINE (21 Sep 2008)

4. ESCAPE FROM DRAGON HOUSE (28 Sep 2008)

5. SPARKS FLY OUT (5 Oct 2008)

6. COLD GROUND (12 Oct 2008)

7. BURNING HOUSE OF LOVE (19 Oct 2008)

8. THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE (26 Oct 2008)

9. PLAISIR D’AMOUR (2 Nov 2008)

10. I DON’T WANNA KNOW (9 Nov 2008)

11. TO LOVE IS TO BURY (16 Nov 2008)

12. YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME (23 Nov 2008)

SEASON TWO 14 June – 13 September 2009

1. NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD (14 June 2009)

2. KEEP THIS PARTY GOING (21 June 2009)

3. SCRATCHES (28 June 2009)

4. SHAKE AND FINGERPOP (12 July 2009)

5. NEVER LET ME GO (19 July 2009)

6. HARD-HEARTED HANNAH (26 July 2009)

7. RELEASE ME (26 July 2009)

8. TIMEBOMB (9 Aug 2009)

9. I WILL RISE UP (16 Aug 2009)

10. NEW WORLD IN MY VIEW (23 Aug 2009)

11. FRENZY (30 Aug 2009)

12. BEYOND HERE LIES NOTHING (13 Sep 2009)

SEASON THREE 13 June 2010 – 12 September 2010

1. BAD BLOOD (13 June 2010)

2. BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN (20 June 2010)

3. IT HURTS ME TOO (27 June 2010)

4. 9 CRIMES (11 July 2010)

5. TROUBLE (18 July 2010)

6. I GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES (25 July 2010)

7. HITTING THE GROUND (1 Aug 2010)

8. NIGHT ON THE SUN (8 Aug 2010)

9. EVERYTHING IS BROKEN (15 Aug 2010)

10. I SMELL A RAT (22 Aug 2010)

11. FRESH BLOOD (29 Aug 2010)

12. EVIL IS GOING ON (12 Sep 2010)

SEASON FOUR 26 June – 11 September 2011

1. SHE’S NOT THERE (26 June 2011)

2. YOU SMELL LIKE DINNER (3 July 2011)

3. IF YOU LOVE ME, WHY AM I DYIN’? (10 July 2011)

4. TITLE UNKNOWN AT THIS STAGE (17 July 2011)

5. I HATE YOU, I LOVE YOU (24 July 2011)

6. I WISH I WAS THE MOON (31 July 2011)

7. COLD GREY LIGHT OF DAWN (7 Aug 2011)

8. SPELLBOUND (14 Aug 2011)

9. RUN (21 Aug 2011)

10. THE WORLD’S A MESS, IT’S IN MY KISS (28 Aug 2011)

11. SOUL OF FIRE (4 Sep 2011)

12. AND WHEN I DIE (11 Sep 2011)

ARTICLES

SEASON FOUR PREMIERES JUNE 26, 2011

TRUE BLOOD RENEWED FOR FIFTH SEASON (August 12, 2011)