True Blood
(creator: Alan Ball)
FX UK
As a huge Buffy fan I wasn't overly excited by the prospect of another show taking a bite out of the vampire world. But True Blood is strong enough to be a distinct and quite different beast altogether.
The set up is that vampires have finally come out to the human world thanks to a Japanese brand of synthetic blood (Tru Blood - bottled like a six pack) that means they don't have to snack on people anymore. Cue a range of reactions from far-right politicians who want to round them all up ("God Hates Fangs!" to groupies (aka "fang-bangers" in TB-speak) who are keen on getting a closer look for themselves.
It's set in a smalltown in the Cajun south, where waitress Sookie Stackhouse
(Anna Paquin) is excited to find the town's first vampire walking into her bar. Just to add a bit more fantasy to the mix, she's also a telepath who can hear everyone's thoughts around her. She's learned how to block her friends' and co-workers' minds - on the whole - but there are a lot of customers who suddenly find themselves on the wrong end of a drink. But, as she discovers, she can't hear what vampires are thinking...
You can see why Alan Ball was attracted to the Sookie Stackhouse novels that True Blood is based on. Like Six Feet Under, there's plenty of room here to get under the skin of a smalltown community, to discuss smallmindedness, difference and yes, sexuality while telling a great story. Add in a possible serial killer, vampire "drainers", some NSFW scenes, a great cast (including cameos as cops from cult faves Chris Bauer and William Sanderson - aka The Wire's Frank Sobotka and Blade Runner's JF Sebastian) and a strong sense of humour (Sookie's grandmother is thrilled to meet someone from the US Civil War) and you've got the makings of a show worth getting into. Plus the second series has just started in the states so you don't have to worry about it being canned anytime soon.
20th Jun 2009 - Tumblr
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