IS TRUE BLOOD THE KIND OF DRAMA MEN CAN GET THIER TEETH INTO?

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on The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris, HBO’s most bankable hit True Blood examines the relationships between vampires and humans in a fictional town called Bon Temps in Louisiana.

Featuring mythical creatures like vampires, werewolves and witches, supernatural happenings, fairies and magic spells, Alan ‘Six Feet Under’ Ball’s over the top fantasy drama doesn’t necessarily seem like a show that would make much of an impression with a male demographic. At least not at first glance. Whilst it can take a while to get accustomed to the Southern accents, numerous moments of high camp, gratuitous nudity and at times, the implausibility of the plot (there’s only one restaurant in town and its proprietor spends most of his time fighting with supernatural beasts) there is plenty here for men to get their teeth in to.

Unisex appeal

With True Blood Season 6 having pulled some of the most intense action fantasy drama punches to date, male and female viewers are watching on TV and on HBO UK in their millions. Boasting a stellar central cast, excellent special guests and exploring themes that everyone can relate to (like sexuality, miscegenation, love, death and morality) True Blood is anything but dull.

Undoubtedly high in sex appeal, one element of the show consistently praised by fans on forums (like http://true-blood.net/) is its ambitious attempts at political allegory. Released in the shadow of another year under the Bush administration, True Blood offered a lot of meat for viewers of a political persuasion. Although maybe a little clumsy in its execution, True Blood successfully draws attention to the questionable treatment of various marginalised groups in America, presenting sexual and racial diversity without comment – a trait that proves rather refreshing for audiences of all genders.

What men want

For men looking for conventionally ‘manly’ elements in their TV viewing, True Blood definitely delivers, depicting intense power struggles, complex political storylines and brutal showdowns in abundance.

However, perhaps the real reason the show stands out amongst the competition is that it makes a noble attempt to use its characters to provide a range of fairly nuanced representations.

As the show enters its final spell the True Blood Season 7 premiere has promised to add even more dramatic weight to proceedings, waving goodbye to major characters and bringing the plot full circle with the bloodiest episodes yet.

For doubters and naysayers, now is definitely the time to tune in and catch up!