True Blood News at The Nest

Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, and Alan Ball

True Blood is done with Season 3, so Alan Ball and his writers were alone when they heard the news about True Blood‘s Emmy nod (the first drama nomination for a vampire show – quite the honor).

“We’re breaking Season 4, so I’m with the writers and we had a celebratory round of Starbucks,” Alan Ball said. “It’s such a great time for television right now. There are so many great, amazing television series on. To be considered part of that by your peers is really gratifying.”

Alan claimed he didn’t know the nominations were being announced, so he was blind-sided by all the good wishes.

“I have such tunnel-vision,” he said. “If I’m not working on the show, I’m home reading or walking my dogs in the canyon. I did not even know it was happening today, and it’s a good thing because I probably would have been all nervous. When I woke up and there were a gazillion messages, it was a fantastic surprise.”

Alan Ball also said that he hopes the recognition will “give [True Blood] a stamp that it’s more than just vampires and craziness. There’s actually some real drama going on, and it’s actually pretty good.”

For all its accolades, however, HBO was largely left out of the major acting categories for television series. The only series regular to receive a nomination was “Curb’s” Larry David. None of the cast members of “Big Love,” “Treme” or “True Blood” made the list.

“I think we have a lot of ensemble shows where they’re not built around one character,” Michael Lombardo, president of HBO’s programming group said. “What you see is Emmy choices often times are shows where one character really gets to shine the entirety of the show. We don’t have many of those.”

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Here’s a new clip featuring Anna Paquin as narrator in anticipation of next Sunday’s season three premiere (I’m positively giddy!).

Next week, tune in to HBO at 8:45 p.m. for a special feature!


Looks like all you Truebies spoke with your pocketbooks last week of your love for all things True Blood! The Hollywood Reporter announced that HBO’s True Blood Season2 DVD/Blu-ray topped the charts during it’s first release week!

“True Blood: The Complete Second Season” bowed at No. 1 on both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart and Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ended May 30, besting fellow newcomer “Dear John,” a romantic drama that came to disc after grossing more than $80 million in theaters.

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HBO released this fun video, narrated by Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette, to get everyone caught up on the first two season. Enjoy!

L.A. Times photos by Tom O'Neil

Alexander Skarsgård did just participate in an Emmy Round-table, so we shouldn’t be too surprised that HBO is looking ahead and thinking ’bout the gold.

So how does all this work? HBO shipped 14,000 campaign boxes to members of the TV academy. The boxes contain various samples of the programs HBO thinks should be considered. For a full listing, click here. For True Blood, two episodes were included, “Shake and Fingerpop” and “I Will Rise Up.”

Just as a quick refresher, “Shake and Fingerpop is 2.4, written by Alan Ball. It opened with Jason at FotS camp and the fake-out death scene, and included Bill threatening to throw Hoyt out of a window that’s closed, the one Maryann orgy that played well on-screen, the hilarious Sarah Newlin bbq stripper-tease, Sookie’s “booze for dolls” line, Eric heals Lafayette before flying to Dallas and having a lovely chat with Bill in the bar, and Sookie meets Barry. “I Will Rise Up,” which was nominated for a Writer’s Guild Award, opens with Lorena’s “I wish you hadn’t said that” as she runs off (I think that might come back to bite), and then Luke blowing up the Dallas nest. Eric takes the opportunity to get Sookie to suck his bullets, which results in a sexy yet also disturbed  dream featuring both Eric and Lorena. Back in Bon Temps, the jail is bursting at the seams with Maryann’s revelers, and Sam escapes Maryann’s wrath by turning into a fly. Jessica meets Hoyt’s mother, which is mostly a disaster, and Lafayette and Lettie Mae wrestle Tara from Maryann (literally). And the episode ends with Godric being reprimanded by the American Vampire League, and the scene on the roof between him and Eric, and finally Godric and Sookie.

What I would like to know is who picks the episodes because they didn’t ask me. Like Terry Bellefluer, no one ever asks me, but they should.

Good luck, HBO and True Blood!

HBO TV became available on PlayStation 3 and PSP game systems today, just one other way to watch your favorite shows On-Demand.

Episodes of True Blood, seasons one and two, are now available through the PlayStation Store. Other series offered include Eastbound and Down, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Wire, Entourage, Big Love, Sex in the City, The Sopranos, Flight of the Conchords, and Rome.

Each episode will run users around $2.99 (which is about $2 more than other programming available for the PS3). The PS3 viewer will also have to wait until the shows come to dvd, which is when they’re available at the PlayStation store.

“HBO is a high-profile content provider, and a real premium service, so we think this really reinforces that the PlayStation is more than just a videogame console now,” said Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO Jack Tretton. “It gives consumers that big-screen, HD experience in the home on a device other than cable and satellite, and that’s becoming the norm now as opposed to the exception.”

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Today is the day a lot of fan(g)s have been waiting for – the Season Two Blu-Ray and DVD is available!

For those techies out there, the audio and video both received near-perfect ratings, with even the regular ol’ dvd (not hi-def) scoring well.

As far as the goodies go, once again, there are cast and crew commentaries on some of the episodes. 2.2 features Nelsan Ellis and director Michael Lehmann. 2.7 has writer Raelle Tucker and director Michael Ruscio. 2.8 includes both Stephen Moyer and  Alexander Skarsgård (and director John Dahl, but really, who’s going to be listening to him?). 2.10 features Ryan Kwanten and Sam Trammell. 2.11 has Rutina Wesley, director Daniel Minahan, and (to the sound of trumpets) Alan Ball. 2.12 has Anna Paquin, Michelle Forbes, writer Alexander Woo, and director Michael Cuesta. (Warning: apparently, the commentaries include endless praise and laurels for anyone who has ever had anything to do with the show.)

In the commentaries, Mr. Ball threatens to send vampires to the homes of people who leak spoilers… “But they’d probably like that.” And apparently, although Anna Paquin and Michelle Forbes are “giggly,” their commentary is one of the most enjoyable to listen to.

In addition to the commentaries, the set includes two of the fake-news spoofs about vampire life and promotional spots for the Fellowship of the Sun.

The 122-minute “Character Perspective” is being touted as the best feature, only available on the Blu-Ray version. It features four of the side-characters sharing their take on what’s happening on-screen: Hoyt, Pam, Maryann’s servant Karl, and Steve Newlin. It’s accessible by watching each episode with “Enhanced Viewing,” and it entails hints about the show’s mysteries, the ability to flash back and forth to related scenes from other episodes, political messages from the Fellowship or the American Vampire League, and video segments that pop in at certain points (making this mode better for a second viewing, since these tend to drown out the main dialogue).

The Perspectives are very well-done here—they pick fun characters who offer insight on several different groups that are important in the season. These can be quite funny, too, especially videos from the deadpan Pam. Pam comments on Bill and Sookie’s relationship by recalling a human lover she had once: “Let’s just say the thrill of meaningful sex didn’t last long—and neither did he.” Later, she scoffs at the scene of Bill shopping for Jessica’s wardrobe, saying he’ll make her look “like she’s about to guest star on Little House on the Prairie.”

Another great feature of the Blu-Ray is the ability to social network: automatic updates to Facebook and Twitter accounts while you watch (provided your Blu-Ray player is connected to the internet). Each of the episodes has at least eight scenes that can be posted to Facebook directly from the discs, and the fans can choose factions to belong to (vampire, FotS, or maenad). Watching earns the viewers virtual gifts, as well.

For those fan(g)s who rushed out this morning to get their dvds and Blu-Rays, please let us know what you think.

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HBO resurrects True Blood season 2. The cast takes a look back and walks you through some of our favorite scenes. Also, as I was watching True Blood last night like any respectable True Blood addict watches – over, and over again, HBO stated that tonight, 15 minutes before the show, they would have a cast interview. This may be the one, or maybe not. You’ll just have to embrace your addiction and keep watching.

HBO has announced another way for Truebies to win the Ultimate Fan Experience on June 1st.

(In case you forgot or didn’t know, the Ultimate Fan Experience is playing at movie theatres in 50 cities, dedicated to getting everyone ready for the Season 3 premiere:  Season 2 finale will screen, a live Q & A with creator Alan Ball, and an extended sneak peek of Season 3).

To score two passes, be one of the first 10 fan(g)s to buy Season 2 (on either dvd or Blu-ray) at participating Best Buys.

Visit True Blood on Facebook for the list of qualifying Best Buy locations.

Nathan Barr

Nathan Barr and Jace Everett were both awarded BMI awards for their work on True Blood Season Two.

The awards were presented on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Nathan Barr was on hand for the ceremony, but Jace Everett is busy touring in the UK.

Congratulations to both!

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Jace Everett