Alan Ball plans to step down as 'True Blood' showrunner

As we get ready for a fifth season of sexy supernatural drama in Bon Temps, Alan Ball is planning to ease up on the reins.

The "True Blood" creator has announced that he'd step down as showrunner following the fifth season, reports the New York Times. There's still a big "if" surrounding the announcement, however, as a sixth season of "True Blood" isn't guaranteed.

"If we proceed to season six, the show will remain in the very capable hands of the talented team of writers and producers who have been with the show for a number of years," HBO said. "Alan would take a supervisory role and not be the day-to-day showrunner."

Meanwhile, Ball's still expected to develop show concepts for Cinemax and HBO (which is owned by the same parent company as CNN), and to that end, will be bringing a new series set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish Country to Cinemax.