July 24th, 2010
10:56 AM ET
'True Blood' vamps it up at Comic-Con"Twilight" may be skipping San Diego Comic-Con this year, but there was certainly no shortage of people wild about vampires at Friday's "True Blood" panel in Hall H. Joe Manganiello howled at the appreciative crowd, in true werewolf fashion, before it was revealed that he would have a "revealing" episode this week, getting a roar from the audience. Manganiello will soon be a regular cast member, so "Alcide" is here to stay. Alexander Skarsgard wasn't able to make the panel, so a cardboard cutout took his place. Kristin Bauer was asked what it was like to work with animals, and she joked, "Skarsgard is not so bad."
One fan asked a question that must be on many viewers' minds: Do Bill and Sookie belong together? Executive producer Alan Ball would only hint to a "real personality change" on the horizon, and a new person in Sookie's life. As far as Ball is concerned, "True Blood" can go on for many years, pointing to the fans' enthusiasm: "This is by far the best job I've ever had."
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well season 4 has started and while so far the themes of sub clans etc in each group of supernaturals is minimal... I am convinced between Charlene Harris and the HBO writers the entire White Wolf mythology was a heavy influence. seeing where Underworld was sued for it's themes, unless some acknowledgment or agreement was made we don't know about.. there are way too many similarities between WW world of Darkness and True Blood too be coincidences.
the developers and writers of the Books and The True Blood show need not ask permission from White Wolf for they all Pull inspirations, by the pop culture and legends of vampires. Requiem is also based on the same legends and pop culture. I believe that they have similar inspirations; one is not based on the other. Both are drawing inspiration from the same sources so similarities will appear.
Besides... The first Southern Vampire Mysteries (SVM) novel came out in 2001. Vampire the Requiem came out in 2004. So the novels predated Requiem by three years therefore it is impossible for the novels to be based on Requiem.
EDIT: To be precise the first four SVM novels were all out before Requiem.
On the other hand Masquerade predated the SVM novels by a decade so one could ask if the novels were based on that game. However, I would still give the same answer.
"Both are drawing inspiration from the same sources so similarities will appear."
Best T and A and gore show on tv currently. They have truly screwed up ALL mythology of all types dealing with the fringe figures. What's next Trolls, Unicorns Elves?
Pat'Dawg'.. are you trying to tell us something?? ;-p Should we take cover around you when a full moon's about?
Personally, I like the fact that they use real animals. I get tired of the shticky cgi and costumes. Personally, I love the show. The books too.
you know people, not everyone who disagrees with you has to be stupid. I think True Blood is over hyped and corny. That does not mean I watch American Idol or am not intelligent enough to follow the story. The books are fun, but the actors cast and the effects on that show are just bad. Save your ire for people who dislike quality shows... like Dexter, or Lost.
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I hardly watch any TV shows anymore. Surprisingly, 'True Blood' has always held my interest. It's definitely one of my favorite shows. I'm in Iraq right now and it's a pain but I eventually get to watch the tv show a week or so after the episode is out. Sucks to wait so long but it's worth it. Thanks 'True Blood' 🙂 🙂 🙂
True Blood is must see viewing on a weekly basis. But the introduction of werewolves into the mix on an
ongoing basis will seal the demise of this otherwise very excellent series. I didnt think that Al Ball could ever
equal the spellbinding " 6 Feet Under " series that simply mesmerized viewers during its run, but " True Blood "
does just that – till the introduction of werewolves into the series. To this day, just watching the LAST FINAL
episode of " 6 Feet Under " , where the Lauren Ambrose character drives on to Route 66 from LA to the
Big Apple, is guaranteed a good cry. What a fantastic LAST episode to end a series, and NO other
series ever will match that FINAL episode. Al Ball you are a genius.! But Pardon me for going on a tangent.
This is all about True Blood.. Get rid of the werewolves, as they signal the end of this wondrous series.
Remember you read it here first !!!!!
Check out the San Diego Comic Con 2010 Video in our website. We share with the couple an "UNUSUAL" real life story. Watch their response and also check out what they are wearing.
http://ancbroadcast.com
That's all pretty funny and pretty lame as responses go. Worked in the industry most of my life, friends with Oscars, blah blah. The current vampie nonsense stems from a lack of creativity and a desire to follow trends. If the teenie vamps hadn't sold...no one would have to suffer through this corruption of culture. Ann Rice did this decades ago with substance and class, the current stuff is just a tasteless parody of Stokers idea.
PATDAWG44, READ THE BOOKS! Before making the werewolf comment. The show doesn't totally follow the books but it is based loosely on them. In the books the Were's as they are described in the books, they ARE shifters. There are other shifters as well, panthers, dogs, etc. They are portrayed in a different light just as the vamps are. That's what makes this series a great series. They are not necessarily the traditional versions we have had stuffed down our throata throughout history. Change is good sometimes. Aside from the typical menacing halfman look and the full moon thing, They are essentially the same. Crazy, bloodlusting beasts. I say BRAVO to the creators of True Blood for thinking out of the box. The show is great and I hope that it is on for a LONG time.
More vampire nonsense for the pubeless and the witless.
Says the guy who probably sits at home on a Saturday night playing video games and watching the Scyfy channel. Go watch One Tree Hill on the CW. That may be more your style.
This is a truly great show because of it's core cast of talent, and obviously it's story line. However i do have a problem with the way the werewolves are pretrayed. Basically they got real cheap on the special affects and decided to just make them regular wolves that can transform at anytime and pain free. This totally goes against what werewolves truly are, and the fact that being a werewolf is a curse, something you would not want to have to deal with every full moon. But True Blood's patrayal of them makes it seem to much like a shape shifter that can only shift into a werewolf, and they don't even need a full moon and can be killed as easily as a regular human, truly does the show an injustice. Also this idea that all werewolves are red necks and howling idiots hooked on v is truly a dumb idea. Let's be honest,, how dumb and idiotic was it when they were branding alcide old girlfriend and then the guy starts howling and SHIFTS into a werewolf the same way sam shifts into a dog by undoing his pants, not very frightening or imaginative at all. I think this mistake in not staying true to what a werewolf true nature is has definatley ruined the show atleast for this year because they definatley got it all wrong. It would be much better to have just one werwolf who truly goes through a change every full moon, and if it looked anything like The Wolfaman movie,, think how cool that would have been. But this is basically just a bunch of shifters that are hooked on v.
True Blood fell off when it introduced the silly looking werewolves. Has anyone seen the British show Being Human? Now that is what werewolves are supposed to look like. What were the people at HBO thinking with their low budget wolves on one of the biggest shows on tv?
I have to say that show does look extremely interesting. I am trying to get my hands on season 1 to check it out.
Silly looking werewolves? They look like wolves. Are they suppose to look like Michael J. Fox's Teen Wolf?
They used actual Wolves, trained to be on set. Perhaps the CG in the transformations is substandard, but you can't get anymore lupine than that.
One of the most original programs on the air. I also enjoy their "fang in cheek" ability to kid themselves and the show in some of the episodes themselves. I hope it does keep going for a while. At least as long as it stays fresh and funny...and gory.
Ken is a troll in the forum sense. . not the fantasy sense. The show has some of the most refreshing characters etc. I have seen in a long time.
I think Troll is the term you guys want for Ken. I'm glad to see old Count Dracula get a face lift. At first I was resistant but now I like the new modern Vamp's. I've been around since the black and white Vamps. I think this is a bit of a new twist on and old theme contray to Kens opinion. Ken just doesnt like change . You can find him at the local Tea Party meetings complaining about anything new.
Oh, David beat me too it. David has properly identified Ken's species.
This show is all about characters, it has great characters and great actors that come and go with frequency, and of course a few regulars worth coming back for. Also it's not afraid to introduce new concepts to the vampire genre, and wild entertaining story lines and surprises. Give us more Alan Ball!
"Also it's not afraid to introduce new concepts to the vampire genre"
While I love the show, and I believe the acting, directing and overall execution is masterful, I can't say that the books or show have introduced any new concepts to the vampire genre. Most of what you take for "new concepts" were lifted directly from a roleplaying game called Vampire: The Masquerde which came out in 1992; Vampire Sheriffs (called Sheriffs in the game), Kings and Queens (called Princes in the game), vampire blood healing people and making them stronger, vampire blood creating emotional bonds between the vampire and those who drink from them (called a Blood Bond in the game), in the second season there's an episode where they even reference a legend saying that the first vampire was Cain from the bible (which was the backstory for the Vampire game). Even the fact that Sookie can't read a vampire's mind, or that vampires can't glamor her, is based on rules from the game.
What's crazy is that the company that developed the Vampire game, White Wolf Publishing, actually sued Sony Entertainment over the Underworld franchise of movies, citing pages of similarities between the vampire/werewolf film and their games, and apparently it was a strong enough case to be settled out of court (probably to avoid further legal delays). While there were some similarities in style and motif between the game and Underworld, the similarities between Vampire: The Masquerade and True Blood are compelling to the point where I would almost guess that Charlene Harris used to play the game herself (probably portraying a blond, telepathic waitress). I'm surprised that a company as greedy and manipulative as White Wolf hasn't filed suit yet against HBO.
What is very interesting is how True Blood expanded on the myth by using vampires as an (albeit imperfect) analogy for a disenfranchised minority. As social commentary, the stories are excellent. However, even the artificial blood idea isn't technically new to the genre. What True Blood accomplishes though is to take different aspects of the vampire myth and plant it squarely in the middle of the 21st century, where hiding has become impossible in the age where every telephone has a camera and most have some form of internet access.
Great show! Bought 1st and 2nd seasons! Normally dont get dvd's.
Maybe if Ken watched the show, he'd know it is about much more than just "vampies". Too bad he'd rather waste time trolling internet forums talking sh!t about things he doesn't watch :-/
My guess is Ken has never read the books nor seen the show to say "Vampire sillyness" is showing a lack of original ideas. TB is a great show and one of the few that strays a bit from the books for the better. What do you recommend Ken? Maybe another Brokeback Mountain type show for your interest?
richard just gave me a great idea for a new show that is sure to be a hit. 'American Idol Vamps'!
good point brittany.it may be that some viewers have problems following a plot that is slightly more complex than 'american idol" .
Good 1 Brittany !
I have been trying 2 think of a good reply 4 Ken's kind of comment (those folks seem 2 b anywhere), & I plan 2 shamelessly use yours.
Few shows are more boring than the current "vampie" sillyness. It simply proves that Hollywood has run out of original ideas. Tsk, tsk.
says the guy who came to this story, made a point to comment and take the time to put his name and email address to just comment that he doesn't like the show... right.
My grandmother uses tsk.. tsk... and falls squarely outside the True Blood demographic...
Maybe switch to Wheel of Fortune if you are as 70+ as you sound Ken, and perhaps learn to spell while you're at it...
Ken is just trying to get a rise out of people with his know-it-all, ill-informed comments, so best to ignore him. It never ceases to amaze how much joy certain people get out of denigrating things that other people enjoy just to be obnoxious. If I am not interested in something, I just don't pay any attention to it. And I certainly don't go post snarky comments on articles about it. I doubt Ken has even watched the show, and he certainly hasn't read the books, but he feels qualified to pass judgement on it.
My husband and I just watched the first season of True Blood on DVD, and we're looking forward to watching the second season. We don't actually have tv reception or cable, so we'll have to wait for the DVDs for the third season. But it's great fun thus far. This show is definitely for a different audience than the Twilight crowd (I enjoyed those books, but the movies not as much).
I am not "friends with Oscars" (???), but I do know what I like. I also know what I don't like, and I am not going waste my time writing troll-like posts about what I don't like.
Funny KEN.... you seem to be ALL INTO this Vampire stuff.... enough to spend your 'precious"? time commenting!
ENJOY!
Hollywood treads on old, trite ideas a lot, true. But to say that Mad Men, Breaking Bad, True Blood, Weeds, East Bound and Down, Glee, and such shows are not original is to be just as lazy and guilty of recycling ideas as the hack writers who pen "American Pie: Geritol to the Rescue!" Pony up and pay for the quality of premium channels and maybe you'll find some inspiration and come up with some original ideas of your own, K-k-k-ken!