Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
With True Blood‘s highly anticipated season five premiere only a few months away, big news has broken in Bon Temps: EW has confirmed rumors that series creator Alan Ball will be stepping down from his duties as showrunner on the hit HBO series if the show returns for a sixth season. In a statement, the network said, “When we extended our multi-year overall deal with Alan Ball in July 2011, we always intended that if we proceeded to True Blood’s sixth season that Alan would take a supervisory role on the series and not be the day-to-day showrunner. If we proceed to season six, the show will remain in the very capable hands of the talented team of writers and producers who have been with the show for a number of years. This is the best possible world for both HBO and Alan Ball. Alan will remain available as executive producer to consult and advise on True Blood and he will be free to develop new shows for both HBO and Cinemax. Banshee, on which Alan serves as executive producer, is the first in house series for Cinemax and is expected to begin production this spring.”
Meanwhile, Ball says in statement, “True Blood has been, and will continue to be, a highlight of not only my career but my life. Because of the fantastic cast, writers, producers and crew, with whom I have been lucky enough to work these past five years, I know I could step back and the show will continue to thrive as I look forward to new and exciting ventures.”
HBO’s pop culture phenom is based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse book franchise, which Ball adapted into the television series in September 2008. True Blood has grown to be HBO’s most popular series since The Sopranos. Ball previously created the acclaimed drama Six Feet Under for the network, which ran for five seasons from 2001-2005.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @EWTimStack
Read more:
‘True Blood’ first season 5 teaser
‘True Blood’ Central
‘True Blood’ casting call: A biblical new role … and a very old friend for Eric — EXCLUSIVE
