True-Blood.tv will be undergoing major renovations over the next few weeks. Virtually every section of the site will be updated and improved in exciting new ways. Please pardon our dust as we make these modifications. As part of the process, the old RSS feeds for the site will break. If you are using our RSS services, you must visit the site and re-subscribe as of March 27, 2010 in order to continue to receive updates via your reader.

Much thanks,
John

The True Blood Music / Sound Score section of the site has been updated to include songs used in all episodes of Season 2.

Know of one I missed? Let me know!

Tags: Season 2, S02E05, S02E06, S02E07, S02E08, S02E09, S02E10, S02E11, S02E12

You might remember when HBO advertised the fictional TruBlood drink, well now they’ve made the real thing!

HBO is launching a new TruBlood Beverage this weekend, starting at 6pm (PST) on Saturday, 7/25. It’s a Blood Orange flavored carbonated beverage, “All Flavor. No Bite.” The HBO Store will be the exclusive provider:

Tags: HBO, Tru Blood

Tonight it’s season 2, episode 5 of HBO’s TV series True Blood. Please join us in the forum for exciting post-broadcast discussion. We, also, have a Live Chat in place for those who wish to discuss the episode in real time, beginning at 10:00PM ET.

Tags: Discussion, True Blood

The True Blood Music / Sound Score section of the site has been updated to include songs used in Season 2 episode 4 “Shake & Fingerpop”.

Know of one I missed? Let me know!

Tags: Season 2, Sound Score, S02E04, True Blood

Courtesy of HBO, two preview clips from Episode 5 of True Blood Season 2, “Never Let Me Go”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8iZevo_MRQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtctkdixPAU

Tags: Video, S02E05, True Blood

Tonight it’s season 2, episode 4 of HBO’s TV series True Blood. Please join us in the forum for exciting post-broadcast discussion. We, also, have a Live Chat in place for those who wish to discuss the episode in real time, beginning at 10:00PM ET.

Tags: Discussion, True Blood

True-Blood.tv now has three unique RSS Feeds to help you keep track of updates around the site:

True-Blood.tv Site News:
http://true-blood.tv/News/files/TrueBlood.xml

True Blood Episode Guide:
http://true-blood.tv/Episodes/files/True-Blood-Episodes.xml

True Blood Music / Sound Score:
http://true-blood.tv/Music/files/True-Blood-Music.xml


More major site updates forthcoming...

Tags: Site Update, True Blood

Seventeen additional photos have been added to the True Blood Season 2 Photo Gallery.

Tags: Pictures, Season 2, True Blood

The True Blood Music / Sound Score section of the site has been updated to include songs used in Season 2 episodes 1 through 3.

Know of one I missed? Let me know!

Tags: Season 2, Sound Score, S02E01, S02E02, S02E03, True Blood

Tonight it’s season 2, episode 3 of HBO’s TV series True Blood. Please join us in the forum for exciting post-broadcast discussion. We, also, have a Live Chat in place for those who wish to discuss the episode in real time, beginning at 10:00PM ET.

Tags: Discussion, True Blood

The True-Blood.tv News section is being slowly revamped over the next few weeks. The main focus of the news will now be on Site News and updates (such as Music, Photos, etc). Expanded features for external / True Blood community news will be added shortly. In the meantime, there is a revolving listing of News Links in the Sidebar --->

Tonight it’s season 2, episode 2 of HBO’s TV series True Blood. Please join us in the forum for exciting post-broadcast discussion. We, also, have a Live Chat in place for those who wish to discuss the episode in real time, beginning at 10:00PM ET.

Tags: Discussion, True Blood

Despite only having aired one episode so far, True Blood Season 2 is now available for pre-order on DVD and Blu-Ray!
An exact release date has not yet been announced:

Tags: DVD, Blu-Ray, Season 2, True Blood

Official descriptions and scheduling information for True Blood Season 2 Episodes 4, 5 and 6 have been added to the True Blood Episode Guide.

Tags: S02E04, S02E05, S02E06, True Blood

Evan Rachel Wood (Vampire Queen Sophie Anne), will be making an appearance the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Show on Thursday, June 25, 2009 on NBC.

Check your local listing for broadcast airtime in your area.

More Info:
http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/

Tags: Appearances, Evan Rachel Wood, True Blood

Four official prmotional Photos of Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) have been added to the True Blood Season 2 Gallery.

Tags: Pictures, Nelsan Ellis, Season 2, True Blood

TRUE BLOOD's Anna Paquin answers burning questions about the show's premiere and beyond!

Tags: Anna Paquin, True Blood

Hollywood 411 chats up the cast of TRUE BLOOD at the premiere of its second season. Also talk with Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer who are now a couple on and off screen. They discuss their relationship, and, creator Alan Ball talks about new cast member Evan Rachel Wood.

Tags: Video, Anna Paquin, True Blood

***SEEKING EXTRAS 18 YEARS AND UP***
*** ALL RACES
***ALL ETHNICITIES
***and YOUR VEHICLES

** You will be paid and you have to be available for up to 12 hours each day you work. Filming July 6 – 10, 2009 IN BATON ROUGE.

For more info:
http://bamcastingla.com/Home_Page.php

Tags: Production, Season 2, True Blood

--- “After I was cast and I realized my body would be exposed all the time, I went out and bought some shorts — I owned none — to help me get used to it,” Paquin reveals.
Her scantily clad character has crept into her real life as well. “You stop thinking, Do I look weird at this angle? I’ve learned to feel comfortable wearing very little. It’s liberating!” she says. ---

Full Article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/06/16/2009-06-16_anna_paquin_beats_the_heat_in_style.html

Tags: Articles, Anna Paquin, True Blood

--- In the second-season premiere of True Blood, we pick up right where we left off, in the parking lot of Merlotte's where there's a dead body with painted toenails in Andy's car. We find out who it is, and what that discovery means for Lafayette's future on the show. Bill and Sookie squabble like old marrieds, except now they can also squabble with their surrogate teen daughter, Jessica. We learn how Sam and Maryann know each other, and why the heck Jason is joining an anti-vampire church. ---

Full Article:
http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/true-blood/True-Blood-Episode-1006885.aspx

Tags: Articles, True Blood

--- PopWrap: The reveal of Eric last night with tinfoil in his hair was amazing. How did that come about?

Alexander Skarsgård: We had a lot of fun with that scene. I worked on that with the costume designer, wanting to find something weird or disturbing and flip flops was probably the weirdest outfit we could come up with for a badass vampire to wear while killing a guy.

PW: Was it hard looking scary in that outfit?

Alexander: That's what I loved about the scene; I could have come down in a long black leather cape, looking tough. But I came down with foil wrapped tips. Look, Eric's beauty session with Pam was interrupted. What can I say?

PW: And after a whole summer of wondering Lafayette was dead, you actually had him chained up in the basement!

Alexander: Nelsan [Ellis] who plays Lafayette is so amazing. He's created such an incredible character. I mean, you can not kill that guy! He's too good. We need him on the show! ---

Full Article:
http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2009/06/alexander_skarsgard_interview.html

Tags: Articles, Alexander Skarsgard, True Blood

--- Did you find it helpful to read Charlaine's novels to build a backstory for Eric, or did show runner Alan Ball discourage that, since the show isn't a literal adaptation?

Skarsgard: No. Before we started season one, I read the first five books just to give me some backstory and to help me dive into the world and understand the world that Charlaine created and my character of Eric. But once we started shooting season one, it was a little confusing reading the books and the scripts at the same time, because they are a little bit different. Actually, it was quite confusing to try and figure out what was from the books and the series. But it was great to have them as a backstory in creating the character.

Has Alan given you a lot of notes and direction for how he wants you to interpret Eric?

Skarsgard: Alan has given me a tremendous amount of freedom, and he really lets us go and explore our characters. It's given me a lot of confidence and energy and enthusiasm as an actor to have that from a show runner.

There's a sort of hilarious too-cool-to-exist vanity about Eric, with his foil highlights in the season premiere and his casual track suits. Do you invest a lot of your own time in creating Eric's look?

Skarsgard: Yes, it's a collaboration I have with Audrey Fisher, the costume designer. She's amazing. We have a fantastic relationship. We have fittings every week where we get together and talk to bounce around ideas. It's something we play around with and come up with together. ---

Full Article:
http://scifiwire.com/2009/06/what-secrets-does-true-bl.php

Tags: Articles, Alexander Skarsgard, True Blood

HBO has launched two new Twitter accounts that fans may follow for the latest news and gossip:


TrueBloodHBO will broadcast relevant news and information
http://twitter.com/TrueBloodHBO

BonTemps Gossip will take you deep into the town from the perspective of one of its most gossip-happy residents
http://twitter.com/BonTempsGossip

Tags: HBO, Marketing, True Blood

--- "Believe it or not, the show is sexier and gorier," Ball said about the new crop of episodes. "I think it's also funnier. I think it's also deeper. I just feel like the show is really finding its identity and delving into itself in a way that feels really organic. It definitely feels as if things are ramped up for season two." ---

Full Article:
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20090615_trueblood

Tags: Articles, Alan Ball, True Blood

AfterElton’s Brian and Andy are back with the Blood Work Vlog:

Tags: Blood Work, True Blood

True Blood and Nelsan Ellis were featured winners at the New Now next 2009 Awards.

Brink of Fame: Actor -Nelsan Ellis, True Blood

Best Show You're Not Watching - True Blood, HBO

Tags: Awards, Nelsan Ellis, True Blood

--- You'd think all the stars of True Blood would have checked out Twilight by now.
"I haven't seen it," Sam Trammell, who plays bar owner Sam Merlotte on HBO's hit vampire series, tells me. "I haven't read the books. I should though, just so I can answer questions about it."
Not that True Blood's and Twilight's audiences completely overlap. "The sense I get is Twilight is PG and ours is bordering on NC-17," Trammell says. ---

Full Article:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b129264_true_bloods_sam_trammell_i_should_see.html

Tags: Articles, Sam Trammell, True Blood

--- Sunday night played host to an anxiously-awaited television event on our newly all-digital TV signals (and we're not talking about the Lakers' victory). It was the premiere of the second season of True Blood, the vampiric HBO show that first catapulted into our collective consciousness with a series of extremely effective viral ads that had all of us doing double-takes when we caught our first glimpse of ads for the TruBlood energy drink. Viewership skyrocketed during the first season, so HBO was faced with the challenge to top the faux-blood beverage for Season Two. Did they? ---

Full Article:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/alissa-walker/designerati/did-seasons-true-blood-campaign-achieve-immortality-or-just-plain-suc

Tags: Articles, Marketing, Viral Marketing, True Blood

According to HBO,

“The second season premiere of True Blood with 3.7 million viewers was the most watched HBO program since The Sopranos season finale on 6/10/07. Sunday’s 9:00 pm airing was up 157% in comparison to the series’ premiere and 51% in comparison to the first season finale. Including the 11:00 pm airing, True Blood had 5.1 million viewers, also the largest Sunday gross audience for the series. “

Tags: Ratings, S02E01, True Blood

--- WARNING: Stop reading if you have not watched the season premiere of True Blood. I mean it. Everyone else, onward and downward...

Now that you've seen the season 2 premiere of True Blood, join me in a chorus of, “Hallelujah, Lafayette lives!” Although last November’s cliffhanger seemed to suggest that series creator Alan Ball was remaining faithful to Charlaine Harris’ books and sending Nelsan Ellis’ fierce, flamboyant alter ego to an early grave, Sunday’s debut confirmed what many fans had hoped: Ball decided to spare the wildly popular character. But why? In this exclusive interview, Ellis has the surprising answer to that question, as well as scoop on another possible detour Ball has up his sleeve -- this one involving a deep connection between Lafayette and Alexander Skarsgard's Eric.

When you first signed on to the show, did Alan Ball assure you he would not be following the books when it came to this character?

NELSAN ELLIS: No, no no. When I first started it was only a one-year contract, so I thought I was a goner after the 12th episode. In fact, [Alan] didn’t tell me that he was bringing me back until after the table read for the [the season 1 finale]. He was like, ‘You know we’re not killing you, right?’ And I was like, “I didn’t know but thanks for telling me.

What was your reaction?

ELLIS: Thank you! I have a job for next season! That was my reaction. ---

Full Article:
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/06/true-blood-exclusive-lafayette-speaks.html

Tags: Articles, Nelsan Ellis, True Blood

Tonight is the season 2 premiere of HBO’s TV series True Blood. Please join us in the forum for exciting post-broadcast discussion. We, also, have a Live Chat in place for those who wish to discuss the episode in real time.

Tags: Discussion, True Blood

The Globe And Mail’s R.M. Vaughan chats with Charlaine Harris about True Blood, gay rights, sucess and more:

--- The great thing about the vampire myth is that anybody who takes it on gets to reinvent the mythology. Yet, you must have had some core texts in your head.

CH: Right. Well, of course, I kind of ricocheted off Anne Rice. I don't write anything like she did, and I don't have the same content or anything, but some of my world is simply a reaction to hers.

And your books are far more political. The vampires' struggles for equal rights can be read as a stand-in for gay rights, or even a reflection on the integration battles of the last generation.

CH: I do have a political take, I definitely do. Yeah, they are stand-ins for gay people, and I didn't really care a lot if there was resistance to that. It was incredibly hard to sell – it took my agent two years to sell the first book. I didn't expect that, 'cause I thought editors were just gonna eat this up. Not. In fact, it was rejected often and with vehemence. Some people just hated it, and said, “How could we market this, where would we shelve it?” Maybe they're thinkin' twice now. ---

Full Article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/behind-true-blood-a-fight-for-vampire-rights/article1177802/

Tags: Articles, Charlaine Harris, True Blood

Pop culture travel guide “Jaunted” has prepared an adventurous itinerary of popular vampire-oriented destinations in Louisiana...

Begin your journey, if you dare:
http://www.jaunted.com/maps/true-blood-map

Tags: Articles, True Blood

--- Vampires have taken over the Los Angeles Times.
Beneath the masthead of Friday print editions is a full front-page ad for the HBO's series "True Blood." A black-and-white close-up of star Stephen Moyer with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth dominates the page.
In news boxes around town, all that's visible is the close-up of actor's menacing gaze and the paper's banner splayed across the top. No other stories or photos appear on the cover, which is actually a separate four-page broadsheet touting Sunday's premiere of the show's second season. ---

Full Article:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gCN5lK6rXviUTebCoRD-Yp4W3ixAD98PD4900

Tags: Articles, Marketing, True Blood

/ True Blood's Carrie Preston gives RadarOnline.com exclusive all access to her house, her hubby (Michael Emerson of Lost), and the red hot premiere party preps.

Only RadarOnline.com cameras went behind the scenes with Carrie Tuesday night as she showed us what it takes to get red carpet ready....there's the perfectly coiffed blonde 'do, she's ditched the dark wig that Arlene's sassy single mom wears. Her digits are just plain devilish with a burst of bright red polish. And then there's her crimson-colored satin sheath. Carrie confessed just to us that she rarely wears red, she's more a fan of pink and black.

Even her husband, who normally is dressed in blood-stained shirts as Lost's diabolical Ben, got in the vampire spirit with a matching red tie. /

Full Article & Video:
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/06/exclusive-celebrity-video-blog-true-bloods-carrie-preston-lost-hubby-michael

Tags: Articles, Carrie Preston, Video, True Blood

/ As promised, Movieline hit up the Young Hollywood Awards last night, a ceremony dedicated to honoring Tinseltown’s best and brightest (and youngest!). We witnessed heartfelt acceptance speeches and a knockout performance by Naturi Naughton from the upcoming Fame remake before moving on to a DJ AM-spun afterparty that Young Hollywood Artist of the Year Adam Lambert prefaced with, “I hope somebody buys me a drink.” No need, Adam — they were free! /

Full Article & Video:
http://www.movieline.com/2009/06/movieline-on-the-scene-evan-rachel-wood-on-true-blood-and-lesbian-lovers.php

Tags: Articles, Video, Evan Rachel Wood, True Blood

/ Sure, Twilight and True Blood are vampire stories that include romance, violence and the constant struggle between good and evil.
Even so, they're very different.
"They're completely different age groups that they're trying to appeal to," says Oscar winner Anna Paquin, who stars in HBO's True Blood as mind-reading Sookie Stackhouse. "It wouldn't be appropriate for teenagers to be watching our show. I wouldn't have been allowed to." /

Full Article:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b128831_anna_paquin_true_blood_twilight_not_same.html

Additional:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b128689_bite_this_true_blood_partying_in.html

Tags: Articles, Anna Paquin, True Blood

/ Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) world may have gotten a jolt once vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) entered her diner, but she makes sure he knows she doesn’t need him to be her dashing savior prince, no matter how charming he may be. /

Full Article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31087539/

Tags: Articles, True Blood

/ IESB: How did you originally become a part of True Blood? Was it just through the regular auditioning process?

Deborah: Yeah. Well, I came on as a guest star, originally. I got sides, auditioned once and I don’t think I had a callback. Alan Ball was in the room, with the director and the writers, and I just did these two absolutely crazy scenes. One was at a junkyard and the other was in the woods, and I was really in an office. I remember that I was rolling around on the ground and just trying to be as generally weird as I could get. And then, three or four days later, I was on set filming. It was a really fast process. I had an audition and a table read, and that was it. It was great, though. It was a nice, low pressure way to get into it. It was a guest star audition, like any other, that ended up becoming something that has been really great, for the past couple of months.

IESB: For those who might not be familiar with the series yet, can you talk about who your character is and how she fits into the overall story?

Deborah: Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) is Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) boyfriend now, for good and for real. In order to save her life, he killed a vampire, so he went to a tribunal hearing and his punishment for taking a vampire life was to make a new vampire life. So, they kidnapped my character, Jessica, who’s this poor, innocent, little God-fearing child, and Bill turned her. Just when you think she’s going to be devastated by the turn of events, she’s actually thrilled because her life at home was not what she wanted. It was very oppressed, and she did not feel free to be who she was or express her feelings. Particularly being 17 and in that situation, I can only imagine when you already have to repress everything you’re thinking and saying, to have someone going further and telling you that what you’re thinking and feeling is wrong, is an incredibly difficult and lonely situation. As soon as she’s turned, there’s a freedom that comes with that, and a sense that maybe she will finally get to be herself. Never again is she going to let anybody tell her what to do or how to do it, or who she’s supposed to be. /

Full Article:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7007&Itemid=99

Tags: Articles, Deborah Ann Woll, True Blood

/ These interviews with actors Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Viking vampire Eric Northman, and Stephen Moyer, who plays Southern vampire Bill Compton, were conducted by E! News at the True Blood season-two premiere party at the Paramount lot in Hollywood on the evening of June 9, 2009. /

Full Article & Videos:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b128607_true_blood_eric_bill_talk_season_two.html

Tags: Articles, Video, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, True Blood

Bill Keveney of USA Today has done a rather large article on True Blood that will, reportedly, be in the Thursday edition. It's already available online and features a couple small quotes from yours truly.

"The series appeals to John Folden, who runs the true-blood.tv fan website, partly because it doesn't overemphasize the vampires' differences. "Its vampire characters don't hate who they are, they're living openly among society," Folden says. "The show doesn't really turn them into heroes or demonize them. They're just like everyone else, and some of the most horrific events are actually acted out by the mortal characters."

Full Article:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-06-10-true-blood_N.htm

Tags: Articles, John T. Folden, True Blood

The weekend-long event debuts August 14th –16th, 2009 in Hollywood, CA. Vampire-Con kicks off on Friday and Saturday with a Vampire Film Festival at the New Beverly Cinema featuring special guests and prizes.

On Sunday, Vampire-Con moves to The Music Box Theatre @ Fonda for a day of celebrity panel discussions, vampire merchandise and contests. Topics of discussion will include TRUE BLOOD, TWILIGHT and more!

More Info:
http://www.vampire-con.com/

Tags: Convention

/ Undead bloodsuckers have never been more appealing.
Or more human.
Sure, vampires still troll the night, feed on blood and keep secrets from all but the most remarkable of human beings.
But when the vampires of HBO rise again Sunday for a second helping of the horror romance True Blood, they will also find themselves mired in the more mundane realities of mortality.
They will fight with — and make up with — their girlfriends, highlight their hair and worry about ruining their favorite pumps.
It’s the price of revealing themselves to the world, or at least the fictional Louisiana town of Bon Temps, where the action is centered.
“I think the vampires are like humans in many ways,” True Blood executive producer Alan Ball said in a conference-call press conference last week. “There are a lot of law-abiding peaceful vampires … and then there are those who just want everything.”
And by everything, Ball means power, money and blood. /

Full Article:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/6467425.html

Tags: Articles, True Blood

Looks like Vampire Bill needs your helps, folks!

/ Robert Pattinson heats up the big screen as Edward Cullen in "Twilight," while Stephen Moyer displays his dark side as vampire Bill Compton in HBO's "True Blood."

Both of the bloodsuckers have denied the dark side of feeding off humans -- and both have a smoldering human love interest to share the screen!

Tell "Extra" -- Which vampire gets your blood rushing? /

Vote: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/06/vote_who_is_the_hottest_vampir.php

Tags: Articles, Stephen Moyer, True Blood

/ If BMW says it, it must be true: vampires are among us.

BMW’s MINI Cooper is just one of the real products being marketed in a faux campaign for vampires, coinciding with the second-season premiere of HBO’s vampire drama -- “True Blood.”

The MINI ads feature blood-red versions of the MINI Cooper and the MINI Clubman with headlines like “Feel the Wind in Your Fangs” and “Type GO.” /

Full Article:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/uptospeed/2009/06/the-trueblood-mini-convertible-exclusively-for-vampires.html

Bill Gorman at TV By The Numbers talks about the second week sales figure for the True Blood Season 1 DVD set:

/ In it’s second week in DVD release, HBO’s True Blood piled on another nearly $7 million in DVD sales for a total of $26 million after 2 weeks to continue to lead all TV shows in DVD sales for the week ending May 31, 2009, and fell just 2 spots to #6 overall among all DVD sales. /

Full Article:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/06/08/true-blood-dvd-sales-dwarf-those-of-the-closer/20326

Tags: Articles, DVD, True Blood

True Blood’s Stephen Moyer appeared on The View today to talk about the show, being a celebrity, his relationship with Anna and more!

Tags: Video, Stephen Moyer, TV, Appearances, True Blood

Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin took part in an article and a dazzling cover shoot for the June 15th, 2009 issue of TV Guide.

/ Unless you’ve been locked in a coffin lately, you know the hit HBO vampire drama True Blood helped ignite a true romance between stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. As telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse and Civil War–era bloodsucker Bill Compton, their sizzle is undeniable. “Our characters have had f---ing lust, romantic sex, emotional sex...” Moyer says. But as the show returns for Season 2, “it’s more like a normal relationship. They argue. But there’s a yang to that yin. There’s makeup sex.” Phew. Who wants to see these hot supernaturals paying bills and shopping at Wal-Mart? /

Full Article:
http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/feature/bloody-valentines-1373.html

...and here’s a video of the True Blood cast on the set of their cover shoot for TV Guide:


For more with Anna, Stephen and the rest of the cast, pick up the June 15 issue of TV Guide Magazine, on stands now!

Tags: Articles, Video, Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin, True Blood

The Paramount Theater in Los Angeles hosted the second season premiere party for "True Blood" on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009. Members of the cast and crew were in attendence, including Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin, Alan Ball, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten, Carrie Preston, Alexander Skarsgard, Nelsan Ellis, Todd Lowe and several others.

You can view video from the event at:
http://extratv.warnerbros.com/videos/channels/?channel=channels/79356

Forum member Beerwolf is posting numerous photos from the event in our forum:
http://thebluewhalepub.com/viewtopic.php?p=132501#p132501

Tags: Appearances, Cast, Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin, Alan Ball, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten, Carrie Preston, Alexander Skarsgard, Nelsan Ellis, Todd Lowe, True Blood

Written By “Eye's on Bill”

Come home, children of True Blood! Come in off the lonely streets that exist only between seasons. Come in and sit. Calm yourself down from the Screaming-Crazies that have ravished you during the long stretch of episodeless months. Rest your wandering souls and regain your lucid composure. You will soon need all your wits about you, for our time has nearly come. In less than a week, it will finally be here. It will finally be upon us! All prepare for the beginning of True Blood, Season Two!

Leap before you look. Count those eggs before they hatch. Throw the baby out with the bathwater! Let nothing stand in your way. Cancel your Sunday happenings. Align your satellite dish or reinforce your cable connection. Distance yourselves from loved ones and other life obstacles! It’s time to throw ourselves at the mercy of Alan Ball and the entire True Blood cast, and you can’t do that with commitments and obligations clouding your view. It’s time, once more, to submit yourself to the reckless abandon that is your unhealthy and all consuming love of True Blood!

When we last left Bon Temps there was a body, a bewitching, and a newly sired penance. Who was that seemingly lifeless body in Andy’s car? Who and what is Maryann, and why is she vibrating with a pig? How will Sookie handle the news that Bill has a teenaged vampire daughter? There are so many questions to be answered, and even more that could be asked. Who is this Eggs character, and will he seduce Tara? What’s with Sam stuffing the bags with money? Will there be snogging between Arlene and Terry? It’s just to much! How have we managed to bear it all?

With the June 14th premier of True Blood: Season 2, will also come the introduction of all that is new. All reports suggest more violence, more sex, and more blood! The clips and photos which circulate show us changes in our favorite character’s appearances. Bill, somehow even more handsome than in Season 1, Eric looking trendy with shorter hair, and Sookie looking extra country bumpkin are just a few of the sights we are to enjoy. Whispers of show altering events have loomed for quite some time. How solid will Bill and Sookie’s relationship be? What will happen in Dallas? It’s going to be an up and down rollercoaster!

So, now it brings me great pleasure to, once again, begin a little True Blood forum tradition. It’s time to start the countdown! Here, post your last minute rantings and ravings! Let the momentum build until you burst!

It’s Upon Us! True Blood: Season 2 begins this Sunday. June 14th!

It’s only 6 days away!

-----
...and join us in the Forum every Sunday for pre-episode speculation and an after-show Live Chat!

Tags: Season 2, True Blood

HBO has released eight True Blood Season 2 Character posters featuring many of our favorite characters from the series in their contiued promotional push for season 2 of the series.

Variations of these posters are being posted as billboards in larger cities and thanks to forum member Tanya C. (Of TMC’s Disgn Haus) we’ve got fifteen shots of them as found in New York City.

You can see these, and digital versions of the afore-mentioned posters, in the Marketing section of our True Blood Gallery.

Tags: Pictures, Marketing, Season 2, True Blood

The just released True Blood Season 1 DVD set has sold a massive number of copies n it’s initial days of availability. Bill and Robert over at tvbythenumbers.com have noted just how amssive they really are...

/ Our first look at the list finds HBO’s True Blood leading TV shows with a huge first week of over $17 million in sales for the week ending May 24, 2009, and at #4 overall among all DVD sales. Three other TV shows identified, at least somewhat, with cult followings, 24, WWE:Wrestlemania XXV and Friday Night Lights are also in the top 30 DVD sellers for the week.
...
...there is definitely a story to be told. Those numbers are higher than the estimates for the first week of sales for the second season of Heroes, and MASSIVELY higher than first week sales of shows like Weeds, Dexter, Entourage and Burn Notice (by like 4x-8x!). They are not far behind first week sales for shows like LOST (which is definitely a DVD hit)... /

Full Article:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/06/07/true-blood/20229
Sales source: http://www.the-numbers.com/

Tags: Articles, DVD, True Blood

/ "I'm gonna ask everyone to clear the set who is not actually dying on it," yells Scottie Gissel, a first assistant director for HBO's hit vampire series " True Blood," which launches into its second season of sensational Gothic gore and lusty, undead romance next Sunday. (Viewers will see the scene of explosive destruction that Gissel is stage-managing late in the season.) /

Full Article:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-true-blood7-2009jun07,0,4462352.story

Tags: Articles, True Blood

/ BuddyTV spoke to William Sanderson about his career and the new season of True Blood. Sanderson talked about vampires, his guest appearance on this season of Lost, and an upcoming Starz documentary about character actors he'll be appearing in.
...
If you get one of these new scripts do you pour through it right away and say, "Uh oh. Am I gonna die in this episode?"

WS: Absolutely. I hate to admit it. Some of these wonderful actors admitted they wanted to see how long their characters' survived. But one stays ready for the inevitable and in spite of having nightmares of inadequacy I'll be alright. I worked with Tommy Lee Jones a lot - six jobs I survived . He said "We'll be alright if we die tomorrow." He also said I had a lot to be humble about.


Well at least if you died on this show, theoretically you could come back as a vampire. Would you want to play a vampire on the show?

WS: I'll do anything to be on TV, John. My wife should get a residual either way. I just love working for HBO. I think they hire good people - especially the writers and creators - and stay out of their way. They've certainly been good to me. /

Full Article:
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/true-blood/exclusive-interview-with-true-29151.aspx

Tags: Articles, William Sanderson, True Blood

Fourteen cast promotional photos related to the production of True Blood Season 2 are now available in the True-Blood.tv Photo Gallery.

True Blood Season 2 will premiere June 14th, 2009 on HBO

Tags: Cast, Season 2, True Blood

Descriptions and June broadcast dates for True Blood Season 2 episodes one through three on HBO and HBO2 have been added to the True Blood Episode Guide.

Tags: S02E01, S02E02, S02E03, True Blood

Alan Ball, the creator of "True Blood" takes you inside the world of the hit series.

A Taste Of True Blood

/ Romance will also be in the air - and in the swamps of Louisiana - on "True Blood." HBO will kick off the show's second season on June 14 with the episode "Nothing But the Blood," which will herald the arrival of Jones as Daphne, who lands a job as a waitress at Merlotte's, working alongside the telepathic waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) and their boss, Sam (Sam Trammell).

"Daphne is a very interesting character," Jones said. "She's introduced as a really lovely country girl. I see her living probably in someone's garage apartment or in the back of a trailer. She's kind of a gypsy and needs a job, so she wants to waitress at Merlotte's.

"She's not the best waitress. She's a very flawed character, and within those flaws she's charming and she definitely charms the pants off of Sam." /

Full Article:
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=141609

Tags: Articles, Ashley Jones, True Blood

/ Though season two of HBO's "True Blood" will further diverge from the Charlaine Harris series of books that inspired it, the author herself will be making a guest appearance in the season finale.

Series creator Alan Ball told reporters Wednesday that though he and Harris don't talk much about the direction of the show, they keep in touch.

"She actually is going to come out and do a cameo probably in the last episode of the season," said Ball. "But I do think it's best to just respect that boundary. Maybe I'm just being chicken because I don't want to hear that she hates this or she hates that." /

Full Article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/06/04/2009-06-04_novelist_behind_hbos_true_blood_planning_guest_appearance_.html#ixzz0HRxPLMOr&A

Tags: Charlaine Harris, Season 2, True Blood

/ This season, Jason gets involved with anti-vampire sect Fellowship of the Sun, which he later discovers has a really dark side. In this exclusive interview, Ryan Kwanten spoke about his character’s new storyline, along with his role as an animated character in Zack Snyder’s(Watchmen) upcoming film, Guardians of Ga’Hoole.

IESB: Without giving anything away, what can viewers expect from Season 2 of True Blood?

Ryan: The tone will still be True Blood, in its essence, but the series has expanded enormously. If we opened the door in the first season, we’ve kicked it down this year. There are more characters and more worlds. This show has moved into Dallas, so it’s cutting back and forth between Dallas and Bon Temps. And, the madness will and does ensue.

IESB: Is Season 2 a more emotional, vulnerable, soul-searching season for Jason Stackhouse?

Ryan: Absolutely! You couldn’t have put it better, actually. He’s looking for a real sense of who he is, of belonging and his purpose in the world. In Season 2, he thinks he’s found it, until cracks start appearing. But, he’s definitely trying to mend his wayward ways. Anything that he does is always out of a sense of innocence. When he hit Sookie in the first season, and a bunch of other things that he did that would not be considered right or good, just because of his innocence and his childlike nature, he can be forgiven. There’s redeeming qualities in there. /

Full Article:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=1&category=2&article=6971

Tags: Articles, Ryan Kwanten, True Blood

/ We just spoke exclusively with True Blood's leading man, Stephen Moyer, aka Bill Compton himself, to find out what's in store for the vampires of the dirty, dirty South in season two. He told us that while there will be just as many near-pornographic sex scenes, his character is still primarily driven by an overiding morality and an abiding passion for Sookie Stackhouse.

Read on to find out what he told us about sex scenes, his "hideous" vampire daughter and falling in love with Anna Paquin, onscreen and off...

Is True Blood going to stay as explicitly sexual this season or will you dial that back a bit?

Stephen: The show is ridiculously f--king sexy…I think Alan Ball and the writers do very well in pushing the envelope. I think one of the things that drives me nuts about society is that you can watch hours about terrorists but you can't look at a human nipple. What the f--k is that about? Sex is part of our lives. It's part of our existence. So I kind of embrace the fact that we hit it full on the head. /

Full Article:
http://au.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b127160_true_blood_shes_given_him_reason_live.html

Tags: Articles, Stephen Moyer, True Blood

/ What's coming up on season two? Is it based a lot on the books?

Stephen Moyer: We follow the skeleton of the books. We follow the same patterns and ideas of the book. But there's a new character, Jessica. There are new things in the story. Yes, we follow the skeleton of the book, but Alan and this team of writers are taking it to a place that I certainly didn't know existed. It is insane. I can't describe it but I don't think there has ever been anything like it before on television. I'm very proud of it.

More insane than season one? That's going to be tough.

Stephen Moyer: You are in for a ride. We've seen up to episode three and I came out thoroughly moved by it, and shocked at how brilliant it is. It seems like every episode is getting better, better, and better. I really do think this season is going to be a very difficult one to beat.

What about Bill and Sookie?

Stephen Moyer: Well, I know what happens in book three. There is in book three and at the end of book two a triangle developing between Bill, Sookie, and Eric. That is definitely present on our show, and rightly so, because you can't watch two people be incredibly happy for 12 episodes. You might as well be making a sitcom. That is not our show. There has to be conflict. I think the show works, Alan puts characters in conflict. He puts little obstacles in their way and sees how they deal with them, and their loved ones, to see how their partners react when they are given those. I think that is really interesting to watch as an audience. /

Full Article:
http://www.daemonstv.com/2009/06/01/stephen-moyer-from-true-blood-exclusive-interview/

Tags: Articles, Stephen Moyer, True Blood

Stephen Moyer will be appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday June 10th, 2009.

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/

Tags: Appearances, Stephen Moyer, True Blood

BloodCopy - One of the original Tru(e) Blood viral marketing sites, that wound down last fall, recently came back to un-life with new content in promotion of season 2. Among the promotional efforts was a cross-site promotion where posts from BloodCopy would appear on blog site “Gawker”:

/ They’ll be set off by a border and labeled as BloodCopy posts but otherwise indistinguishable from editorial content — except that the blog is written by an undead, bloodsucking ghoul.

“With vampires, we thought we could be a little looser with the disclosure and create some disbelief,” Chris Batty, Gawker’s vice president of sales and marketing, told me yesterday, dismissing critics of the advertorial as “humorless.” He also made a bold prediction that surprised me so much I made sure to confirm I’d heard correctly: “If we’re around in three or four years,” Batty said, “the majority of our advertising revenue will be in sponsored posts like this.” /
http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/05/gawker-vp-says-sponsored-posts-will-bring-in-majority-of-revenue-one-day/

It seems that some individuals complained of the blurring between blogging and advertisements but, more curiously, some outlets actually took the BloodCopy posts as real news!

/ "Gawker the editorial staff and Gawker the advertising staff don't tell each other much about what they're doing," Snyder explained. "The way the media economic engine works is that the eyeballs attracted by editorial can be sold by advertising in order to pay for the editorial. It's a nice little symbiotic circle, but the key ingredient for keeping it running is to keep a bright line between the ads and edit. And clearly that wasn't the case here."

"[We have] been taken to the media criticism woodshed over this one," he continued. "What's advertising should be called advertising and what's edit should be called edit. It hurts both to blur the distinction." The "announcement" was since taken down, although some websites have kept archive copies.

Gawker's vice president for sales and marketing, Chris Batty, respected the opinions regarding the tie-up, but reiterated that they have done this before--in their early years, he mentioned, they had tie-ups with Nike and New Line to promote their products through clearly-marked blog entries, which he believes would have a bigger impact than traditional ads. "A lot of time has passed and a lot of people who write for us don't remember how we used to pay the bills here," he said. He's surprised, however, that more people "took this at face value." /
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/true-blood/true-blood-its-backfire-at-the-29046.aspx

Tags: Viral Marketing, True Blood

In late May, members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences began receiving HBO's “Emmy campaign box”, which includes DVDs highlighting episodes from many of their original series. A True Blood DVD featuring the Season 1 episodes "Sparks Fly Out" and "Plaisir d'Amour" was among them.

Source: http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/05/hbo-emmy-dvd-campaign-box.html

Tags: Awards, Season 1, True Blood

Sookie:

Bill:

Eric:

Jason:

Sam:

Maryanne:

Tags: Video, Season 2, True Blood

" The formula of small-town life regularly disrupted by the supernatural world — and some mind-blowing sex with vampires — has propelled Ms. Harris through nine Sookie novels. For her latest three-book contract, of which “Dead and Gone” is the second, Ms. Harris was paid a seven-figure advance.

The books have also spawned “True Blood,” the HBO adaptation created by Alan Ball, the maestro of “Six Feet Under.” The first season of the series, which roughly followed “Dead Until Dark,” concluded last fall as the cable network’s most popular show since “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City.” The new season, based on the second novel in the series, “Living Dead in Dallas,” begins on June 14.

This heady brew of success has allowed Ms. Harris, 57, some luxuries: earlier this year she hired her longtime best friend as her personal assistant. She bought a diamond ring. And this year, because of Julia’s graduation, she could afford the ultimate indulgence: she refused to go on a book tour.

“It was just a huge relief that I finally hit on the right character and the right publisher,” said Ms. Harris, who had previously written two mystery series that never quite took off. Or, as she put it more succinctly, with a cackle that evoked a paranormal creature: “I had this real neener-neener-neener moment.” "

Full Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/books/20sook.html?_r=1&ref=arts

Tags: Articles, Charlaine Harris, True Blood

"TT: Throughout the first season of True Blood, your character -- though we didn't see an awful lot of him -- seemed to evolve from a character a bit like your "Larry" character in Newhart, to someone who's a lot more wise and competent than we were first led to believe. Was there talk of developing the character as the season wore on?

WS: I'm grateful for the time I got on it, and not to be arrogant but I'm keeping the money. I think the second season will even be better with some new vampires and more craziness, if you will.

But, no, that was all on a need to know basis, and I'm still learning. When I get to work with Alan Ball, the creator, I really try to be a sponge, but, for me it was a thrill to play what was -- at least ostensibly -- a normal person: I'm clean shaven and I don't wear dirty clothes. But if you read the books, there's not a lot on Sheriff Dearborne, but people have told me he's a voice of reason (and that's another irony with me). But it's fun to play a normal person.

TT:And this is on a series filled with vampires and, as we later learn, other sorts of beasts, and Bud Dearborne seems to somehow ground the whole series in reality, while everyone else is interacting with the supernatural. Is this your first role in this kind of show?

WS: No... but it's the first one anybody will see without staying up 'til 4am, I guess. The supernatural [element], it's set in the near future, if you can imagine, where the vampires have "come out of the coffin." But, I can't recall -- I've done a number of sci-fi projects, and one was a great thrill and still a cult film. But I've never done anything like this. I look at it as providential, or a gift from God. I'm a greybeard, and lucky to get this job. "

Full Interview:
http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=11117

Tags: Articles, William Sanderson, True Blood

" JW: What's it like working with the actors on the set?
TL: It’s great and everyone on the set is very professional and I feel privileged to be among this talented group of people. They are all prettier than me and that makes me feel doubly flattered.

JW: You don’t think you’re a pretty person?
TL: I try to retain water. I work at it, but not as hard as I should.

Todd and I are laughing out loud as he lights his cigarette from a space heater that is keeping us warm while drinking Irish Cream coffees.

JW: What can the audience expect for Season 2 of TRUE BLOOD?
TL: I am contractually bound not to disclose any upcoming spoilers for Season 2. I’m dying to tell someone. I can’t even tell my mom who uses my cousins to get information out of me. I can tell you this much just based on last season that Terry’s coming back and appears to have a developing relationship with Arlene (played by Carrie Preston). "

Full Interview:
http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Celebrity_Talk_102/One-On-One_Interview_with_Actor_Todd_Lowe_-.php

Tags: Articles, Todd Lowe, True Blood

As of May 19th, 2009 True Blood Season 1 is available for purchase on iTunes. Each episode can be purchased seperately, however if you buy those whole season at once you will receive a free behind-the-scenes special called "Making True Blood".

Click here to purchase True Blood Season1 from iTunes:

The season is, also, available for immediate purchase in DVD or Blu-Ray from Amazon.com:

True Blood On DVD

True Blood On Blu-Ray

Tags: DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes, Tru Blood

The True Blood Season 1 Soundtrack is available for purchase today from iTunes in a DELUXE 19-TRACK VERSION With DIGITAL BOOKLET.

Tracklist:
1. Bad Things -Jace Everett
2. Bleed 2 Feed -CC Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis
3. Lake Charles -Lucinda Williams
4. Give It Up -Lee Dorsey
5. Swampblood -Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers
6. Play With Fire -Cobra Verde
7. Just Like Heaven -The Watson Twins
8. Christine's Tune [A.K.A. Devil In Disguise] -The Flying Burrito Brothers
9. Two -Ryan Adams
10. Strange Love -Slim Harpo
11. From A Whisper To A Scream -Allen Toussaint
12. I Don't Wanna Know -Dr. John
13. The Golden State [feat. Kathleen Edwards] -John Doe
14. Bones -Little Big Town
15. Maison Creole [Live At Merlotte's] [Bonus Track] -CC Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis
16. I'm Ready [Live At Merlotte's] [Bonus Track] -CC Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis
17. Fool To Care [Live At Merlotte's] [Bonus Track] -CC Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis
18. Whiskey's Gone [Live] [Bonus Track] -Zac Brown Band
19. Jesus ASked me Out Today [Bonus Track] -Amanda Jane And The God Rockets
-Digital Booklet

The 19-track DELUXE VERSION can be purchased via iTunes for $12.99 by clicking here.


The 14-track standard version can be purchased via iTunes for $9.99 by clicking here.


You can also purchase that standard soundtrack on CD via Amazon:

Tags: Sound Score, Season 1, True Blood


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACCLAIMED COMPOSER NATHAN BARR RETURNS FOR A SECOND SEASON OF “TRUE BLOOD”

Soundtrack to HBO’s award-winning series
to hit stores this summer, along with a brand new web-based composing series

Los Angeles, CA -- HBO’s award-winning drama series, “True Blood”, returns for a highly anticipated second season on June 14th, 2009. According to cast members, this coming season will prove to be even more creatively explosive than the last. Nathan Barr, composer of season one, is also back for another musical journey in season 2.

Executive Producer and show creator, Alan Ball, is extremely impressed with Barr’s score for the show. Ball recently expressed that “Nate’s score for True Blood continually impresses and surprise me, and one of the favorite parts of my job is driving out to his studio to hear his score cues, as I know I’m always in for a treat. His music, with its distinct and completely acoustic flavor, perfectly captures the mix of suspense, terror, romance, and regional authenticity that the show calls for. I know I can always count on him to take scenes which need that extra little bit of help and make them work better than I thought possible.”

The eagerly-awaited score soundtrack to TB’s first season will be released by Varese Sarabande Records and will officially hit music stores nation-wide this August. The soundtrack will feature an instrumental mix of score tracks from the show as well as his song with Lisbeth Scott, “Take me Home”.

“True Blood” details the whimsical co-existence of vampires and humans in small town Louisiana. Thanks to the invention of synthetic blood, humans have been taken off the menu and vampires have become fellow citizens overnight. Disconcerting to nearly everyone but Sookie Stackhouse (played by Academy Award winner Anna Paquin), a young, telepathic waitresses. As an outcast herself, she is optimistic about the integration of vampires. Drawn to the mysteries of their world, she falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer). "The story-telling and the characters in True Blood are all beautifully complex which makes my job as a composer very exciting because I have such a rich world to play with thematically."

Nathan not only composes his own original scores, he also performs all of the instruments heard in the majority of his compositions. Skilled in writing many styles and genres ranging from orchestral to rock, Barr is known for his collection and inclusion of rare and unusual instruments from around the world, which include human bone trumpets from Tibet, dismantled pianos, a rare glass armonica, and gourd cellos, among many others. Barr has scored more than 24 feature films to date, including Warner Bros.’ hit comedies The Dukes of Hazzard and Beerfest, to Eli Roth's hit Hostel film series at Sony Screen Gems." True Blood marks his debut as a composer for a full series.

Barr recently also co-created a composer-centered monthly web-series called “Open Barr” which will begin airing on http://www.nathanbarr.com in June. The series features one-on-one interviews with various successful composers from the music world focusing on but not limited to the film and television world. During interviews, guest composers are asked to divulge how their careers developed, where they get their inspiration, and explain the complications and triumphs of specific jobs. The pilot episode of the series will feature composer, Tyler Bates (Watchmen, 300), and future episodes will include acclaimed composers such as Jim Dooley, John Debney, and many more.

Recently nominated for a BMI award for his work on “True Blood”, Nathan will be attending the awards show on May 20th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to receive the award. This is the second nomination for Barr, as he received his first in 2006 for his rock-inspired score for “The Dukes of Hazzard”. BMI is the leader in the industry’s most important awards and honors. Its roster of songwriters and composers is unparalleled, ranging from industry to legends to the best of today’s hitmakers.

Barr attended the Paley Event for “True Blood” at the Cinerama Dome at Arclight in Hollywood on April 13th, where he was given a great nod from Alan Ball. Patrons of the event enjoyed music from the series composed by Barr himself. Other attendees included: Alan Ball (Executive Producer), Stephan Moyer (Bill), Anna Paquin (Sookie), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Sam Trammell (Sam), Rutina Westley (Tara), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric), Carrie Preston (Arlene), and Nelsan Ellis (Layfayette).

On April 18th, Barr also attended the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards honoring Kathy Griffin. Barr desires to continually show his support for the GLBT community and believes that through the media we can foster awareness, understanding and respect.

New episodes of “True Blood” will air on Sundays beginning June 14th on HBO. For more information on True Blood and Nathan Barr visit http://www.nathanbarr.com.
###

Tags: Sound Score, True Blood

Courtesy of HBO, another 10 official promotion photos from the production of True Blood Season 2 are now available in the True-Blood.tv Photo Gallery.

True Blood Season 2 will premiere June 14th, 2009 on HBO

Tags: Pictures, Season 2, True Blood

Courtesy of HBO, comes the press release officially announcing the upcoming release of the True Blood Season 1 soundtrack.

GET A TASTE OF TRUE BLOOD WITH SOUNDTRACK TO THE HIT HBO® SERIES, IN STORES AND ONLINE MAY 19TH, 2009



“TRUE BLOOD – MUSIC FROM THE HBO ORIGINAL SERIES” FEATURES JACE EVERETT’S “BAD THINGS” MAIN TITLE THEME ALONGSIDE TRACKS FROM BAYOU STATE LEGENDS DR. JOHN, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, SLIM HARPO, CC ADCOCK
Read More...

Tags: Sound Score, Season 1, True Blood

Watch for the exclusive premiere of the Season Two TRUE BLOOD promo spot on Entertainment Tonight this evening. The promo features Bob Dylan’s new single “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.” This spot will then have its debut on HBO Saturday night leading into the film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (approximately 7:59 p.m.).

Check your local listing for the broadcast time in your area.

Update, here's the trailer:


The song used in the trailer is Bob Dylan's Beyond Here Lies Nothin' and it is availble from iTunes :

Tags: Marketing, Season 2, True Blood

Get your very first look at Season 2 of the HBO hit series, True Blood.



Video clip is copyright HBO, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HBO has released 3 new promotional posters for Season 2 of True Blood. The posters feature a sexy sillouette of some vampire "necking" and include the phrases "Ready To Be Bitten Again?", "Ready For new Blood?" and "Ready For Seconds?". You can view these photos in the True Blood Marketing Gallery.

On line advertisements are, also, appearing on vaious websites using varations of the same images.

Tags: Season 2, Marketing, True Blood

Courtesy of HBO, 10 official promotion photos from the production of True Blood Season 2 are now available in the True-Blood.tv Photo Gallery.

True Blood Season 2 will premiere June 14th, 2009 on HBO

Tags: Pictures, Season 2, Tru Blood

True Blood season 1 will be rebroadcast on HBO beginning February 21st, 2009. One episode will air each Saturday at 9:00PM ET. Check the HBO Schedule for the time in your area.

ReBroadcast Schedule
(HBO2)
9:00PM ET
Ep 101 - 02/21/2009
Ep 102 - 02/28/2009
Ep 103 - 03/07/2009
Ep 104 - 03/14/2009
Ep 105 - 03/21/2009
Ep 106 - 03/28/2009
Ep 107 - 04/04/2009
Ep 108 - 04/11/2009
Ep 109 - 04/18/2009
Ep 110 - 04/25/2009
Ep 111 - 05/02/2009
Ep 112 - 05/09/2009

Tags: Schedule, True Blood

The Macon Film and Video Festival will be held February 18-22, 2009 in Macon, Georgia. and the special guests include True Blood's Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler).

The festival will be at the Cox Capitol Theatre where more than 60 hours of original, independent film will be shown.

To find out more go to http://www.maconfilmfestival.com.

Tags: Appearances, Carrie Preston, Convention, True Blood

Channel 4 has acquired UK rights to broadcast True Blood Season 1. A premiere date has not been announced but it will air later in 2009.

UK fans of True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman) may be pleased to know that they have also picked up the rights to Generation Kill, which features the actor.

Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/27/channel-4-buys-true-blood-generation-kill

Tags: Schedule, UK, True Blood

InsideView: Bruce Dunn, co-producer HBO series True Blood
Markee

"Bruce Dunn has co-produced Strange Love, Tell Me You Love Me, Local Color, Kingdom Hospital, and has associate produced Californication, The Path to 9/11, Desperation, Sleeper Cell, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, Rose Red, Storm of the Century, The Siege at Ruby Ridge, and Sophie & the Moonhanger.

Markee: HBO’s new hit series, True Blood, from Alan Ball, gives a new twist to the vampire legend. With the development of synthetic blood, vampires have come out of the coffin to be integrated with mortal culture in rural Louisiana. Did you shoot there at all?
Dunn: We shot in Shreveport to get big-value local exteriors: the town of Bon Temps, the trailer that a tornado supposedly hit surrounded by those mossy trees we love, the exterior of Jason’s and Bill’s houses. We’re definitely going back to block shoot for the second season – it’s important for Alan to be where Charlaine Harris set her Sookie Stackhouse books. Louisiana’s tax incentives are icing on the cake, and the crews supporting us there are top-notch.

Since the second book in the series is called Living Dead in Dallas, it’s likely we’ll do doing a bit of shooting in Dallas, too.

MARKEE: Right from the opening titles – a collage of images ranging from bayous and evangelicals to sexy dancers and road kill – the audience knows it’s in for a different viewing experience.
Dunn: Digital Kitchen did the title montage. They worked on the opening sequence for Six Feet Under so Alan had a relationship with them. Their storyboards for the initial presentation blew us away – they really caught the flavor of what we were looking for. One of the mandates was to sell Louisiana, to let viewers know they were going to see something quirky and visit locations they’d never been to before."

Full Article:
http://www.markeemag.com/site/MMdepartments1.php#inview


One-On-One Interview with Actor Todd Lowe
By Jerod Williams
Splash Magazines Worldwide

"JW: What can the audience expect for Season 2 of TRUE BLOOD?
TL: I am contractually bound not to disclose any upcoming spoilers for Season 2. I’m dying to tell someone. I can’t even tell my mom who uses my cousins to get information out of me. I can tell you this much just based on last season that Terry’s coming back and appears to have a developing relationship with Arlene (played by Carrie Preston).

JW: Does your theatre background work better for you in either television or film ?
TL: I would have to say television. Television is a medium that I prefer and I am able to improvise. There is a rhythm and an arc and a pace that feels comfortable. There is something about doing a television table read that feels like reading a stage play. I’m thankful for having a theatre background because as an actor, you can sense the pulse of your audience whether it is with the director, the writer, the studio heads, etc. At this point in my career, I haven’t done enough film to know if I am good at it. I’m more of a character actor and I put a lot of myself into playing oddballs. "

Full Article:
http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Celebrity_Talk_102/One-On-One_Interview_with_Actor_Todd_Lowe_-.php


True Blood grabs audiences by the jugular
By Erica Thompson
The Courier-Mail

"THERE'S one major drawback to being a vampire in Los Angeles.

"I wasn't allowed to go into the sun because my character's white," laments British actor Stephen Moyer, who plays a 173-year-old blood sucker in raunchy US drama True Blood.

"After a while I was like, 'Come on, guys. I'm in LA! I live by the beach. Let me play'.

"Then of course I started getting the LA permatan and got in big trouble.""

Full Article:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25002140-7642,00.html


Paquin: Not Exactly Bloodthirsty
By Tom Gilbert
TV Week

"Blink has heard of low-carb diets, but this borders on the extreme. According to Dan Rebert, a creature and prosthetics make-up artist with MastersFX, which just signed on to do effects for a second season of HBO’s “True Blood,” star Anna Paquin is way conscientious about what she consumes on the set, even in character.

“Alan Ball requested of us during the first season that any time Anna Paquin needs to drink ‘blood’ on set, we have to ensure that our special-effects blood is carb-free...."

Full Article:
http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/blink/2009/01/paquin_not_exactly_bloodthirst.php


2009 MPSE Golden Reel Award Nominees: Television

"Best Sound Editing: Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television

CALIFORNICATION “The Raw and the Cooked”
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION “Bull”
CSI: NY “Hostage #421”
FRINGE “Safe”
LOST “Confirmed Dead #402”
MAD MEN “The Jet Set”
THE TUDORS “Episode 210”
TRUE BLOOD “The Fourth Man in the Fire"

The Awards will be presented February 21, 2009:
Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
404 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Full List Of Nominees:
http://www.mpse.org/goldenreels/2009awards/2009tvnominees.html


20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Nominees

"OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
The L Word (Showtime)
South of Nowhere (The N)
Torchwood (BBC America)
True Blood (HBO)"

Winners will be awarded their trophies during a trio of ceremonies in New York (March 28th), Los Angeles (April 18th) and San Francisco (May 9th).

Full list of nominees:
http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/20thAnnual/nominees.php


HBO Asia Takes Personalisation To New Levels
by Daryl Tay
Unique-Frequency.com

"Earlier this year, I got an email from Yin Qi from HBO Asia, who I met at a Social Media Breakfast, asking me if I was back from exchange and that HBO had a little something to send me for the new year. I replied yes and provided them with my address. When the package came, I was pleasantly surprised to find not one, but two True Blood calendars..."

Full Article:
http://uniquefrequency.com/2009/01/22/hbo-asia-takes-personalisation-to-new-levels/


Ad-On: 'Q' Score May Suggest Better TV Performance
by Wayne Friedman
Media Post News

"Emotionally bonded to your TV show? That may mean more to advertisers than just pure TV viewership.
Marketing Evaluations' Q Scores says high emotional bonding to TV shows is a better indication of future TV performance. In a recent study with its new metric, "Emotional Bonding Q scores," a number of scripted cable dramas posted better emotional levels than broadcast TV shows among women viewers.

Showtime's "Dexter," Sci-Fi Channel's "Sanctuary," ABC Family's "The Middleman" and HBO's "True Blood" bested all top broadcast TV shows. With a 100 index being average, "Dexter" hit a 174 index with females 18-49, the highest of any TV show. "Sanctuary" had a 171, "Middleman" was at 168 and "True Blood" earned a 157."

Full Article:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=98834

Tags: Articles, Stephen Moyer, Todd Lowe, Tru Blood

Press Release – for immediate release:

Brentwood Theatre congratulates ANNA PAQUIN - best known for winning an Oscar at the age of 11 for her role in THE PIANO and for playing Rogue in X-MEN – on her winning the 2009 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama, HBO’s TRUE BLOOD. Ms. Paquin plays Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic Louisiana waitress who falls for a vampire with a conscience.

And playing that vampire is Essex’s own STEPHEN MOYER, Patron of Brentwood Theatre!

Attending the ceremony with Ms. Paquin, Stephen commented, “I am so pleased for Anna. This series has been so well received in America, and it is great that the critics recognise its impact. Last week, we started filming Season Two, which takes us through until July. I am hoping to return to Brentwood in April when TRUE BLOOD launches in the UK on The FX Channel.”

TRUE BLOOD is a rather raunchy, utterly captivating story of vampires freely “living” among humans, thanks to the discovery of synthetic blood. Alan Ball – writer and creator of HBO’s acclaimed SIX FEET UNDER and Academy Award winning AMERICAN BEAUTY – dramatically adapted the popular Southern Vampire books written by Charlaine Harris, whose heroine’s supernatural abilities make her a target by all manner of night creatures.

Through Steve's Patronage of Brentwood Theatre, TRUE BLOOD fans have donated nearly four thousand pounds in two months - including a generous donation from author Charlaine Harris. These kind gifts to “STEPHEN’s FUND” will be invested in the completion of the community facilities at the Theatre. The final fitting-out, including a new multi-purpose community room, should be completed by Easter.

Before hitting the big-time, Steve was directed by Gaynor Wilson, who now runs youth group BOSSY, the first group to perform after the rebuilding with “FAME” -- which Stephen came along to see in November.

When asked about his protégé’s success, Gaynor said, “BOSSY are delighted for Steve on the success of TRUE BLOOD and send all of their good wishes for Season Two. The students can't wait to see it! Also, many congratulations to Steve’s co-star Anna Paquin on winning the Golden Globe!”

“The fantastic responses from their American fans and supporters is quite overwhelming. 'Stephen's Fund' will make such a difference to companies like BOSSY, who will be putting the new community room to such good use during production week for 'Ain't Life Good!' at the end of April… which we hope with any luck will coincide with Steve's return for the UK's 'True Blood' launch, so that he can see the show.”

BOSSY is the youth acting section of the Brentwood Operatic Society, comprised of boys and girls between the ages of 11-16 years who audition for participation. They are among forty-plus non-professional organizations that call Brentwood Theatre home.

Naming a brick and/or obtaining a signed certificate from Stephen are still options! For more information, please contact mark@brentwood-theatre.org or Jean, Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator for Brentwood Theatre, at laprov@optonline.net

Tags: Stephen Moyer, True Blood

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Auisiello talks more about True Blood Seasn 2 and with Sam Trammell:

"Question: Thanks for telling us that True Blood started shooting its second season last week, but could you tell me when the episodes will start airing? -- Katie
Ausiello: This summer, which means season 2 will air roughly eight months after the conclusion of season 1 -- a lightning fast turnaround by cable standards. "Alan Ball is a very fast writer," explains an HBO source. In other True Blood news, I caught up with Sam Trammell (Sam) at the Globes and he teased that his new love interest (played by The Bold and The Beautiful's Ashley Jones) is up to no good. "I don't know the whole storyline, but I've read the first three episodes, and it's going to be really twisted and dark and exciting. She's got some serious secrets and questionable intentions." "

Full Article:
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/01/ask-ausiello--1.html

Also, from the blog "Louisiana Movies" comes the following news:

"The HBO television series “True Blood” starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer is in pre-production in the Baton Rouge area and will shoot portions of the series in Louisiana in February, April and June. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at truebloodbr@gmail.com."

Full Article:
http://louisianamovies.blogspot.com/2009/01/whats-on-tap-for-january.html

Tags: Spoiler, Season 2, True Blood

MastersFX Signed to Create Creature & Monster FX for Second Season of “True Blood”
By D West
Digital Content Producer

"Creature & prosthetics makeup FX artist Dan Rebert and the team at Todd Masters’ MastersFX — considered by many film and TV producers to be Hollywood’s leading “Creature and Monster Makers”—have been signed to continue their work on HBO’s “True Blood” for that hit TV series’ second season.

In the afterlife of MastersFX’s Emmy Award winning work during the entire run of an earlier HBO original series, “Six Feet Under,” the company rejoined that show’s creator / executive producer, Alan Ball, by producing creature and prosthetic FX for the first season of Ball’s popular new series “True Blood.” For the second season of “True Blood,” MastersFX will continue to create the original characters and special makeup effects featured in the show."

Ful Article:
http://blog.digitalcontentproducer.com/briefingroom/2009/01/19/mastersfx-signed-to-create-creature-monster-fx-for-second-season-of-true-blood/


Is double counting Nielsen numbers the new black? It seems to be for cable shows
By Robert Seidman
TV By The Numbers

"I keep seeing stories about how the premiere of The Beast on Thursday drew 3.6 million viewers. And while it’s true, it took two episodes to do it. The actual premiere at 10pm averaged 2.4 million and a re-broadcast of the premiere immediately following the premiere averaged 1.2 million. I’ve seen this method of counting used for other cable shows from Damages to HBO’s True Blood and Showtime’s Dexter.
I don’t really have a problem with the accounting for shows like The Beast and Damages, as it seems to be the case that the advertising is sold across the multiple airings. But it is misleading in terms of actual viewership. It also begs the question of opportunity cost."

Full Article:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/18/is-double-counting-nielsen-numbers-the-new-black-it-seems-to-be-for-cable-shows/11070

Tags: Articles, True Blood

While the release date information is currently vague, season 1 of True Blood will be released on Blu-Ray Disc this Spring. Amazon.com now has this item available for Pre-Order. The retail price is listed as $79.98 but Amazon seems to be offering steep discounts at the time of this posting:

True Blood On Blu-Ray

Tags: Blu-Ray, True Blood

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello reports:

"File this under "S" for Stuff That Doesn't Suck: True Blood is resurrecting Sookie's Gram (played by the sublime Lois Smith) in season 2! And by "resurrecting" I mean "returning in newly-created flashback scenes!" Still bloody fangtastic if you ask me!"

Source: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/01/casting-scoops.html

"Question: We all know that Lafayette was the best character in Season One of True Blood. How can we make sure Alan Ball brings him back next season? -- Brody
Ausiello: Well, as Ball himself recently reminded me, "Lafayette did die in the books." But, he adds, "That doesn't mean he won't be back. Anything's possible."

Question: What's the deal with Michelle Forbes' character on True Blood? Is she Tara's Demon? How does Sam know her? -- Marcy
Ausiello: The mystery surrounding who (or what) Maryann is will play out front and center in season 2 -- and you may not find many clues in the books. "She's definitely a new kind of supernatural creature in Bon Temps," teases Ball. And as new as "it" is, it's also old. "Ancient. Ancient," Ball stresses. In other words, not a Cylon. BTW, production on True Blood's second season begins this week! "

Source: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/01/ask-ausiello-sp.html

Tags: Spoiler, Season 2, Lois Smith, True Blood

Thanks to all the super fast YouTube vidders for these clips:

True Blood - Paquin wins GG, plus the after party interview


True Blood on E's Golden Globes preshow


True Blood on TVG's Golden Globes preshow
(Lisa Rinna's portion is cringe-worthy but Joey Fatone seems to be a fan)


30 Rock & True Blood: Join the Celebration!
By Kristin Dos Santos

Ashlan Gorse chatted up everybody's favorite fangbangers from the vampire drama True Blood at the HBO afterparty

Tags: Video, Appearances, Awards, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Nelsan Ellis, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten, True Blood

True Blood's Anna Paquin won a Golden Globe for "Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama" On January 11th, 2009!

Congratulations, Anna!

Tags: Appearances, Awards, Anna Paquin, True Blood

Does a 'True Blood' win signal an HBO comeback?
By Scott Collins
LA Times

"Anna Paquin's win as the telepath Sookie Stackhouse in "True Blood" therefore stood out. She wasn't a shoo-in (although two of her competitors, Kyra Sedgwick and Mariska Hargitay, have already won Globes for their roles), and the series itself has earned mixed critical reaction and so-so ratings. (As in so many other ways, cable seems to be topping network TV when it comes to quality of material available for female actors; a network show hasn't taken home the best actress award since Geena Davis for 2005's "Commander in Chief." )

Full Article:
http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/globes/env-et-globestv12-2009jan12,0,2933145.story


Why Are Vampires So Damn Sexy?
By Annalee Newitz
io9

"the HBO series True Blood, based on a series of novels about the adventures of a psychic detective and her vampire lover who died during the Civil War. Though the show may be corny at times, and the whole vampire rights/gay rights subplot is clumsy at best, it's still red-hot sexy. There's gay vampire action, plus straight vampires having sex and sucking blood at the same time in a graveyard. I dare you to watch main character Sookie in her see-through nightgown being sucked on by loverboy Bill, without getting a little fanged out yourself."

Full Article:
http://io9.com/5124225/why-are-vampires-so-damn-sexy


Daemon’s TV™ Top 10 TV Shows of 2008
Daemon's TV

"#1 True Blood

If you have been a regular reader (first off thanks!), you probably guessed this would be our #1 favorite show. It had been a while since I was looking forward to episodes of a TV show week after week so impatiently, but True Blood did that for me. I actually got quite a few people into the show, oh no wait let me rephrase that, I got quite a few people obsessed with the show."

Full Article:
http://www.daemonstv.com/2009/01/07/daemons-tv™-top-10-tv-shows-of-2008/

Tags: Articles, True Blood

Sources report that principal filming on True Blood season 2 starts today, January 6th 2009.

Filming on the 12 episode season 2 should take approximately 6 months and is expected to be broadcast in early summer.

Tags: Production, True Blood

My friend Andy over at SpoilerTV has posted casting call information for True Blood Season 2, Episode 2 "Keep This Party Going". SpoilerTV is a great site for the latest news on all your favorite TV shows.

[DIRK]
25 years old, enthusiastic, he's a red-blooded American male who hates vampires...GUEST STAR / RECURRING (16)

[AMANDA]
18-23. This pretty, young, flirty and devoutly Christian girl hands out "honesty rings" at the Rising Sun Leadership Conference. Amanda fronts an all-female Christian rock band "that combines Courtney Love's rock and roll aesthetic, Katy Perry's teen sensibility, and Hilary Duff's squeaky-clean sex appeal." She and her band sing a song about abstinence that has all the boys in the audience mesmerized and lusting...1 song,sptv050769 2 lines, 2 scenes / POSSIBLE RECURRING. ACTRESS MUST BE ABLE TO SING

[MRS. HAMBY]
40 - 50, Jessica's grief-stricken and tearful mother, she appears on the news begging for information on Jessica's whereabouts. Mrs. Hamby is an uncertain woman who completely submits to her husband's decisions and can't make a move without consulting him...GUEST STAR / POSSIBLE RECURRING (14)

[MR. HAMBY]
Late 40s - early 50s, stoic and intimidating...GUEST STAR / POSSIBLE RECURRING (14)

[EDEN]
9 years old, she is Jessica's awkward sister...GUEST STAR / POSSIBLE RECURRING (42)

[SALESWOMAN]
40 years old, flirtatious, and hot for vampires, she suggestively offers to model some clothing for Bill in the dressing room...1 scene (34)

[SALESWOMAN #2]
This saleswoman is thrown by Bill's request for "proper" clothing...1 line, 1 scene (35)

[LARGE WOMAN]
This large woman is insulted by Eric's derisive remarks but quickly scurries away when she sees his fangs.sptv050769..1 line, 1 scene (45)

[ANCHOR]
Seen on TV, this female anchor discusses Mrs. Hamby's latest plea...1 speech, 1 scene (14)

Source: http://spoilertv.blogspot.com/

Tags: Spoiler, S02E02, True Blood

"An Evening with Charlaine Harris
Tuesday, January 6 | 7 PM, 2009

Central Library
500 McKinney
Houston, Texas 77002
832-393-1313


Charlaine Harris, whose Southern Vampires series has been made into the hit HBO series TRUE BLOOD, will be promoting the hardback reprint of "LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS," the 2nd Sookie Stackhouse book. Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside."

Source: http://www.houstonlibrary.org/

Tags: Charlaine Harris, Appearances, True Blood

According to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, Wes Brown, Anna Camp and Ashley Jones have been contracted to join the season 2 cast of True Blood. Anna Camp will hold down a regular role while Wes Brown and Ashely Jones will appear in roughly 6 episodes.

Michael writes, "True Blood has just cast its first new roles for season 2, and both picks are bloody fantastic!

First up, Broadway babe Anna Camp -- she's currently horsing around with Daniel Radcliffe in Equus — has been tapped to play the series-regular role of Sarah, the hot-to-trot wife of Steve Newlin (aka the Fellowship of the Sun's big kahuna). And The Bold and the Beautiful's stellar Ashley Jones has booked a six-episode arc as Daphne, a new Merlotte's waitress"

Source: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/12/ashley-jones-an.html


"Wes Brown (We Are Marshall) is the latest addition to True Blood's season 2 ensemble. He'll play Luke, a God-obsessed hunk that bonds with Jason (Ryan Kwanten) at a church camp, in at least six episodes."

Source: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/12/casting-scoop-1.html

Tags: Wes Brown, Anna Camp, Ashley Jones, Cast, True Blood