True Blood

True Blood is a television series that began airing on HBO on September 7th, 2008. The series was developed by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) and adapted the Southern Vampire Mysteries novels written by novelist Charlaine Harris. The plot revolves around the development of an artificial blood substitute called Tru Blood, which enables vampires the ability to sustain themselves without the need for physically drinking human blood. As such, vampires are now able to "come out of the coffin" and reveal themselves to the general populace. The series takes place in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana and is shown from the perspective of a young waitress named Sookie Stackhouse - a psychic who develops a romantic relationship with a vampire named Bill Compton. Although vampires are the primary supernatural element in the series, the show also showcases other bizarre creatures including shape-shifters, psychics and maenads.

Characters
Sookie Stackhouse: Sookie is a waitress who works for Sam Merlotte. She possesses psychic abilities and develops a relationship with a vampire named Bill Compton. Their relationship goes through many pitfalls as she finds herself pitted between Bill and his vampiric superior, Eric Northman.

Bill Compton: Bill Compton is a vampire and a native of Bon Temps. He served during the American Civil War and only recently returned to his home town to lay down some roots. He falls in love and courts Sookie Stackhouse despite growing resistance from members of the community. Through vampire editc, Bill is forced to turn a girl named Jessica Hamby into a vampire.

Sam Merlotte: Sam Merlotte is the owner of Merlotte's Bar & Grill and is a keystone figure in Bon Temps. Despite his well-meaning attitude and his overt affection for Sookie Stackhouse, Sam also has a dark secret - one that only few others know about. Sam becomes the prime target of Maryanne Forrester, an evil maenad with tremendous powers.

Jason Stackhouse: Jason Stackhouse is the brother of Sookie Stackhouse. A well-meaning though dim-witted man, Jason at first harbors a great distaste for vampires. However, his experiences with a vampire captive calls his prejudices into judgment and he finds himself to be a lost soul. Jason is eventually recruited by a cult calling themselves the Fellowship of the Sun who trains him to become a vampire hunter. When the cult threatens his sister, he betrays them and returns to Bon Temps.

Tara Thornton Tara is Sookie's best friend and a waitress at Merlotte's. Tara goes through a tremendous ordeal when her mother convinces her that she has a demon living inside of her. Tara goes to a woman for an exorcism, but unwittingly summons forth a maenad named Maryanne Forrester. Maryanne uses her powers to brainwash Tara as well as many others living in Bon Temps.

Lafayette Reynolds: Lafayette Reynolds is a homosexual drug dealer, road worker, prostitute, go-go dancer, and short-fry cook. Through a network of special connections, Lafayette is the number one connection in Bon Temps for V (vampire blood). Eric Northman kidnaps him and holds him captive, which has long-lasting repurcussions on Lafayette's psyche.

Eric Northman: Eric Northman is a one-thousand-year-old vampire of Nordic heritage. He is the sheriff of Bon Temps and conducts his day-to-day affairs from a vampire bar known as Fangtasia. Upon discovering Sookie Stackhouse's ability to read minds, Eric sets his sights on her and stops at nothing to disrupt the relationship she has with his rival, Bill Compton.

Theme Song
The opening theme song was written by Jace Everett. The sequence features video clips of sensual displays of sexuality juxtaposed with images of religious fervor, suggesting that the emotional gratification one receives from both sex and faith is equitible to one another. The lyrics to the theme song are as follows:

When you came in the air went out. And every shadow filled up with doubt. I don't know who you think you are, But before the night is through, I wanna do bad things with you.

I'm the kind to sit up in his room. Heart sick an' eyes filled up with blue. I don't know what you've done to me, But I know this much is true: I wanna do bad things with you.

When you came in the air went out. And all those shadows there filled up with doubt. I don't know who you think you are, But before the night is through, I wanna do bad things with you. I wanna do real bad things with you. Ow, ooh.

I don't know what you've done to me, But I know this much is true: I wanna do bad things with you. I wanna do real bad things with you.

Notes & Trivia

 * EyeCon hosted the first True Blood convention in Orlando, Florida on November 13th-15th. Media guests included Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, Ashley Jones, Allan Hyde and Todd Lowe.