Vampires: in recent years those creatures have been as much a mainstay in pop culture as Justin Bieber and Snuggies. It’s as if someone put a spell on the world in 2008, because True Blood premiered and just months later the sparkling tale of Twilight entered our lives. Before you jump down my throat, I know they are nothing alike. True Blood is an HBO show that’s dark and showcases manly men as otherworldly creatures and Twilight is full of teeny bopper centerfolds.
As I sit writing this, the first episode of the sixth season of True Blood has already been consumed by its ravenous fans. So for those of you who watched, I hope it was all you expected it to be and for those of who didn’t, let’s take a look why this show is such a big deal. My guess? Alexander Skarsgård.
Name: True Blood
Series Premiere: September 7, 2008
Place of Birth: HBO
Twitter: @TrueBloodHBO
Best Known For
Again, True Blood is a show on HBO with very handsome men as vampires, werewolves, and such, and just as attractive women. The first season saw the fictitious world two years after it became known that creatures (that were usually staples in horror movies) were living among humans. There’s stuff called “Tru Blood” (clever), an eatery known as Merlotte’s Bar and Grill, and someone named Sookie Stackhouse. These are the basics and if you have to be told Sookie Stackhouse is one of the best names ever, there’s something wrong with you. Anyways, True Blood, like another hit HBO show, is based on a book series and follows the lives of these characters and does a pretty fine job at keeping fans hooked to the drama the characters’ lives entail.
5 Quick True Blood Facts
- Like Degrassi back in the day, each title of a True Blood episode if that of a popular song.
- If you’re ever in Long Beach, CA at Alex’s Bar… It might look familiar. That’s where Fangtasia is filmed.
- Over 40 countries get True Blood.
- Damon Salvatore wouldn’t have been Ian Somerhalder if he’d gotten the role of Jason Stackhouse.
- Creator Alan Ball doesn’t see the point in using the characters in the opening sequence of the show since the audience will see them for the next hour anyway.
Reasons You Love True Blood
It’d be simple to just place all the leading men right here with their shirts off, but I’m guessing you’ve managed to fall in love with more than the physique of your favorite True Blood man. Those who love True Blood fall into two categories: those who have always been into vampires and co. and those who just happened to stumble upon the show and get hooked.
For the first group, you’ve been reading Anne Rice for years and likely spent your teen years dedicated to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a teen drama, but you were in high school and her problems were your problems — besides the whole slaying gig. Now that you’re older you’ve had to move on from your Buffy DVDs and settle into a new weekly delight. Thankfully HBO was there to fill the void in your life and from day one you’ve been dead set on never missing an episode. For the other half, good TV is good TV and the fact that you’re dealing with hard to believe plotlines doesn’t matter. You’ve become involved so much so with the characters that you couldn’t imagine giving up the show now. Five seasons invested already, why leave now?
Back to the reason I’m sure True Blood continues to do well: the abundance of eye candy. From the body of Joe Manganiello to the intense stare of Stephen Moyer and back to the feminine mystique of Rutina Wesley. Can you imagine how “hard” it must be to cast this show… sitting in a room with a sea of incredibly good looking people pouring in.
You either love True Blood because it’s in your DNA to love shows like it, you fell in love with it because it’s good TV in your book, or you like what you see.
Reasons I Love True Blood
Unlike Doctor Who, I’ve never even seen a clip of this show. Being on HBO, I’d have to go out of my way to see it somewhere online and I don’t have time for that. If it’s not Dexter or Shameless, what’s the point of seeking it out? Well, in my life what’s the point? Anyways, when it comes to True Blood I would have to say I appreciate the fandom because I know it’s there. I see the Merlotte’s tees at cons and know that even famous women have had Twitter wars over who Manganiello loves more — true facts. So what’s to actually love for me? Some of the actors’ other roles.
Anna Paquin will always be a part of my life because she was Mackenzie Siler is She’s All That. For me that’s huge. She’s the one who took Rachel Leigh Cook’s glasses off and “magically” transformed her from geek to chic in one of the most memorable slow motion scenes of the ’90s. And as for Joe Manganiello, do I even have to go into why Magic Mike changed my life? Yes, I do because I can feel your glare. Magic Mike wasn’t good at all and that’s coming from a girl who adores Channing Tatum, but visually? That movie was a masterpiece, and Joe played a big, big part in that.
So I don’t love True Blood because frankly I’ve never seen it and probably never will since I may never have HBO legally, but I do appreciate its fans and have an itty bitty place in my heart for two of its stars thanks to other roles they’ve had.
