LONDON, Aug 24: Michael Lombardo, HBO’s programming director, has spoken about why the network decided to end ‘True Blood’ after its current seventh season.
The vampire fantasy series will come to an end after seven years, despite continuing to bring in strong ratings for HBO, reported Digital Spy.
Lombardo said that HBO preferred to end the show on a high rather than focusing on the ratings.
“This season, ‘True Blood’ is one of the highest-rated shows across the board; it gets over 10 million views an episode. But the minute you feel you’re airing it for the numbers we start questioning it. Every season we sit down with the creator and say ‘Tell us what the next year will be like’,” said Lombardo.
“And if there aren’t exciting, unbelievable, undeniable ideas in the coming season, we’re questioning. And I think in the case of ‘True Blood’, it just felt like we had reached a place where the storytelling was hitting a wall. And to stay just because the ratings were strong felt not who we are and we needed, quite honestly, the money and Sunday night space for new shows,” he added.
‘True Blood’ stars Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell among others. (PTI)