the execs over at HBO should write a big ‘ole thank-you note to ‘twilight.’ mainly because viewership for the second season of the network’s vampire drama ‘true blood’ went up 157% from the previous year. ‘twilight,’ among other things, made vampires the cool new thing.

‘true blood’ centers around the love story of a human & a vampire – and all that that implies. while the first season won critical acclaim and even a golden globe (best actress, anna paquin), the viewership wasn’t quite there.  the first season of ‘true blood’ debuted to a disappointing 1.4 million.

and then came ‘twilight.’ after the release of the movie, ‘true blood’s’ fan base grew significantly. the premiere of the second season became the highest rated program for HBO since ‘the sopranos’. the drama drew a whopping 3.7 million viewers. and the good news doesn’t stop there. the complete first season was just released on dvd, & sales have already topped $35 million. ‘true blood’ and its blood-sucking vampirs are here to stay.