HBO is hoping “True Blood,” its new series from “Six Feet Under” creator Alan Ball, can give the pay network a buzz transfusion, USA Today says. The vampire show premiering Sunday, comes at a time when HBO is on the prowl for its next classic series as the glow from “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City””fades, the newspaper says. “At any network, at any time, there’s pressure about what the next big show will be,” says Sue Naegle, the new series programming head at HBO. “We have high hopes for [Blood] and love Alan, [but] we don’t want to put too much pressure on.”
—Sergio Ibarra