Rising Prominence Of Original Programming
During the 1990s, HBO began developing a reputation for high-quality and irreverent original programming it was throughout this decade that the network experienced increasing success among audiences and acclaim from television critics for original series such as , , , , and . One of the scripted comedy programs that premiered early in the decade, , arguably became HBO’s flagship series of the 1990s the show enjoyed a cult status and critical acclaim, and received multiple nominations and wins for many major television awards, including three , three and two . The original programs that HBO has developed since the early 1990s have earned the channel numerous Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations and wins. HBO has been nominated in at least one category at the Emmys and Golden Globes since ” rel=”nofollow”> Mandela), and set a record for the most Primetime Emmy nominations for a television network in a single year in .
HBO experienced additional viewer acclaim with the 2008 debut of , a -themed fantasy horror drama based on gothic novel series by . While earning few major television awards throughout its run, True Blood‘s average viewership often rivaled that of The Sopranos, peaking at an average of 12.4 million per week during its second season. The network saw three more hit series premiere in the 2010s: , which earned both critical and viewer praise, and set a single-year record for Emmy wins by an individual program in with 12 awards and .
Kevin Alejandro Jess Velasquez
Brujo by night, psychiatric nurse by day, Jess was a skilled magician and Lafayettes devoted partner. When Jess was looking after Lafayettes mother Ruby Jean, the two first met. As their relationship progressed, Jess became aware of Lafayettes medium skills and assisted him in honing them.
Kevin Alejandros current role as Detective Dan Espinoza in Netflixs Lucifer makes him instantly identifiable. Alejandro cultivates a love for directing and has even taken a few turns acting as Lucifers director. In the anime series Arcane, he provides Jayces voice.
Anna Paquin Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie was a regular waitress at Merlottes Bar and Grill in Bon Temps. She also had a tad of psychic talent and could read peoples minds. Later, it was said that she had telepathic powers since she was a faerie, but that is a different narrative. Between her first vampire love Bill, Viking-turned-vamp Eric, and werewolf Alcide, Sookie struggled mightily.
Anna Paquin actually went with Bill, who was portrayed by Stephen Moyer. They got married in 2010 and have twin daughters named Charlie and Poppy. The most recent role that Paquin played was Brenda Meoni in the Kurt Warner biopic American Underdog. She also portrays publicist Robyn, the main character of Flack on Amazon Prime. Off-screen, she is a strong supporter of womens and LGBTQ rights.
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Ryan Kwanten Jason Stackhouse
The silly yet well-intentioned brother of Sookie has caused himself plenty of trouble throughout the years. Jason Stackhouse was drawn into the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Rising Sun, which was cult-like, and then joined a group of werepanthers until finding his place as a police officer working with Andy Bellefleur.
Since True Blood, Ryan Kwanten has landed a variety of TV and film roles, most recently as Jack in the futuristic love story Loveland. Kwanten will also make an appearance in the upcoming Lovecraftian horror movie Glorious, which Shudder has purchased.
A Southern Gothic Romancewith Vampires
The fantasy/drama show True Blood premiered on HBO in 2008. The series, which is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris, quickly became beloved by fans and critics alike and aired for seven seasons until 2014.
The story of a human who falls in love with a vampire isnt a new one by any means, but True Bloods unique blend of Southern Gothic romance, horror, and humour made the show stand out amongst the other vampire-themed media that was released around the same time.
Of course, the stellar casting also played a huge part in the shows success! So where is True Blood‘s cast now? Lets catch up with Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Joe Manganiello, and the rest of the True Blood cast.
Anna Paquin in True Blood…
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List Of True Blood Characters
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True Blood is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris.
This article includes main characters , as well as every recurring vampire, and every other character to appear in at least four episodes.
Warner Bros Discovery Ownership
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On May 17, 2021, AT& T and reached a definitive agreement, in which WarnerMedia would from AT& T as an independent company that in turn will acquire Discovery’s assets. The $43-billion cash/securities/stock transaction, which will include the retention of certain existing WarnerMedia debt, is expected to be finalized by April 8, 2022. Upon completion, Home Box Office Inc. and all other assets of WarnerMedia would be combined with the Discovery assets . AT& T shareholders will own 71% of the company’s stock and Discovery shareholders will own the remaining 29% share Discovery President/CEO will be appointed to head the new company, replacing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar.
HBO subsequently faced a reorganization on August 15 to dismantle most of HBO Max’s autonomous units, with HBO Max’s head of comedy Suzanna Makkos now reporting to HBO’s head of comedy Amy Gravitt, and layoffs within HBO Max’s non-scripted, live-action family entertainment, international originals, and casting units, as well as HBO’s acquisitions unit.
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Alexander Skarsgrd Eric Northman
The hottest vampire bar in Shreveport was Fangtasia, which was owned by the seductive vampire sheriff of Area 5 named Eric Northman. Eric is more than a thousand years old because he was born during the Viking era in Sweden. Sadly, Eric and Sookies love didnt go very far on television they marry in the books the programme is based on.
The protagonist in The Legend of Tarzan, Dr. Nathan Lind in Godzilla vs. Kong, and most recently, the Viking Amleth in The Northman , have all made Alexander Skarsgrd possibly the most well-known member of the ensemble. Skarsgrd has also had notable appearances on the big screen, as Randall Flagg in the most recent rendition of the Stephen King novel The Stand and Perry Wright in Big Little Lies.
Rutina Wesley Tara Thornton
Sookies closest friend Tara Thornton was also the cousin of the gorgeous Lafayette Reynolds. Tara had a plethora of hardships, including coping with her mother Lettie Mays alcoholism and grudgingly turning into a vampire. Tara handled everything with grace and developed into one of the series most powerful female characters.
Rutina Wesley had a brief cameo as Reba McClane on Hannibal after True Blood, but she is perhaps most recognised for playing the lead in Queen Sugar as Nova Bordelon. Additionally, Wesley played Athena in the DC miniseries DMZ.
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National Expansion Innovation And Rise To Prominence
HBO estimated that eleven cable systems received its signal via satellite by the end of 1975. HBO achieved coast-to-coast distribution in December 1975, when TelePrompTer added the network to its , systems, extending its reach to the . By 1977, two fledgling cable networks had joined HBO in pioneering satellite delivery for the cable television industry, along with conceiving the concept of modern basic cable service, becoming the first of many to adopt satellite transmission over the coming years: -based ” rel=”nofollow”> WTBS), which, through then-owner , became the first to become a national in December 1976 and the upstart ” rel=”nofollow”> Freeform), started by as the first satellite-delivered religious network in April 1977. By April 1976, Home Box Office reached 386,000 subscribers , increasing to 500,000 subscribers by August 1976 . By the end of 1977, the network had around one million subscribers across 435 cable and MDS systems serving 45 states. Time’s third-quarter fiscal report that year disclosed that HBO had turned its first profit in nearly five years of operation.
Kristin Bauer Van Straten
Pamela Swynford De Beaufort was Eric’s badass progeny and co-owner of “Fangtasia”. She was known for her fierce loyalty to her maker, her penchant for wearing pink, and her one-liners. She eventually became a maker herself, creating a progeny out of Sookie’s best friend, Tara Thornton.
During her time on True Blood, Kristin Bauer van Straten played another badass femaleMaleficent on Once Upon a Time. More recently though, she starred as Bree in the thriller Paradise Cove. Bauer van Straten also co-hosts HBO’s Truest Blood podcast with co-star Deborah Ann Woll who played Jessica Hamby.
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Only One Actor In The Series Was A True Southerner
Despite the fact that True Blood was based in the heart of Louisiana, most of the actors werent even from the south or even the United States! Anna Paquin is from New Zealand, Stephen Moyer is English, Ryan Kwanten is Australian, and Alexander Skarsgard is from Sweden. Only Sam Tramell, who played bar owner Sam Merlotte, is from the south, according to The Gamer. He was actually born and raised in New Orleans, so he was most familiar with the setting of the series.
The culture in Louisiana has been crafted from centuries of Cajun, Creole, French, and Spanish folklore, beliefs, and superstitions. Its an ideal place for a story about the supernatural. Having cast members from the area might have made the series seem more authenticthey might even have had some knowledge of local folklore that would help them further embrace their characters.
Sam Trammell Sam Merlotte
The proprietor of the popular neighbourhood hangout Merlottes Bar and Grill was Sam Merlotte. He could change into any animal or even human form because he was a shifter. Sam yearned for Sookie for a protracted period of time before settling down with Nicole Wright, a super-civil rights warrior with whom he had two daughters.
Since his time on True Blood, Sam Trammell has largely worked in television, making guest appearances as Ben in This Is Us and President Ben Haynes in season 8 of Homeland. He most recently appeared in The Tiger Rising with Dennis Quaid.
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Hen Moyer Bill Compton
Bill Compton, a 170-year-old vampire who fell in love with Sookie Stackhouse, was affectionately called as Vampire Bill by the more liberal townsfolk. He experienced stints as vampire sheriff, king, and even the incarnation of the first vampire Lilith at one point, all with his beloved Sook-eh by his side .
Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin have been happily married for twelve years, despite the fact that he did not finish up with Sookie in the television series. Since True Blood, Moyer has worked on numerous projects, most recently playing Victor Strong in the suspenseful Confession and Troy in the post-apocalyptic Last Survivors with Alicia Silverstone.
Development And Early Expansion As A Regional Service
Cable television executive through his company, Sterling Information Servicesfounded Manhattan Cable TV Services , a cable system franchise serving the section of New York City ” rel=”nofollow”> 79th Street on the to on the Upper West Side), which began limited service in September 1966. Manhattan Cable was notable for being the first urban underground cable television system to operate in the United States because of a longstanding New York City Council ordinance that restricted electrical and telecommunication wiring from being run above ground to prevent widespread service disruptions as well as the multitude of tall buildings on causing impairment of television signals, the company had laid cable lines beneath the streets of and into buildings throughout Manhattan.
Time-Life and Sterling Communications soon proposed for the “Sterling Cable Network” to be the name of the new service. Discussions to change the service’s name took place during a later meeting of Dolan and the executive staff he hired to assist in developing the project, who ultimately settled on calling it ““, which was meant to convey to potential customers that the service would be their “” to movies and events that they could see in their own home. The moniker was intended as a to meet deadlines to publish a memorandum and research brochures about the new service management intended to come up with a permanent name as development continued however, the “Home Box Office” name stuck.
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Kristin Bauer Van Straten Pam De Beaufort
Pamela Swynford De Beaufort, a fierce descendant of Eric, was also a co-owner of Fangtasia. She was renowned for her unwavering devotion to her creator, her love of wearing pink, and her quick wit. Later, she turned into a maker herself, producing Tara Thornton, Sookies best friend, as a child.
Kristin Bauer van Straten played the fierce Maleficent on Once Upon a Time while she was still on True Blood. She did, however, play Bree in the suspense film Paradise Cove more recently. In addition, Deborah Ann Woll, who played Jessica Hamby on the HBO series Truest Blood, and co-star Bauer van Straten co-host the podcast.
At& t Ownership Proposed Spin
On October 22, 2016, AT& T announced an offer to acquire Time Warner for $108.7 billion. Time Warner shareholders approved the merger on February 15, 2017. On November 20, 2017, the filed a lawsuit against AT& T and Time Warner in an attempt to block the merger, citing concerns surrounding the transaction. U.S. clearance of the proposed merger was affirmed by court ruling on June 12, 2018. The merger closed two days later on June 14, 2018, with Time Warner becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of AT& T, which renamed the unit . The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington unanimously upheld the lower court’s ruling in favor of AT& T on February 26, 2019.
On February 28, 2019, stepped down from his position as CEO of Home Box Office, Inc., after a collective 27-year tenure at HBO and twelve years as head of the network and its parent unit. On March 4 of that year, AT& T announced a major reorganization of WarnerMedia’s assets, dividing WarnerMedia’s television properties among three corporate divisions. Home Box Office, Inc. was reassigned to , placing it under the same umbrella as sister basic cable networks , and , and under the leadership of former NBC and Showtime executive .
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Comparisons To Lgbt Rights
The struggle for vampire equality in True Blood has been interpreted as an allegory for the LGBT rights movement.Charlaine Harris, the author of the book series on which the show is based, stated that her initial characterization for the vampires were as “…a minority that was trying to get equal rights”. Several phrases in the series are borrowed and adapted from expressions used against and about LGBT people, such as “God Hates Fangs” and “Coming out of the coffin” .
Entertainment Weekly‘s Ken Tucker wrote that the show is built “around a series of metaphors: Vampire rights stand in for gay rights, and now the clever laughs elicited from this bratty-vampire girl represent an extreme of adolescent rebelliousness”. David Bianculli of NPR wrote, “True Blood is big on allegory, and the tension about accepting vampires into society is an obvious play on civil rights in general, and gay rights in particular”. However, the series’ creator, Alan Ball, who is gay, has stated that such a comparison is lazy and possibly homophobic and Lauren Gutterman of the has expressed concerns that the show might perpetuate negative stereotypes of homosexuals as deviants.
True Blood Was Based On A Book Series
The popular vampire show was actually based on a series of books written by Charlaine Harris. The Southern Vampire Mysteriessometimes referred to as the Sookie Stackhouse Novelscontains 13 novels centered around a waitress with telepathic powers. Sookie Stackhouse lives in a world where supernatural creatures, like vampires, co-exist with humans. Both the books and the television series take place in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.
True Blood had seven seasons on HBO and won several awards including Peoples Choice for Favorite TV Obsession, AFI TV Programs of the Year, and Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, according to IMDb. An incredibly talented cast brought the characters to life with amazing performances throughout the entirety of the show.
Anna Paquin portrayed Sookie Stackhouse, the sweet waitress with the ability to read peoples minds. Stephen Moyer played Bill Compton, delivering his performance with an air of mystery and charm that perfectly fit the brooding vampire. Sookie and Bill have an immediate attraction, developing one of the strongest love stories in television.
Of course, a love story just isnt complete if theres no conflict. Alexander Skarsgard brings that conflict when his character, Eric, falls in love with Sookie later in the series. This begins a complicated love triangle that had fans professing their allegiance to #teambill or #teameric.
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Nelsan Ellis Lafayette Reynolds
The chef at Merlottes was Lafayette Reynolds, who was fantastic, humorous, and personable. Many people in Bon Temps counted him as a dependable friend, and he ferociously guarded his cousin Tara. During his connection with Jess, Lafayette finally discovered he had mediumistic powers, which later allowed him to interact with his deceased sweetheart.
Tragically, 39-year-old fan favourite Nelsan Ellis passed away in July 2017 from heart failure. Ellis played Tyrik in True To The Game and Shinwell Johnson in Elementary as a guest star before his sad demise.