Love at first bite

Vampires and humans do some serious Deep South mingling in True Blood, the latest winner from FX

True Blood | Episode 9 | Series 1 | Now magazine

Blood boils for Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer

Get ready for some steamy Friday nights on FX with True Blood.

The latest hit from Alan Ball, who brought us Six Feet Under, combines vampires and steamy sex in Louisiana.

Vampires have gone legit with the invention of a synthetic blood product which means they don't have to prey on humans - unless they want to.

But some humans are sucking on the vampires because their blood - carefully drained and sold - is the ultimate high.

Waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) is a girl from a small town with a big secret - she's telepathic. Unfortunately there aren't many minds worth reading in her neighbourhood.

That's until 200 year old vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) walks into her bar looking for a glass of blood substitute. She doesn't have it but rustles up a lively merlot instead.

The show has eye-popping sex scenes and hard core violence aplenty.

It's also wryly funny - there's a blink-and-you'll-miss it shot of a supermarket tabloid with the headline: Angelina Adopts Vampire Baby.

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But deep down it's about prejudice - humans hate and fear the vampires - played out in a place where racial tensions between whites and blacks still have the power to spill over into ugly violence.

By the end I'll guess that true love will prevail. But there are a lot of shocks to come.

True Blood FX Fridays 10pm