We’ve been following the viral marketing campaign for HBO’s hot new fall drama True Blood for the past month and now we’ve finally had a sneak peek at the rough-cut pilot episode that’s been doing the rounds. So what can we expect from Six Feet Under scribe Alan Ball’s new show?
Well, calling it a vampire drama series is misleading. In fact, after the opening credits there’s only one bloodsucker on show. Yes, True Blood’s conceit is that vampires have outed themselves and are trying to become integrated into society, supping synthetic blood to ethically fulfill their blood lust. But the show is set at a local level – small-town America, where the arrival of the only vampire in the village causes a mixture of curiosity, lust and fear.
And it’s not just the vamps you’ve got to look out for. The pilot focuses on steak house waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) who appears to be psychic, and we catch a glimpse of another character who seems to have telekinetic powers. Sukie’s instantly drawn to vamp Bill (British actor Steven Moyer) despite being warned off by her colleagues. Bill (not the most exciting of vampire names) finds himself in danger as vampire blood is being used as a designer drug and can fetch thousands of dollars on the black market. Also in the mix is Sukie’s brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten - Vinnie in Home and Away) who’s implicated in the murder of a local, fang-banging woman.
True Blood doesn’t play like your typical fantasy drama series – it’s more akin to Twin Peaks with it’s depiction of sleepy but sordid small-town life or cult Bible-belt horror American Gothic. And being from HBO, there’s sex, swearing and nudity. It’s difficult to see how the series will pan out and, as it can’t be easily pigeon-holed, may not attract the huge following of Heroes or Lost. However, the pilot episode is brimming with promise and mystery – and Anna Paquin is absolutely beguiling in the lead role. This really could be the very definition of a cult classic.
