True Blood - The Complete First Season (DVD, 2009, 5-Disc Set)

"Thou Shall Not Crave Thy Neighbour."

True Blood ponders the question: Why do good girls fall for bad boys? Alan Ball is perhaps best known for his originality and aesthetics in writing the Academy-Award-winning screenplay for American Beauty, and for creating the HBO television show Six Feet Under. Based on Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, Ball's new HBO series, True Blood (which recently premiered on HBO on September 7, 2008), is another good reason to own a television these days. Set in Bon Temps, Louisiana, the Southern Vampire television series tells the gothic love story of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress, who falls in love with the town vampire, Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Sookie is a virgin, "cursed" with the ability to hear people's thoughts. Bill is a 173-year-old vampire who, despite his Southern charms, has only one thing on his mind when it comes to Sookie. Meanwhile, as religious leaders and government officials debate the safety issues surrounding the co-existence of vampires and humans, "Bad Things" (as the show's theme song suggests) are happening to the residents of Bon Temps. The show's soundtrack (by Gary Calamar) is equal parts "swampy, bluesy and spooky." Ryan Kwanten plays Sookie's brother, Jason Stackhouse, a sex addict who is also addicted to "V" (vampire blood) for its viagra-ecstasy-like effects. William Sanderson and Chris Bauer play the small town's rather inept investigating law enforcement officers. Much like Six Feet Under, True Blood reveals Alan Ball's genius for original storytelling. True Blood is not only television with fangs, it is television at its bloody best.

I was hesitant to watch True Blood because of all the current teen vampire hype, but because I was a Six Feet Under fan, I gave Allan Ball's next effort a chance. After the first episode I was hooked; the characters are all complex, the storyline intricate (even I didn't see the end of the season coming!) and above all, they get their vampire facts straight. They burn in the sun and actually feed on humans, and must abide by a strict vampire code. Anna Paquin is so endearing as mind-reading waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is loving but level-headed in a world where vampires enter society. Stephen Moyer is romantic but not oversexed as vampire Bill Compton, who keeps to Civil War courting etiquette and separates himself from his murderous peers. And all set in a small town in Louisiana, this show sheds a believable light on the vampire myth. Just watch the first episode and you will end up buying the season!

I read the books first, so I already visualized in my mind what I thought the characters would look like, and with the exception of Pam, Longshadow,Sam and Lafayette, Season 1 kind of let me down in that regard. I thought the people portraying the characters were just average in looks compared to what my mind conjured while reading the books by Charlaine Harris.

I thought Bill would look well, hunkier. I just don't find him attractive at all. Sorry Anna! I also thought Sookie would be sexier than the sweet, girl-next-door look of Anna Paquin, although she plays her very well. I must admit that I kind of pictured Eric as a big hunk of luscious, deep-voiced Viking, not the trim and thin man they have portraying them.

The series is good, although it deviates from the storyline of the book in places, which is understandable in order to flesh out the storyline for a weekly show. I strongly encourage everyone to read Charlaine Harris's books, starting at book one of the Southern Vampires series, Dead Until Dark.

I bought season 2, and will no doubt buy all of them to complete the set because they are entertaining, and is worth the money. I also like the way the DVD case is set up to hold the 5 discs, then folds up neatly and slides in the outer sleeve.

Charlaine Harris' books about Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic bar waitress, have created a Southern town 'peopled' by vampires, shape-shifters, were-animals, kind souls and haters. Alan Ball used this world created on the page as the basic ingredient of the HBO series TRUE BLOOD. Ball has added extraordinary casting, talented episodic writing and remarkable directing to animate the engaging story lines from Harris' books making a series of character-driven tales that are sexy, frightening, mysterious and addictive TRUE BLOOD is not an exact representation of the Sookie stories, but a series adding the genius of Alan Ball and his creative team to color and bring life to characters who range from charming to deranged. The first season bridges the expectations of readers who are Sookie fans to the visible and viewable world of Sookie Stackhouse. Ball has done credit to Harris' amazing creation and TRUE BLOOD benefits from the genius of each.

I bought the dvd set of the first season of True Blood. The show is a hoot! There is so much going on it keeps you entertained. I happen to like supernatural stories and this is one of the best. There are vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, telepaths, romance and sex. The series is based on a set of books by Charlaine Harris about a mind reading waitress set in Louisiana. Her name is Sookie Stackhouse and she seems to attract the unnatural like flies to honey. If you like the supernatural you will love this series. I can't wait for season two to come out on dvd. It is a cable show so I have to warn you there is sex, violence and bad language but the show is fun.