Ten reasons to love 'True Blood'

This digital spy UK and they are just now getting the first season!

It may have escaped your notice, but we're getting more than a little excited about True Blood around these parts lately. For the uninitiated, we feel it's time to justify our enthusiasm. Read on for ten reasons why we think you should get a hankering for some True Blood...

1. The concept
True Blood is set in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana in the not-too-distant future: a time where vampires have 'come out of the closest' and co-exist, albeit fractiously, with humans. This is possible because of the creation of a synthetic blood alternative called 'TruBlood', a Japanese invention that negates the need for vampires to feast on humans.

2. Anna Paquin
One of the best pieces of casting comes from X-Men's Anna Paquin, who stars in the lead role of waitress Sookie Stackhouse - a part she auditioned for five times. Sookie's meek and mild-mannered on the surface, but don't let that fool you - she's a bit of a minx underneath it all. She also has a very special gift.

3. The love story
Young Sookie gets very excited when Bon Temps gets its first vampiric resident - the menacingly-named Vampire Bill (Paquin's boyfriend Stephen Moyer). He's dark, mysterious - and devilishly handsome. So begins the show's central love story.

4. The sex
This is just another vampire drama, right? Wrong. It's a sexy vamp drama full of, well... sexy vamps. And the show really earns its 10pm timeslot - there's nothing remotely pre-watershed in here! Heading up the bed-hopping shenanigans is resident man-slut Jason Stackhouse - aka Ryan Kwanten - who spends at least more than 50% of his scenes shirtless and/or pantsless.

5. The feisty best friend
Sookie's best friend Tara is bold, brash and ballsy. She has a long-time crush on Sookie's brother Jason but beneath her confident exterior she harbours an abusive homelife.

6. Lafayette
The local gossip/burger-flipper/shady businessman is overlooked in the first couple of episodes, but when his dark side surfaces, he becomes much more integral to the action. Look out for some extremely dodgy dealings and killer one-liners.

7. The violence
Sex? Check. Fangs? Check. Violence? Absolutely! What vampire series would be complete without a fair few seductively aggressive scenes? When blood is shed, it's either during the throes of passion (after a cheeky vamp bite) or in the midst of a revenge-driven fist fight.

8. Alan Ball
True Blood is adapted from the Charlaine Harris novels by Alan Ball, creator of Six Feet Under and Oscar-winner American Beauty. In the States it airs on premium network HBO, which is known for its quality output.

9. The future
The show is already well into its second season in the US, but there's lots to look forward to in the first season, including a murder mystery, a shock slaying - and an unwelcome demonic intrusion.

10. The timeslot
What better excuse to save some dollar and avoid the weekend's alcohol-induced antics? Finally, Friday nights really are worth staying in for!

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a163764/ten-reasons-to-love-true-blood.html