It consists of 12 episodes, each running approximately 55 minutes in length and was, for the most part, based on the novel Dead Until Dark, the first entry in The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris.

Sookie's best friend Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) begins bartending at Merlotte's after quitting her job at the Super Save-A-Bunch.

Also working at Merlotte's are Tara's cousin Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), a short order cook and hustler, and Arlene Fowler (Carrie Preston).

Arlene is a thrice-divorced waitress with two children who, over the course of the season, becomes engaged to Rene Lenier (Michael Raymond-James), a Cajun labourer who works on a road crew.

In the middle of the season Tara's mother, Lettie Mae (Adina Porter), undergoes an exorcism to rid herself of what she terms her "demons" - her addiction to alcohol.

While staying with Maryann, Tara meets "Eggs" Benedict Talley (Mehcad Brooks) to whom she feels a strong attraction.

Sheriff Dearborne (William Sanderson) places his only detective, Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) in charge of finding the killer.

Series creator Alan Ball had previously worked with premium cable channel HBO on Six Feet Under, which ran five seasons.

In October 2005, after Six Feet Under's finale, Ball signed a two-year agreement with HBO to develop and produce original programming for the network.

True Blood became the first project under the deal, after Ball became acquainted with Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mystery books.

[10] One day, while early for a dentist appointment, Ball was browsing through Barnes & Noble and came across Dead Until Dark, the first installment in Harris' series.