The classic HBO series true blood recently joined the TNT range. However, the episodes had their content edited and censored to meet general cable television broadcast standards. This long-standing practice for HBO shows dates back to the 90s, when popular HBO shows made the jump to cable or regular networks. It all started when a later season of Dream aired edited for primetime broadcasts on the Fox network in the mid-90s. It also happened when sex and the city began airing on basic cable in the 2000s. true blood probably won’t be the last instance of this happening, with Silicon Valley also receiving cable TV edits for TBS shows.
Despite the established history of editing HBO shows for cable television broadcast standards, for true blood, the practice is particularly harmful to both the series and the audience. Here’s why editing such a groundbreaking and iconic show detracts from its uniquely grown-up, mature viewing experience.
The maturity of “True Blood”
true blood was groundbreaking for its time, not just as an adult drama, but as a dark, modern fantasy story. true blood told a fantastic story, but with a modern, grounded and realistic objective. Fantastic and magical creatures, vampires, shapeshifters and werewolves all exist in the world of true blood, but the series has always had a grounded and believable point of view. Adult content, situations and thematic material added to this because there had never been a show like this that brought together the adult drama, horror and fantasy elements. Keep in mind, true blood on HBO predated shows such as Spartacus, Game of Thrones, Westworldet Foreign. true blood helped pave the way for other premium shows that could mix adult dramatic thematic material with more fantastical story elements and settings, then packaged them to appeal to more mature audiences. The series’ unique blend of fantasy, horror, drama and comedy was a hit, and true blood has become one of HBO’s highest-rated shows since The Sopranos.
real blood A revolutionary and progressive approach to sexuality and sexual relationships contributed to this innovative show. Throughout the series, the characters were open about their sexuality and sexual relationships. true blood portrays adults in adult situations and creator Alan Boule represented adult thematic material with a maturity and subtlety that many shows of that era lacked. Despite the show’s premise with fantastical creatures, the southern gothic setting rang true and felt authentic, thanks to Alan Ball’s personal experiences as a gay man growing up in the south. Charlaine Harristhe original author of The Southern Vampire Mysteries The novels also grew up in the South and presented vampires as an allegory of a minority group fighting for their civil rights and LGBTQ+ rights. true blood was unwavering in its portrayal of sexuality and diversity in sexual relationships. The editing of the show’s sexually themed material detracts from the show’s unique and progressive outlook.
Throughout the series, Ball has done a terrific job fleshing out the cast and portraying a diverse cast of characters from the fictional Louisiana town of Bon Temps. The show has brought LGBTQ+ characters and relationships to the forefront, with characters such as Beaufort’s Pam Swynford (Kristin Bauer van Straten) and Tara Thorton (Rutine Wesley). They weren’t the exception in the show’s portrayal of LGBTQ+ relationships, as other characters such as Lafayette (Nelson Ellis) and Jesus Velazquez (Kevin Alexander) played an important role in the series. The villains of the series would turn out to have interesting facets. The main characters, such as Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) et Bill Compton (Stephane Moyer), were wrong. Audiences resonated with the show’s characters, which avoided the use of stereotypes.
true blood wasn’t just a “grown-up” series, but it dealt with adult subjects in a mature and intelligent way. As the show’s creator and executive producer, Alan Ball, once told NPR, the show is about “how we deal with our primal desires. How do these elements of our psyche manifest in a world where monsters were real?” The montage of the adult elements to the primal desires described by Ball alters the fabric and the sense of the spectacle.
“True Blood” goes from TV-MA… to TV-MA
Ultimately, it’s ironic that the TNT version of true blood is still rated TV-MA. It’s the TV equivalent of an R rating, so the show is suggested for ages 17 and up. So the series was changed from a TV-MA rating… to one that is still TV-MA. In 2023, there are options available for original unedited episodes. Most AT&T subscribers have access to HBO Max and every season of true blood. There are cheaper options for viewing the original, uncensored HBO versions of true blood rather than watching it on DTT via cable or satellite. Even if young viewers try to squeeze in some edits true blood viewing on TNT, they always watch a program that exceeds the suggested age range.
Ultimately, it’s up to the viewer to decide how to watch and enjoy true blood. However, true blood, in its original form, has become such a prestigious and award-winning show for a reason. It was unique and special for its time, not just for the way Alan Ball brought the world of Charlaine Harris’s books to life, but through his mature and progressive portrayals of adult subjects. Putting on a show is like censoring or defacing art in its purest original form. WarnerMedia simply edits the show to cable broadcast standards that have long since become obsolete due to the widespread availability of premium streaming content. One could look at the edited versions of true blood on TNT, but why? It would be a disservice to the show and the viewers. It should be noted that a planned reboot of the show which began development at HBO from December 2020 recently fell apart in February. If somehow another reboot or revival materializes again, hopefully the show won’t stray from the smart and mature thematic material that made true blood such a groundbreaking, exceptional and unique series when it originally aired.
