"True Blood" (2007) More at IMDbPro »TV series 2007-????

First of all, let me say that TrueBlood was good, especially considering that this was the first episode. Alan Ball does a good job of establishing a realistic setting (the town of Bon Temps, LA) with a believable scenario in society recognizes vampires. The sex, while graphic, is sufficiently twisted, establishing some of the differences between humans and vampires. The dialogue wasn't bad and the somewhat campy atmosphere of the show hooked me in and gave it a genuine air of back-country sex and scandal. The acting of the major characters was solid, with Anna Paquin providing a solid portrayal of a young Southern woman tormented by hearing everyone's thoughts yet clinging to her values.

That being said, there were a few problems with the show. The accents were strained at the best of times, with Sookie's African-American friend Tara's being the worst. The character Tara seemed, to my distaste, to conform to the stereotype of the "angry black woman" a little too easily. Some of the acting from the minor characters was disappointing, especially the customers in Sookie's restaurant. While I foresaw a cliffhanger ending, I thought it could have been better constructed; the credits rolled too soon after the vampire hunters (whose acting was sub-par) attacked.

All in all, the show was very entertaining with lots of developing plots to look forward too. A few lapses aside, it was a strong show, one I will look forward to watching every Sunday. I would probably give it a 7.5/10, but it is important to keep in mind that this was only the first episode.