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TRUE BLOOD
NEW SERIES FROM “SIX FEET UNDER” CREATOR ALAN BALL
STARRING ANNA PAQUIN AND STEPHEN MOYER, DEBUTS SEPT. 7 ON HBO

   In the not-too-distant future, vampires have come out of the coffin. Thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood, vampires no longer need humans for their fix and can walk freely, if not yet comfortably, among their living counterparts – though they can still come out only at night. Meanwhile, in the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, Sookie Stackhouse works as a waitress at the down-home bar Merlotte..s. Though outwardly normal, she has unusual qualities of her own: Sookie can read minds, which complicates her world in endless ways. But Sookie..s life becomes a lot more interesting when Merlotte..s gets its first vampire patron – the 173-year-old Bill Compton – and the two outsiders are immediately drawn to each other.

   Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, the new HBO series TRUE BLOOD kicks off its 12-episode first season SUNDAY, SEPT. 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT). Starring Anna Paquin (the “X-Men” films; Academy Award®-winner for “The Piano”) as Sookie and Stephen Moyer (“The Starter Wife,” “88 Minutes”) as Bill, the series is created and executive produced by Alan Ball (creator of the Emmy®-winning HBO series “Six Feet Under”), who also wrote the first three episodes and directs two episodes of the show, which is based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse novels of Charlaine Harris.

   Other cast regulars on TRUE BLOOD include Ryan Kwanten (“Summerland”) as Sookie..s brother Jason, whose womanizing makes him the prime suspect in a gruesome murder case; Rutina Wesley (“How She Move”) as Sookie's best friend Tara Thornton, whose outspoken ways constantly get her into trouble; Sam Trammell (“Judging Amy”) as Sookie's good-hearted boss Sam Merlotte, who carries a torch for her; Nelsan Ellis (“The Inside”) as Lafayette Reynolds, a cook at Merlotte..s, whose personal life is as colorful as his wardrobe; Chris Bauer (HBO's “The Wire”) as Detective Andy Bellefleur; Jim Parrack (“Criminal Minds”) as Hoyt Fortenberry, one of Jason Stackhouse's co-workers on a road construction crew; Carrie Preston (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) as Sookie's fellow waitress Arlene Fowler; Michael Raymond James (“Black Snake Moan”) as Rene Lenier, another one of Jason's co-workers; William Sanderson (HBO's “Deadwood”) as Sheriff Bud Dearborne; and Alexander Skarsgård (HBO's “Generation Kill”) as Eric, a Nordic vampire.

   Also appearing in TRUE BLOOD are Lois Smith (“Hollywoodland”) as Sookie's grandmother Adele, who shares her fascination with vampires; Lizzy Kaplan (“Cloverfield”) as Amy Burley, the new girl in town who falls for Jason; Lynn Collins (“The Number 23”) as Dawn Green, a waitress who has an on-again, off-again relationship with Sookie's brother; Kristin Bauer (“Dirty Sexy Money”) as Eric's cohort Pam, who helps run a vampire bar; and Stephen Root (“No Country for Old Men”) as Eddie, a neophyte vampire. In addition to Alan Ball, directors on the series include John Dahl (“Rounders”),

   Nick Gomez (“The Shield”), Anthony Hemingway (HBO..s “The Wire”), Michael Lehmann (HBO..s “Big Love”), Daniel Minahan (“Grey..s Anatomy”), Nancy Oliver (writer, “Lars and the Real Girl”), Marcos Siega (“Veronica Mars”) and Scott Winant (“Hidden Palms”).

September's episodes:

Episode #1: “Strange Love”
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 7 (10:30 p.m.), 9 (11:30 p.m.), 10 (10:00 p.m.), 11 (8:00 p.m., 2:30 a.m.), 12 (midnight), 13 (10:00 p.m.) and 25 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Sept. 8 (8:00 p.m.), 14 (4:00 p.m.) and 28 (4:00 p.m.)

Across the country, vampires have “come out of the coffin” following the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood. In Louisiana, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a waitress with telepathic abilities, falls under the spell of sexy, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) – whose thoughts she can't read. After saving Bill from the Rattrays (James Parks, Karina Logue), a pair of ruthless “vampire drainers,” Sookie tests the limits of Bill's gratitude when the two are left alone in the dark. Meanwhile, Sookie's best friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) goes to work for Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) at his bar and grill, while Sookie's roguish brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) finds himself in hot water when a “fangbanger” with whom he..s been intimate meets a tragic end.
Written and directed by Alan Ball.

Episode #2: “The First Taste”
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 14 (10:30 p.m.), 16 (11:30 p.m.), 17 (10:00 p.m.), 18 (8:00 p.m.), 19 (midnight), 20 (10:45 p.m.) and 25 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Sept. 15 (8:00 p.m.), 21 (3:00 p.m.) and 28 (5:00 p.m.)

Bill returns Sookie's favor by rescuing her from the Rattrays.. revenge, healing the wounded waitress with his own blood and leaving her with temporarily heightened senses. After being invited into Gran's (Lois Smith) house for a “get-to-know-you” gathering with Jason and her family, Bill joins Sookie for a nocturnal sojourn. They end up at Bill's dilapidated antebellum estate, where he fights off his primal vampire urges for the acquiescent Sookie. Later, Sookie's desires get the better of her as she returns to Bill's – and is greeted by a gaggle of his bloodthirsty vampire friends.
Written by Alan Ball; directed by Scott Winant.

Episode #3: “Mine”
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 21 (10:30 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.), 24 (10:00 p.m.), 25 (10:00 p.m.), 26 (midnight) and 27 (2:25 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Sept. 22 (8:00 p.m.) and 28 (6:00 p.m.)

Foiled in their attempt to “glamour” Sookie, vampires Malcolm (Andrew Rothenberg), Liam (Graham Shiels) and Diane (Aunjanue Ellis) make a hasty retreat after Bill lays claim to the waitress. At Merlotte..s, Sam seeks a short-term remedy to his longterm loneliness, while Tara seeks respite from her mother..s alcohol-fueled rage. Spurned by Dawn (Lynn Collins) for lack of performance, Jason turns to Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), Merlotte..s short-order cook, for help with his problem. Written by Alan Ball; directed by John Dahl.

Episode #4: “Escape from Dragon House”
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 28 (11:30 p.m.) and 30 (11:30 p.m.), and Oct. 1 (10:00 p.m.), 2 (8:00 p.m.), 3 (midnight), 4 (1:05 a.m.) and 16 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdate: Sept. 29 (8:00 p.m.)

Another killing in Bon Temps finds Jason back in custody with officers Andy (Chris Bauer) and Bud (William Sanderson). Tara gets him off the hook, but neither she nor Lafayette has the antidote to his current ailment. Urged by Gran to use her telepathic abilities to weed out the murderer and exonerate her brother, Sookie persuades Bill to take her to a Shreveport vampire bar called Fangtasia, where she impresses a dominant Nordic bloodsucker named Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) with her prescient powers. Later, Bill demonstrates his own considerable powers when an abusive patrolman stops the couple on their way home.
Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.

Created and executive produced by Alan Ball, “Six Feet Under” wrapped its fiveseason run on HBO in 2005. Overall, the series won nine Emmys®, including Directing for a Drama Series (Alan Ball) in 2002. In addition, “Six Feet Under” received three Golden Globe Awards. Ball also received the Best Original Screenplay Oscar® for “American Beauty.” He makes his feature-film directorial debut later this year with “Towelhead,” based on the critically acclaimed novel by Alicia Erian.

TRUE BLOOD is created and executive produced by Alan Ball; based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris; co-executive producer, Brian Buckner; supervising producer, Nancy Oliver; producers, Alexander Woo, Carol Dunn Trussell; coproducer, Raelle Tucker; director of photography, Checco Varese; casting by Junie Lowry Johnson, C.S.A. & Libby Goldstein; music by Nathan Barr; edited by Andy Keir and Michael Ruscio, A.C.E.; production designer, Suzuki Ingerslev.