HBO's 'True Blood': Audiences don't bite

HBO just can't catch a break.

After engineering a massive, multimillion-dollar marketing campaign to promote "True Blood," the new vampire series from Alan Ball, Sunday's premiere drew just 1.44 million viewers.

That's bad news for the cable channel, which hasn't been able to launch a new one-hour drama to any kind of ratings fanfare in some time. Without one of its previous powerhouse lead-ins ("The Sopranos," "Sex and the City") its new shows have floundered.

David Milch's offbeat surf drama "John From Cincinnati" debuted to 3.4 million in June 2007 (albeit following the well-attended series finale of "The Sopranos"), while the sexually explicit drama "Tell Me You Love Me" suffered without a strong lead-in, premiering to 910,000 viewers in September 2007. 

Neither of those shows was as heavily marketed as "True Blood," and both were canceled after one season. (The low-budget "In Treatment," a half-hour, five-night-a-week therapy drama starring Gabriel Byrne, was renewed for a second season but delivered even more modest ratings than "Tell Me.")

The "True Blood" audience was lower than even the last new episode of HBO's "Big Love," which delivered 2.88 million in August 2007. And it pales overall when compared with the network's past drama premieres such as "Big Love" (4.56 million in March 2006), "Rome" (3.8 million in August 2005) and "Deadwood" (5.79 million in March 2004).

It should be noted that pay channels like HBO and Showtime air their series episodes several times over the course of a week and over various multiplexes, and HBO executives will be paying close attention to the "True Blood" premiere's cumulative viewership. (A later 10:30 p.m. airing Sunday added 672,000 viewers to that overall tally).

On the positive tip, reviews for "True Blood" have ranged from lukewarm to enthusiastic. Times critic Mary McNamara was less of a fan, saying Ball zapped the fun out of the original Charlaine Harris' novels and turned it into a "heavy-handed political fable."

Ball, of "Six Feet Under" fame, tried to level expectations for the series last week, telling Time Out Chicago that he didn't feel the pressure to strike gold twice. "I do the best show I can, then I go home and I have a life. Ultimately, it's just television."

Meanwhile, 1.645 million tuned in afterward for the Season 5 premiere of "Entourage." Numbers improved upon "True Blood," but also rank as the series' smallest audience since July 2005. The premiere was down 29% from the fourth-season opener.

-- Denise Martin

Photo: HBO

Comments

[sasha]

The stories are okay, but what gets on my nerves is the actress who plays Tara. I have yet to find a Black woman in Louisiana who talks like she does! Won't someone tell her that a Southern accent isn't generic? The accent is regional, there is a difference between the Texas, Louisiana and Georgian accents, and within each of those accents, the African American accent is different too. It's hard to listen to her.

[Specialkr4]

True fans know after reading all the books, that the story line of the first book dragged a little and was filled with detail. The first series of True Blood is based on the first. As of this episode (6) The plot starts to move faster and the story line gets more exciting. I think the show is great, I even like the deviations from the books. My only hope is that HBO sticks with it for more than one season because the story only gets better from here. I'm tired of being disappointed with HBO when they cancel truly great shows like Carnivale and Deadwood.

[lisette]

You know - everyone I work with that has watched the show (13 out of 21) luvs True Blood. Love that Steven Moyer - he is so hot! The chem between he and Anna is incredible. Absolutely LOVE his character - all the women in my office think he is so incredible sexy! Hope this show makes it! Actually, HBO has already committed to a second season so we are all soooo happy about that. I was HOOKED from the first two minutes of the premiere! I also love all the characters - they all registered with me from the first episode whether you like their characters (like Tara (Sookie's friend) and Adele Stackhouse (Sookie's Grandmother) or don't like them - Sam? (something is definately up with him) Also LOVE Lafayette!!!! I say anyone who doesn't like this show should try to give it another chance!!!

[M]

This is a shame....I love 'True Blood' it is fun, not like so many shows that are painful to watch.....I sure hope it does not get canceled.

[merco]

I've loved the books and I like the True Blood HBO series. It appears that this first season will cover mostly the first book in the book series. Please be patient it is a good line of stories and will get much more exciting as the series of books progress. YEAH HBO! for attempting the books and they are doing a good job!

[Denise]

This is the best show in a long, long time. It's smart and sexy and the chemistry between Paquin and Moyer is undeniable. I watch Dexter on re-run now and I quit calling Showtime the new HBO. Let this one go, I'm canceling my HBO....

[Liz]

I REALLY hope they keep it, I LOVE it!!!! Its the best!

[julie moore]

i have been watching the show from the start. i love it,because of sookie and bill's love affair. i watch the show last nite oct 2,. i was dispointent,because i can see you are going to spilt up bill and sookie. that is the only reason i watch the show.bill and sookie make that show . i can see me losing interest in it,because you are goiing to take them away from each other.all the things bill has done for sookie and she is going to get mad over him coming to town to watch her. you can tell he loves her. do not mess up this show. thanks julie

[loser]

Attention HBO, alota fans download True Blood fyi :o

[Eric W]

My wife and I watch the show over and over! Please HBO keep it going!

[True Blood]

We can look back and laugh at this article now. True Blood is one of the most successful shows airing on tv at the moment.

[Julia Minton]

I love how the they made Charlaine Harris novels in to a show. I have read all the way up to her 8 novel and just found out that she has wrote another one. I got to see the first season when it came out on dvd since i didmt have HBO. I cant wait to see what they have done with the second season that is all so the second book. I just hope they keep making them beeacause there are some people that I never read the books but has started watching the show and have fell in love with it. Then the ones like me who have read the books and love them. Thank you Charlaine Harris for writing such wonder of a different world and letting others come in to it. thank you to the one for making the show come to life from her really cool books.