'True Blood' renewed for Season 7

Credit: HBO

HBO has made the long-expected announcement official: season 6 will not be the end for vampires, werewolves, shifters, faeries and their exasperated human companions.

The network confirmed today that it has renewed True Blood for a seventh season.

New episodes will premiere in summer 2014, with executive producer Brian Buckner returning as showrunner, having replaced creator Alan Ball with the start of season six. Though the sixth season premiere was down in ratings, drawing 4.5 million viewers against the 5.2 million who tuned in for the Season 5 premiere, the show faced stiff competition from an NBA Finals game. The fact remains that the show averages better than 10 million viewers per episode across all play formats, making it one of HBO's most successful programs even now, six years in. “True Blood remains a signature show for HBO, and a true phenomenon with our viewers,” said HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo while making the announcement today. “Thanks to Brian Buckner and his talented team, the show continues to be a thrill ride like nothing else on TV.”

Via: Deadline