Alan Ball, the creator of “Six Feet Under”, has a new HBO show about vampires living openly in the present day called “True Blood”.

From Alan Ball’s interview on HBO.com:
“It’s based on a series of books written by Charlaine Harris, and it takes place in a world where vampires have made their presence known to humans. They’ve come out of the coffin, so to speak, because of the development by a Japanese biotech firm of synthetic blood for medical purposes, which the vampires claim fulfills all of their nutritional needs. So they’ve organized, and they’re struggling for assimilation and for equal rights.”

The series focuses though on Anna Paquin’s character, Sookie Stackhouse. She’s a telepathic waitress who befriends one of these newly outed vamps in a small Louisiana town. Hmm, I guess that could prove interesting. However, those faux TruBlood beverage ads confused the heck outta me until I realized it was plugging HBO’s new show. Will viewers be able to tell when Ball is being serious or funny? Will he be able to balance the horror elements with the satire of society?

All I know for sure is vampires are no stranger to the television series format, see “Angel”, “Forever Knight”, or CBS’s now cancelled “Moonlight”. Thus, I’m sure a few fans of the genre will be tuning in on September 7th when the series premieres to weigh in on Ball’s take on the vampire mythology.

As you may have noticed, my mission to write about every television show of note has become quite a task. There’s just so many eras and hidden gems I keep digging up every day. Lucky for me, Martin Grossman has joined the television revival cause!

If you read his reviews of “The Riches” and “Mad Men”, you’ll see that he’s right at home here on Television Revival. He is in the know about current tv shows and will contribute a few insightful tv revival posts on the weekends.

Say what’s up to Martin in the comments below.

(image source: PopSci)

Still haven’t gotten around to buying the first season of “Damages” on dvd. No worries, FX feels your pain.

Since this show is told in flashbacks, a marathon can really put things into perspective. You really get the big picture of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) as shrewd lawyer, possible murderer!

A&E’s “The Cleaner” premiered a few weeks ago, and I finally watched the first episode this week on my TiVo.

The tv show is based on real life interventionist, William Banks, played by Benjamin Bratt. Banks has a team full of former addicts who help him locate the person they’ve been hired to essentially kidnap and force into rehab. The cops give them a pass on these extreme tactics, so as long as Banks throws a drug bust their way. Grace Park (”Battlestar Galactica”) plays Akani, the street smart temptress that loves working for Banks but refuses to follow all his rules. Gil Bellows (”Ally McBeal”) plays Banks’ best friend Mickey, a body builder/trainer who used to be addicted to heroin but has since cleaned up for his family. I barely recognized him in character, almost the exact opposite of his bumbling lawyer character on Ally. Last but not least, newcomer Esteban Powell plays Arnie the resident slacker and complainer of the bunch.

By the end of the pilot episode, some pretty serious stuff goes down as they try to locate a 15 year old kid named Zach who’s hooked on oxycontin. This television show is gritty, engaging, and doesn’t soften up the predicament of drug abusers. Think of it as a dramatization of “Intervention” crossed with the crime melodrama of “The Shield”. Banks is a more sympathetic character than Vic Mackey by far. But he still is a former addict, and thus, he still has demons that he struggles with each day. Not to mention, chasing addicts doesn’t leave a lot of time for your family. I think Banks balancing his time between work and home will become a huge story arc in the show.

Watch new episodes on A&E at 10pm on Tuesdays. “The Cleaner” may just have washed away that bad taste in my mouth from Benjamin Bratt’s previous tv show, “E-ring”.

At Comic-Con this weekend, the producers of “Lost” revealed some exciting news and spoilers to the crowd of Hall H. They even answered a few of the fans’ burning questions. To kick things off, they showed a “video [which] consisted of Lindelof and Cuse talking about how, in these new DVDs, they will present all of the flash-forwards as an extra and in the correct time sequence.”

Say what now? All those crazy flashforwards will be edited together for my viewing pleasure? That’s definitely an extra feature that could prove useful! “Lost” is such a complicated show, I mean most viewers have to watch each episode twice to know what the heck is going on! This flash-forward compilation feature could finally resolve all of those dangling clues that are mixed up in my head.

The only catch is the 5-disc box set doesn’t come out until December 9th! I guess in the meantime, I’ll have to watch the other three seasons to pass the time.

Find more coverage of the “Lost” panel at TV Squad.

The TV Whore reported today that the folks across the pond are developing a British version of “Law & Order”. Battlestar Galactica’s Jamie Bamber the first actor attached to the project.

I’m a serious L&O addict. I have watched every incarnation of L&O, except that stupid “Law & Order: Trial by Jury” one that got nixed. And seeing how I’m already addicted to BBC’s “Wire in the Blood” (a police procedural that follows psychologist Tony Hill who consults with the police), this is nothing but good news for me.

Now, I’ve just got to move to London by the time it airs or pray they show it on BBC America. Even if they show it in the middle of the night, my dvr will be tuning in for me.

“Empty Nest” was one of my favorite sitcoms from the early nineties. It was a “Golden Girls” spin-off, but when the show aired, I’m not sure I was even aware of that fact.

The seven seasons of this Emmy winning show followed the misadventures of Dr. Harry Weston (Richard Mulligan) and his two adult daughters, Barbara (Kristy McNichol) and Carol (Dinah Manoff). And let’s not forgot about their loveable dog, Dreyfuss and the scheming neighbor Charley (David Leisure)!

I don’t remember any specific episodes, but I do remember that Richard Mulligan kept me coming back for more. At least, I’m not the only one who has a soft spot for “Empty Nest”. Televised Revolution has a humorous breakdown of the series. And see, even he says the plot points weren’t that memorable.

It premiered last week, but it’s still not too late to catch up! Col. Carter is leaving/getting fired and Woollsey is running the show (crazy, I know!) over at the Atlantis site. Babies, wraiths, exploration, what’s not to love about the new season.

The folks over at F/X and AMC are probably dancing a jig right now since “Mad Men” and “Damages” got record breaking Emmy nominations today.

“Mad Men”

“Damages”

The noms are certainly is well-deserved, and probably will open the door for more basic cable series.

Don’t forget about the “Mad Men” marathon this Sunday on AMC.

Yahoo Entertainment AP

I love that “Intervention” is back this summer. Yes it’s sad and heartbreaking, but it is so interesting that I simply cannot look away.

And after reading this interview, it looks like The Washington Post loves this show too. I love that the show is getting press, since it truly is raising awareness with each episode. Plus, at the end of each show, they offer a hotline for the families who have a loved one struggling with addiction. Some episodes even explain how seeing “Intervention” prompted them to contact someone.

According to the post, it turns out that Sam Mettler, the creator of the show, ended up getting a contact high. As Jezebel points out, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought about the safety of the camera men before. Maybe it’s because, I’m just in awe of what is happening on the screen, I forget that there’s an actual guy with a camera there having to witness crazy drug abuse behavior first hand! He really is putting himself in danger while making the show. I’m sure they take precautions, but seriously people are unpredictable.