So it looks like True Blood is biting into its last season next year.
Producers have confirmed now that season 7 will end the series and continue to run under the 10 episode format set up in season 6.
HBO President Michael Lombardo gave his final thoughts on the series as a whole:
True Blood has been nothing short of a defining show for HBO. Alan Ball took the books by Charlaine Harris, assembled a brilliant cast led by the magnificent Anna Paquin in the role of Sookie Stackhouse, and crafted a show that has taken its many devoted fans on an unforgettable journey.
Alan passed the baton to Brian Buckner, who led our fantastic writers and crew in crafting a spectacular sixth season, and he will lead us through the seventh and final season of this amazing show. Together with its legions of fans, it will be hard to say goodbye to the residents of Bon Temps, but I look forward to what promises to be a fantastic final chapter of this incredible show.
One thing to look forward to is that despite a supposed fiery death, Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard), will return in the last season.
The final season will also focus on human-vampire interaction more and the threat of Hepatitis V.
It's quite possible that HBO is making room for new epic series to take the place of this one, as it often has in the past, especially with the new Abrams/Nolan series West World (based on the Crichton original film) pilot ordered by the network.
Check out the trailer for season 7 below.
Fare thee well True Blood, fare thee well.
Twitter: @journalistjim