The traditional HBO collection True Blood has not too long ago joined the TNT lineup. However, the episodes have seen their content material edited and censored to satisfy normal cable tv air requirements. This longstanding apply for HBO exhibits goes again properly into the ’90s when common HBO exhibits made the leap to cable or common networks. It began when a later season of Dream On aired edited for primetime broadcasts on the Fox Network within the mid-90s. It additionally occurred when Sex and the City started airing on primary cable within the 2000s. True Blood will possible not be the final case this happens, with Silicon Valley additionally receiving cable tv edits for TBS broadcasts.
Despite the established historical past of enhancing HBO exhibits for cable tv broadcast requirements, for True Blood, the apply is very detrimental to each the collection and the viewers. Here’s why enhancing such a groundbreaking and iconic present detracts from its distinctive, grownup, and mature viewing expertise.
The Maturity of ‘True Blood’
True Blood was groundbreaking for its time, not simply as an grownup drama, however as a darkish, trendy fantasy story. True Blood informed a fantasy story, however with a contemporary, grounded, and practical lens. Fantastical and magical creatures, vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves all exist on this planet of True Blood, however the collection all the time had a grounded, plausible viewpoint. The grownup content material, conditions, and thematic materials added to that as a result of there had by no means been a present like this packaging collectively the grownup drama, horror, and fantasy parts. Keep in thoughts, True Blood on HBO predated such exhibits as Spartacus, Game of Thrones, Westworld, and Outlander. True Blood helped pave the best way for different premium exhibits that would combine grownup dramatic thematic materials together with extra fantasy story parts and settings after which packaged them to enchantment to extra mature audiences. The present’s distinctive mix of fantasy, horror, drama, and comedy was a hit, and True Blood turned one among HBO’s highest-rated exhibits since The Sopranos.
True Blood’s groundbreaking, progressive tackle sexuality and sexual relationships contributed to the revolutionary present. Throughout the collection, characters had been open relating to their sexuality and sexual relationships. True Blood depicted adults in grownup conditions and creator Alan Ball represented the grownup thematic materials with maturity and subtlety missing in lots of exhibits of that period. Despite the present’s premise with fantasy creatures, the gothic Southern setting rang true and was genuine, due to Alan Ball’s private experiences as a homosexual man who grew up within the south. Charlaine Harris, the unique creator of The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels additionally grew up within the South and framed the vampires as an allegory for a minority group preventing for its civil rights and LGBTQ+ rights. True Blood was unflinching in its depiction of sexuality and variety in sexual relationships. Editing the present’s sexual thematic materials detracts from the present’s distinctive and progressive imaginative and prescient.
Throughout the collection, Ball did an incredible job fleshing out the solid and depicting a various solid of characters of the fictional Louisiana city, Bon Temps. The present put LGBTQ+ characters and relationships entrance and heart, with characters reminiscent of Pam Swynford de Beaufort (Kristin Bauer van Straten) and Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley). They weren’t the exception within the present’s depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships, since different characters reminiscent of Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Jesus Velasquez (Kevin Alejandro) performed sturdy roles within the collection. The present’s villains would show to have attention-grabbing sides. Lead characters, reminiscent of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), had been flawed. Audiences resonated with the characters of the collection, which averted the usage of stereotypes.
True Blood was not solely an “grownup” collection, nevertheless it handled grownup subject material in a mature, clever style. As the present’s creator and govt producer Alan Ball as soon as informed NPR, the collection is about “how we cope with our primal wishes. How do these parts of our psyche manifest themselves in a world the place monsters had been actual?” The enhancing of the grownup parts concerning the primal wishes Ball described alters the material and which means of the present.
‘True Blood’ Is Going From TV-MA… to TV-MA
Ultimately, it is ironic that the TNT model of True Blood continues to be rated TV-MA. That is the tv equal of an R-rating, so the present is usually recommended for ages 17 and older. So, the collection has been edited down from a TV-MA score… to a score that’s nonetheless TV-MA. In 2023, there can be found choices for the unique unedited episodes. Most AT&T subscribers have entry to HBO Max and each season of True Blood. There are cheaper choices for viewing the unique, uncensored HBO variations of True Blood moderately than watching it on TNT by means of cable or satellite tv for pc. Even if youthful viewers try to sneak in some edited True Blood viewing on TNT, they’re nonetheless watching a present that’s above the urged age vary.
Ultimately, it’s as much as the viewer to resolve how one can watch and luxuriate in True Blood. However, True Blood, in its authentic type, turned such a prestigious, award-winning present for a cause. It was distinctive and particular for its time, not only for the best way Alan Ball introduced the world of Charlaine Harris’ books to life, however by means of its mature and progressive depictions of grownup subject material. Editing the present is like censoring or defacing artwork in its authentic purest type. WarnerMedia is solely enhancing the present to cable broadcast requirements which have lengthy been out of date because of the widespread availability of streaming, premium content material. One might watch the edited variations of True Blood on TNT, however why? That could be a disservice to the present and the viewers. Of be aware, a deliberate reboot of the present that started improvement at HBO beginning in December 2020 not too long ago fell aside in February. If by some means one other reboot or revival does materialize once more, hopefully, the present won’t depart from the good, mature thematic materials that made True Blood such a groundbreaking, distinctive, and distinctive collection when it was initially on the air.