I'm not sure how many innocent shapeshifters Alan Ball had to sacrifice for this, but Sunday's episode of True Blood earned the series its highest ratings ever -- for the fifth week in a row. Just how crazy has True Blood's ratings path been this season?
Unlike most serialized dramas, which drop off after their season premieres (see: week two of Mad Men), True Blood's steady rise has been truly remarkable. The series has always been a slow burner -- in its first season, it premiered modestly but continued to build -- and this year has seen the heat turned up: After True Blood's June premiere netted it 3.7 million viewers (at the time, HBO's largest audience since the series finale of The Sopranos), ratings have risen dramatically. The latest tune-in? 5.3 million -- a full 20% climb from the previous week's episode.
At this point, True Blood has even more in common with Buffy the Vampire Slayer than its central blond-and-brunette vampire love triangle: Its ratings are right in line with what Buffy averaged in its heyday. It may be time to buy Anna Paquin's boobs that Porsche Boxster -- they've earned it!
ยท 'Dating in the Dark' ends modestly; ratings rundown [THR]