The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 52

GE Saturday September 6 2008 Ulu 141t i '4" Entertainment charlotteobservercom The Charlotte Observer 'True Blood' preys on lure of the undeacl REVIEW 12 True Blood Premieres at 9 pm Sunday on HBO HBO show's premise: Thanks to the creation of synthetic blood American vampires are fighting for equal rights i 4 C--e 06(2 -0 -f -oVEt A1 limroutwirolosoommorolp4 46 '14 Az 04 't 11' ii'i 1'''''''''''''''''''''' I l'ik 010100411000000r4k4 -44'4'" a 1 4 10'2 4 P111 4 ct 100110fallatflifPONMENSINV 1 1 A I oafN- 1 1S A 0 6 4 1 111 4 0440' 'WI! 'f 'WA' W060400WMt44500P Ie 46 ilt 1 4 i '4 YC 4 5 1 4 14 1 i '4' 04:: '7: -7: '1" )r( vooemom09F '''''''hP' 11 ''i 4 '1' 'I 4I 4 I 'i 1 ''t ''1 4 i i i epo 44 i 't V14" 4 iir e- i i ii---- ow t1 ''''t 4 41 7 "A-- 'c 4 A 7: 4 4 Ni- -I '1 3 A' i''''- 4 7 't 4 i I'l i i i'-' '044 :::1 i 1 1 4 i 04 7 1 f' :21 t' 4 tmtiti 1 IV' a 7'N it At "r- ''e' ri" ss" '-'10' i71 4 4: i tb A 41 7 1' '1'V 1) 4 i 1 '11' 'I 1i: I "lt 1 10 tv2'''' 1 it i'-i'' :1 i itt PRASHANT GUPTA HBO PHOTO Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer star in "True Blood" creator Alan Ball's metaphor of gays in the gay marriage era BY MATTHEW GILBERT Boston Globe Watching vampire stories you inevitably dwell on death as human bodies are punctured drained of spirit left pallid and rubbery Why on earth do we love telling ourselves these gory nighttime tales of blood thirst from "Dracula" and Anne Rice's vampire chronicles to the forthcoming "Twilight" movie and the new HBO show "True Blood" which premieres Sunday at 9 pm? I think Alan Ball the creator of funeral-home drama "Six Feet Under" and now "True Blood" has a theory We humans get a lift when it comes to considering the undead creatures of the night Immortality ain't so grand these stories tell us Sure death is sad but eternal life millennia of relentless need the world dying around YOU no food! is sadder We love to ponder the misery of vampires to remind ourselves that we really don't want to live forever In Ball's droll neo-gothic "True Blood" which is based on Charlaine Harris's "Southern Vampire" books the vampire community isn't willing to roll over and accept our pity The premise of this promising series is that thanks to the creation of synthetic blood vampires are "coming out of the coffin" in America fighting for equal rights unwilling to be another of this country's hidden classes Vampire activists appear on news shows arguing for the Vampire Rights Amendment while the church proclaims "God I Iates Fangs" Obviously Ball is spinning a metaphor of gays in the era of gay marriage but the "True Blood" setup will resonate with anyone looking for acceptance that is You won't be drawn to "True Blood" if you don't like a heightened almost cartoonish atmosphere Paquin giggly but calmly assertive is something of an ac' quired taste as Soo kw To me her over done Southern accent has a comic emphasis the same way Kyra Sedgwick speaks with almost campy Wesley delight in "The Closer" I kept imagining Amy Poehler from "Saturday Night Live" mocking Paquin's drawl but that never detracted from my enjoyment Alas Moyer a Brit has less luck with his accent as well as with his characterization He makes Bill too dreamily ethereal and I hope his performance grows more vivid and grounded with time If we're going to be emotionally engaged by this couple in the way we were by Rachel Griffiths and Peter Krause in "Six Feet Under" we need to see him as more than a vague specter There isn't enough Buffy-Angel charge between the pair yet Paquin and Moyer are surrounded by an engaging supporting cast including Lois Smith as Sookie and Jason's liberal-minded grandmother Wesley gives Tara's sharp tongue a sympathetic edge as we see her sabotaging herself with naked honesty and Kwanten is a force of blind nature as Jason lurches from breast to breast One of the strengths of "Six Feet Under" was the coherence of its ensemble and I'm hoping "True Blood" can find its way there at least before dawn who unintentionally hears people's private streams of consciousness as she walks by them But she can't hear Bilrs thoughts there is a solid boundary 11 between the two and she finds that irresist- i 1 ible Like most vam- pit-es Bill can "glam our" humans and hypnotize them into Trammell submission but Sookie is immune to Bill's skill With him she finds the independence and separateness she craves They meet cute she saves his life he saves hers and with the courtly manners of a man who was last human in the American South in 1865 he calls on her The tone of "True Blood" is like those death intros from "Six Feet Un almost everyone Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is the heroine of the piece a telepathic waitress in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps When Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) walks into Merlotte's restaurant asking for a bottle of Tru Blood Sookie is openly thrilled about meeting her first vampire if amused that his name is Bill and not something more exotic like Antoine She's part Huffy Summers from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" a chosen defender of those in need but she's also part Tracy Turnblad from "Hairspray" young and eager for excitement She flirts with Bill despite the anti-varnpire bigotry of her friends and her boss Sam (Sam Trammell) Like the angels in the movie "Wings of Desire" Sookie is a mind-reader der" darkly comic even while blood spatters all over the place Just the name Sookie Stackhouse captures a sense of the humor it's a slight parody of a typical young-adult heroine's name like Pippi Longstocking and it has the potential to be a bad pun on "suck-cc" The show is also filled with throwaway sight gags a tabloid headline reads "ANGELINA ADOPTS VAMPIRE BABY" and there are local eccentrics who like some of the Coen brothers backwoods creations are amusingly thick-headed Sookie's brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) for instance is an intensely sexual numbskull who veers recklessly from one woman to the next As Sookie's cynical friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) says to Jason "You are a gigantic parody of yourself and you don't even how it" I WASHBURN from IF The Readers Write Upon returning from vacation I noticed WCNC is billing itself as Channel 36 rather than (cable) 6 When and why did they change? Charles Couch Charlotte WCNC's new branding campaign started about a month ago Tim Morrissey WCNC's new general manager says the station needed to call itself simply what it is "Channel 36 is who we have been who we are and who we will be in the digital world" Years ago under different owners the station managed to get dial position 6 on most cable systems and sold itself as NBC6 It has also ignored its channel number in other campaigns being "WCNC Carolinas News Connection" and "Carolina's News Channel" Hereafter Morrissey says the station will be "News Channel 36" (1220) lands as sports reporter at KTRH AM in Houston and will be covering Texas sports for Fox Sports Radio WDYT sports director Chris Stowe takes over Casey's former Charlotte assignments for Fox Sports Radio and Sporting News Radio Look for Carolina faces on reality shows this month Pals Malta Axelrod 22 a student from Spartanburg and Brook Jackson 24 a graphic designer from Columbia team up on "The Amazing Race" for a five-continent challenge debuting 8 pm Sept 28 on CBS (Channel 3) Cox Crystal Cox 29 of Durham an Olympic gold medalist in track will be on "Survivor: Gabon" debuting 8 pm Sept 25 on CBS (Channel 3) chored by Dave Wagner First guests: United m- Way interim CEO Mac Everett new United Way board chairman Wagner Carlos Evans and the executive di- 1'!" rector for the council for chil- dren's rights Brett loftis Also g4 WCNC investi- gative reporter Conner Stuart Watson and Observer reporter Kerry Hall Greensboro native Megan Connor is one of the six finalists in the "Next GAC Star" competi- tion oil the Great American Coun- '4 try cable net- work Finale is 9 pm Wednes- Foster day Genevieve Barker who worked at WBTV (Channel 3) and WSOC (Channel 9) in the 1990s joins WECT in Wilmington as anchor Jennifer Foster will preview the Charlotte Symphony's upcoming season at 10 am Wednesday on WDAV FM (899) Beginning at 7 pm Sept 13 WDAV will broadcast the symphony's opening Mozart and Mahler con- cert 4 Longtime Charlotte broad- caster Hattie teener "Chatty Hattie" teeper will be signing copies of her autobiography to 3:30 today at the Giant Book Sale store 4716 South Blvd "Ifealthwisc" hosted by Joey Popp launches its 13th season 6 pm Sunday on WTV1 (Channel 42) This week's guest is Jonathan Christenbury of Christenbury Eye Center Keven Casey who lost his job in the layoffs at WDYT AM the lyrics When he was old enough he was driving his 1959 VW bug down on weekends often sleeping in the car just to listen to the music He only missed one season since 1964 the summer of 1969 when he was an Army infantry radio operator in the jungle of Vietnam Rowland says the best three beach songs are "Sixty Minute Man" (1951 the Dominoes) "Miss Grace" (1975 The Tymes) and "Lady Soul" (1986 The Temptations) But the best shagging song he says is Marvin Gaye's 1973 hit "Come Get to This" Never fails to get a crowd onto an empty dance floor "You can play that and it'll get action like it's the No1 song he'll answer beach music questions from listeners and share trivia about the genre Media Movers WCNC will launch a new community affairs show at 10:30 am Sunday called "Flash Point" It will be an right now" he says "Djs use it to dissolve shyness" Rowland a member of the Beach Music Hall of Fame says he plans to add a feature when his show returns While spinning the Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces instrumental "Hey Mr DJ" Mark Washburn: 704-358-5007 Best Bets Talk Silo' The 2008 BankofAmerica'44- 61111 Set Jazz Fes 5LNSEF 04 AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK 9 pm WCCB Next time you find yourself thinking that good TV never lasts consider "AMW" Starting its 22nd season tonight it's helped bring more than 1000 people to justice But host John Walsh won't rest on his laurels Charlotte NC Free Outdoor Concert Saturday September 13 2008 Time: THE LOCATOR 9 pm12 am 3 am WE Who doesn't love a reunion of long-lost loved ones? That's the stock in trade of Troy Dunn subject of this new series A former private investigator he got into the business of tracking down family members and friends when he helped his own mother find her biological parents Each episode covers one case THE EARLY SHOW: A recap of "Stand Up to Cancer" stars from "Paranormal States" overcoming painful break-ups gadgets that help people take better care of their health dancers from "Super Stomp" perform chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Doto lo Hanson performs (8 am WBTV channel 3) GOOD MORNING AMERICA: (8 am WSOC channel 9) TODAY: Home improvement mistakes (8 am WCNC channel 36) EYEWITNESS NEWS MIDDAY WEEKEND: (Noon WSOC channel 9) LATIN LIFESTYLES: Media mogul Elisa Salinas author Carolina GarciaAguilera fashion designer Carlos Miele 'PG (3:30 pm WAXN channel 64) URBAN STYLE: Astronaut Mae Jemison Tracey Edmonds Edmonds Entertainment fashion designer Michael 'PG' (4 pm WAXN channel 64 405 am WSOC channel 9) CBS EVENING NEWS: (6:30 pm WBTV channel 3) NEWS: (10 pm WCCB channel 18 WIZY channel 46 WAXN channel 64 11:30 pm WSOC channel 9) TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE EERESTEN: Comic Jerry Seinfeld takes over hosting duties and interviews Spike actor Patrick Warburton (Bee '14' (Midnight WCCB channel 18) THE CHRIS MATTHEWS SHOW: 'G' (5:30 am WSOC channel 9) 1 mow tit'' 1111'17' 71 li 4i 4 '''6 1 '7i i i ''7 tvY 0 14 it 17-1 F''': li'' ''14'' i 11 A 1 si 1 l''' tit'4 of' 0t" i 1 vi i I-: :4 1 1 71 -f 14' 1 -0 tl 4 i 1 4 eik 11 kaa-iot ealokisixvid- i4 444 ii-t ii 4 wet ii- LAW ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT 10 pm WCNC This episode packs a real knockout punch for Logan (Chris Noth) as the murder victim du jour is the brother of a young man he used to mentor As he and Wheeler (Julianne Nicholson) investigate they suspect a possible rivalry between the brothers for the surviving sibling's girlfriend The Fuzz Band The Fuzz Band Ron Brendle Michael Porter Sweet Dreams The Freehop Funk-Tet Porterhouse Ron Brendle Michael Porter Sweet Dreams The Freehop Funk-Tet Porterhouse For more complete listings see Sunday's TV Week or go to wwwcharlotteobservercomientertainment E22Z 110 PM 10:30 It I 3 US Open Tennis: Women's Final Prom the USIA National Ten- 48 Hours Mystery The Letter News at 11 PM Without a WOW Mis Center in flushing Meadows NY Cc (N) Cc Trace (11:35) 0 1) NASCAR Racing: Sprint Cup Chevy Rock Ron 400 km Richmond International Raceway in Rich- News (N) Wsoc Imond Va 4 )(Live) i-- 1 Symphony Park at South Park Mall 4400 Sharon Road Charlotte NC For more information: 704-375-9553 wwwcharlottesunsetjazzfestivalcom 0 V' to 0 r''' we 1: t- 117 I '4' tootAr 11 94' Wk q''''11n Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall 4400 Sharon Road Charlotte NC For more information: 704-375-9553 wwwcharlottesunsetjazzfestivalcom (M-) Chuck Chuck meets a pretty i Law Order: Criminal Intent Law Order: Criminal Intent--IWCNC News riaturdaiNighl WCNC woman interested in him Betrayed (o '14' cc Ten Count it '14' cc iNightcasti(N) Lisie tiii i MO Cops (N) PG Cops (N) it ilkinerka's Most Wanted: News (N) Panthers IMADtv Dave 4114 wccg i i' cc (PA) cc Fights Back (N) Huddle 'G' iDLS' cc i 146) Star Trek The Ultimate Corn- stargate Atlantis Vengeance News (N) 'Law Order: Special Vktims----rAnit-t-WI it-i WV iputer Co 'PG cc Ito '14' cc I Ilrilt (10:35) Birthright (l5 ft'51 Movie: Uptown Girls (2003 Comedy) Brittany Murphy A care- My Sex Frasier PG Seinfeld The FreiS3hPr) ince-o-if WMcr tree woman becomes a nanny to an uptight girl D' cc Wait Out Co Bel-Air i :641 Masterminds iMasterminds Da Vinci's Inquest Better INews (N) cc Not Topics Cc 1Made in Hollywood A cc WAXN i 'PG' Ball 'PG' i Broke Than Naked cc i i- 1301 Dave Koz at the Movies 0:001 That's Amore: Italian-Amerkan Favorites Arii The Artist's Way at Work With Mark Bryan WNW 'PG' cc chival performances to G' CC ill 'G' cc 142) Rieu: Live in Vienna Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss My Musk: My Generation The 60s Folk rock and pop MS-- WM lOrchestra and Choir 0 'G' cc 'from 1965-1969 0 cc IStii American Soundtrack: Doo Wop's Greatest Hits A best-of com-iChange Your Brain Change Your Life Overcoming depression wiliqc pilation of don-woo favoritns 01 'G' cc ADD and anxiolv to 0 cc Sponsors: 11111111 Cipriani Observer ft06(14 a LLteL 11nli 11:34 BankofAmerica stbS111ine cHAIT212E PRIDE (Vie A4- ESPN Co GOLF PGA Tour Golf: Nationwide SPEED llege Football: Miami at Honda (Live) cc Golf Central (Live) I Ryder Cup Highlights Tour Utah Championship 1 1 ISportsCenter (Live) cc Ryder Cup Highlights ---'14 If I HI? A Nitro Jam Drag Racing: On the Edge lOn the Edge AMA Racing: Motocross Unique Whips Grand Bend (Tiood) Stoei City From Foort Pa Contributors: 1 1 brislottk SPUTHPARKtur Urban amm0 lat4tp EEIU AMC 1 from )eA a ert x0 ill Wi7c)Uennis Quaid billy Bob Mormon Outnumbered leXillIS fight to Movie: A hstful of Dollars (196 stwood 4) Clint Ea 'R HBOMovie: live Free or Die Hard (2007 Action) Bruce Willis Boxing: Juan Diaz vs Michael Katsidis (Wive) cc Amenca's computers fall under attack PG-13' cc TCM 1 'Movie: The Night of the Hunter (1955) Robert Mitchum She' Movie: Track of the Cat (1954 Adventure) RobMovie Iley Winters Chihli en run away from corrupt preacher lert Mitchum Teresa wright cc 'Red Pony i.