Hooked on HBO

Well, besides Drumsticks, I need yet another 12 Step Program.

I thought I had "kicked" the habit after The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, In Treatment and Sex and the City went off the air.

However, this new series "True Blood" hooked me after the first night.

It's a story about Vampires, but it is more a modern parable about prejudice and xenophobia. Substitute LGBT or African American or Asian or Jews or any other ethnic group and you get to see parts of human nature that you'd rather not look at, than you very much, because it is so damn scary.

There's also a not-so-subtle jab at Eucharistic beliefs - drinking the Blood of Christ to gain life eternal. No one actually says that, but there's no mistaking it.

If you miss the subtlety of prejudice, not to worry. The racism against the African American characters in the story line will put a thick underline on it.

It's also very sexy (I'd call it 'soft porn' but I fear you'd think me an old fogey, which I also fear I'm actually becoming. It's one thing to read it or use trashy talk, it's quite another to see it on your television screen - even in the privacy of your own home), with a highly intelligent script, amazing acting and direction (Alan Bell, who gave us Six Feet Under and Deadwood).

Anna Paquin (remember her from The Piano?)plays Sookie Stackhouse a clairvoyant waitress in Louisiana (of course!) who is falling in love with a Vampire who is a former soldier in the Civil War. Vampires can now come out of hiding because science has been able to create synthetic blood, so there's no need for Vampires to try to keep themselves alive by harming other people.

The synthetic blood is called . . . you guessed it . . . "True Blood" which is bottled and sold in Convenience Stores - right along side the Diet Pepsi and Milk.

She's brilliant. In fact, all the acting is extraordinarily well done.

Okay, I didn't get hooked on Deadwood (too many character lines to follow and it got really, really weird) and Entourage has never really grabbed me (something about all that foolishness of the movie industry), but THIS, this is primo stuff.

You know. Like Drumsticks.

I should also confess that, after the Sunday liturgy and pastoral visits, I come home, have lunch and watch the Food Station. I'm absolutely "religious" about it, but I'm not disappointed if I miss a Sunday - or even two or three.

But this? I'm not going to miss an episode. Not one. You'll have to pry that remote out of my cold, dead hand.

Guess you know where I'll be every Sunday night at 9 PM