TNT to Premiere Non-Vampire Themed Television Series

TNT has reconfirmed its plans for a Tuesday night premiere of the drama "Memphis Beat", a series that has nothing at all to do with vampires.

The cable network's decision to move forward with the program has raised eyebrows in light of the prevailing consumer demand for vampires that has compelled other major networks to introduce ever-increasing amounts of vampire related content into their lineups by introducing new vampire-themed shows and adapting previously vampire-free programs such as "Two and a Half Vampires" and "How I Met Your Undead Mother".

"It's a gamble, sure, but no risk yields little reward," remarked TNT Head of Programming Robert Busby, whose network will hedge its bet with a mid-summer roll-out of the vampire-themed programs "Nosferatu M.D", and "Where's Vladimir?".

"We definitely think Memphis Beat will find its niche," Busby added.

Despite Busby's optimism, the series pilot, which introduces Jason Lee as a non-blood sucking Memphis detective dedicated to solving crimes committed by mere mortals, has reportedly received a cold reception from test audiences.   

"I saw the main character's reflection in a car window in the first five minutes and was like, 'hello?'" scoffed one woman who got a sneak peek of the pilot episode, "Then, after awhile I realized the show isn't even about vampires, and was all, 'how lame'."

In its Tuesday night time slot, Memphis Beat will go up against ABC's "CSI Transylvania", Fox's new "Undead Wife Swap", and "Draven Knows Best" on VH1.