It's hard to imagine that, with culture-defining programs like Rome, The Sopranos and True Blood, that the cable giant HBO would be struggling financially. While it hasn't been affected quite as profoundly by the current economic slump as some of its smaller competitiors, HBO has still felt the crunch, especially after the removal of Chris Albrecht, the company chief executive and creative mastermind, two years ago after he was charged with domestic abuse in Las Vegas. However, with the debut of the second season of its hit vampire series True Blood, those worries are now a definite thing of the past.
In the first three episodes alone, viewership reached between a staggering 10 and 12 million people tuning in per episode. Those are numbers that any station would be thrilled to report. Creator Alan Ball remarks that part of the success of True Blood lies in its multidimensional aspect: on the surface it appears a bit frivolous, but below lies a series of complex layers of character-driven plot that work to draw in the viewer and inspire a die-hard fandom.
Also, there is a dichotomy between the appeal to both men and women. “Women love the storytelling and the romance, and men love the sex and violence.” Ball remarked in an interview with the New York Times.
HBO's profit this season is estimated at 1.3 billion. The success of True Blood appears to be affecting the surrounding programming on Sunday nights, as well. The new series Hung, starring Thomas Jane, Jane Adams and Anne Heche, amassed an amazing 7 million viewers this past weekend alone as it followed in the spot directly after True Blood. In light of this new era of success, the days of "HB-Over", as heavy-hitting competitors like Showtime once called the station, are hopefully a thing of the past.
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