True Blood Showrunner Swap: Brian Buckner to Replace Mark Hudis

Hudis replaced creator Alan Ball after he left the HBO hit series to focus on his new show, Cinemax's Banshee

By Tierney Bricker Mar 09, 2013 1:00 AMTags
TRUE BLOODJohn P. Johnson/HBO

That was fast.

True Blood showrunner Mark Hudis is being replaced by writer and producer Brian Buckner, HBO confirms to E! News. Hudis replaced creator Alan Ball for the series' sixth season after he left the show to focus on his Cinemax series Banshee.

"Mark Hudis has stepped down as showrunner of True Blood to focus on development under his overall deal with the network," HBO said in a statement.

Hudis joined the HBO vampire hit as a co-executive producer in its fourth season before being promoted to showrunner after season five; Buckner has been with True Blood since season one and will take over showrunner duties for the remainder of the sixth season.

Last February, Ball announced he was leaving the show. "True Blood has been, and will continue to be, a highlight of not only my career but my life," Ball said in a statement. "Because of the fantastic cast, writers, producers and crew, with whom I have been lucky enough to work these past five years, I know I could step back and the show will continue to thrive as I look forward to new and exciting ventures."

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news of Hudis' exit.