JOIN "TRUE BLOOD(R)" CAST IN FIRST-EVER HBO LIVE SOCIAL MEDIA EVENT IN CELEBRATION OF SEASON 6 PREMIERE

- 13 cast members kick off new season with two-part event, including a Social TV pre-show on Sunday, June 16, 8:45 p.m. ET/PT, right before the Season 6 premiere on HBO -

New York, N.Y., June 5, 2013 - Truebies will get their blood pumping when 13 cast members from the hit series True Blood kick off the new season with HBO's first-ever live broadcast from the set of Fangtasia. The two-part social media event begins on June 16, 9:00 a.m. ET, when HBO will reveal exclusive #secretsfromtheset via the True Blood profiles on Facebook (Facebook.com/Trueblood), Twitter (Twitter.com/TruebloodHBO), Instagram (Instagram.com/TruebloodHBO) and Vine. This all leads up to a fan-fueled interactive pre-show, #TrueBlood: Live from Set, airing on HBO at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT hosted by comedienne and Parks and Recreation actress Retta.

#TrueBlood: Live from Set will provide a rare opportunity for fans to engage in a live social media experience with the show's cast who will answer questions from fans and share details of the new season. Cast members who are scheduled to appear include Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Carrie Preston, Todd Lowe, Chris Bauer, Kristin Bauer van Straten and Joe Manganiello. Fans can submit questions now at truebloodlive.com. Michael McMillian will also host a special segment giving fans an inside look at the True Blood sets.

"Social media has been core to the marketing strategy for True Blood since the first season, leading to one of the most engaged fan bases of any television series," said Pamela Levine, executive vice president, HBO Marketing. "#TrueBlood: Live From the Set will reward our devotees by allowing them to both participate in and affect the live broadcast through a unique intersection of linear television and digital media."

Additionally, HBO's top True Blood fans will be featured in the broadcast through a never-before-done execution with Twitter and powered by Mass Relevance. All they need to do is follow @TrueBloodHBO on Twitter for info on how to prove they are a #TopTruebie.

Based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R)-winning hit series was created by Alan Ball, creator of HBO's Emmy(R)-winning series Six Feet Under. The show follows waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people's thoughts, vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård).

True Blood Season 6 premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following the live show, exclusively on HBO.