‘True Blood’ Will End in 2014

Ryan Kwanten, Lucy Griffiths, Alexander Skarsgard and Rutina Wesley in True Blood
Ryan Kwanten, Lucy Griffiths, Alexander Skarsgard and Rutina Wesley in True Blood (Photo © HBO)
HBO officially announced the end of True Blood. The sexy vampire/werewolf/fairy series will finish up its run with season seven’s 10 episodes next summer. Given the fan reaction to the sixth season of the series, the news that HBO has set a series end date for the show is not a big surprise.
 
Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming, made the announcement, stating: “True Blood has been nothing short of a defining show for HBO. Alan Ball took the books by Charlaine Harris, assembled a brilliant cast led by the magnificent Anna Paquin in the role of Sookie Stackhouse, and crafted a show that has taken its many devoted fans on an unforgettable journey. Alan passed the baton to Brian Buckner, who led our fantastic writers and crew in crafting a spectacular sixth season, and he will lead us through the seventh and final season of this amazing show. Together with its legions of fans, it will be hard to say goodbye to the residents of Bon Temps, but I look forward to what promises to be a fantastic final chapter of this incredible show.”
 
Added Ball, “From the moment I read Charlaine’s books, I thought there was potential for something really special. Then our amazing writers, cast and crew brought her world to life in a way that exceeded my wildest expectations. I’m deeply grateful to HBO for being true partners and collaborators, and, of course, to the viewers who chose to spend Sunday nights in Bon Temps with us.”
 
“I feel enormously proud to have been a part of the True Blood family since the very beginning,” said Brian Buckner. “I guarantee that there’s not a more talented or harder-working cast and crew out there, and I’d like to extend a personal heartfelt thanks to them for their dedication and tenacity over the years, especially this past year, as I stepped into a larger role. Thank you also to HBO for their unwavering support and of course to Alan Ball, whose genius enabled all of us to share in this incredible journey. Finally, a huge thank you to the most passionate fans in television. As we take a final walk through Bon Temps together, we will do our very best to bring Sookie’s story to a close with heart, imagination and, of course, fun.”
 
In addition to Paquin, the True Blood cast includes Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Joe Manganiello, Sam Trammell, Deborah Ann Woll, and Ryan Kwanten.
 
Will Sookie from the series end up with the same partner she does in Harris’ final book of the series? It’ll be interesting to see if the HBO series changes things up, and I’m putting in a request now for Sookie and Eric to officially become a couple. A Truebie can dream, right?