Alan Ball says True Blood is a “big old-fashioned romance”
By Lividity on November 8th, 2009| 6 Comments »
The TV series of vampires in small-town America is now enthralling British viewers. In an article with the Guardian UK, Alan Ball reveals what we’ve always suspected: that True Blood is just “a big old-fashioned romance.”
It’s rare, bordering on never- happened-before-ever, that I should find myself agreeing with the oracle that is Lindsay Lohan. But like the actor turned, ahem, designer, I too love True Blood, the vampire drama now running on Channel 4 – the only difference between Lilo and me being that she’s posted pictures of herself wearing fangs on her Twitter homepage, and I have not. But I haven’t stopped talking about True Blood since it arrived on terrestrial TV this autumn.
It is a gripping blend of southern American small-town mentality and hideous murders in a world where vampires have “come out” and live alongside regular humans. There are colourful characters galore. I love the telepathic heroine, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin). She’s totally the new Daisy Duke, in her denim hotpants and super-tight T-shirts. Her dalliance with Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), the much-older vampire with artfully dishevelled hair and architecturally chiselled cheekbones, makes for a splendid romantic centrepiece. Sookie’s grandmother, meanwhile, is amazing: the most progressive woman in town, totally pro-vampire. Sookie’s black best friend, Tara, is a pit bull of one-liner fabulousness. Sample line: “School is just for white people looking for other white people to read to them. I figure I save my money and read to myself.” And Tara’s gay cousin, Lafayette (Nelson Ellis), is equally addictive. A chef-come- drug dealer, he ramps it up in a (brilliantly) distasteful mix of string vests, eyeliner and turbanesque headgear.
“ Alan Ball, series creator – who also made the quite exceptional undertaker drama Six Feet Under – says he sees the show as a “big old-fashioned romance”.”
And then there’s the sex – the sex! – which appears to have some kind of steroid problem, but rather elegantly bounces along the fine line between extreme and extremely funny. For Jason Stackhouse, Sookie’s brother and True Blood’s bonkbusting stud muffin, it’s truly a hard life. In the course of the first five episodes, we’ve seen him dance in his pants for a gay porn website (payment for scoring “V”, or vampire blood, which has a rather shocking effect on humans if they imbibe it); we’ve also seen him clutching a piece of prime steak over his crotch after taking the aforementioned drug. Hysterical. Naturally, all this comicly vigorous sex has not delighted everyone. The Daily Mail has criticised the show for its “depravity, explicit sexuality (bordering on pornography) and vile language”. Well now you know it must be good!
Read entire article here.
Yess! As a committed fan of the Bill and Sookie love story – I can only hope that Alan Ball follows that old fashioned romance throughout the series. Ups and downs – ok – but these two really need to be together, always.
Awesome write up, full of LOLZ. Ahh British journalism, how I miss you.
“alan ball” you’ve gone and done it commited yourself by saying that “true blood” is a good old fashion romance. so you now have to make sure it is “bill & sookie” all the way with out a shadow of a doubt. which totally sit’s very well with me indeed me being a very big fan of the “bill & sookie” romance and coupling. love “bill & sookie” thay totally rock & rule. together forever alway’s and eternally so.
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Yes, it is written in Black and White now, AB! A BIG OLD-FASHIONED ROMANCE!!!!!
Yes, it is written in Black and White now, AB! A BIG OLD-FASHIONED ROMANCE!!!!!
Oh! What about the “artfully dishevelled hair and architecturally chiselled cheekbones!!”
I would agree However a big old-fashioned romance complete with Profanity? Strong Sexual Content? Nudity? Graphic Violence? Scenes depicting drug abuse? substance abuse? sounds more “Contemporary” to me than Old Fashioned. Not that Any of that detracts from the great writing and acting of the show.
Usually an Old Fashioned Romance deosnt have graphic depictions of sexual acts or bloodfeeding! Im not knocking the show its jjust that in a traditional sense it wouldnt seem old fashioned other than for the love story between B & S.